* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY GOOD? IF YOU'D LIKE, I'M SORRY. WAITED UNTIL YOU TOOK A DRINK. , DO YOU WANNA READ US IN? THIS [1. Closed Meeting - 5:30 p.m.] MOTION IS MADE THAT THIS OPEN PUBLIC MEETING OF THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD BECOME A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 1. THE SCHOOL BOARD DESIRES TO DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING MATTER IN A CLOSED MEETING. SECTION 2.23711 A ONE, DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION, OR INTERVIEWS OF PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINING, OR RESIGNATION OF EMPLOYEES OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, SPECIFICALLY THE PERSONNEL REPORT, THE PERSONAL REPORT, ADDENDUM, AND THE SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION. IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT. MR. VALENTINE, COULD YOU DO ROLL CALL PLEASE? MR. SALAN? AYE. MR. MCFADDEN? AYE. MADAM CHAIR? AYE. DR. FUNK? AYE. MRS. LOWE? AYE. THANK YOU. CAN YOU PLEASE READ US OUT OF CLOSED? [2. Meeting Opening - 6:30 p.m.] ACCORDING TO THE VOTES RECORDED BY THE CLERK, THE SCHOOL BOARD OF WARREN COUNTY DOES HEREBY CERTIFY THAT TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBER'S KNOWLEDGE ONE, ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS, LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS UNDER THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT WERE DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED MEETING TO WHICH THE CERTIFICATION APPLIES. AND TWO, ONLY SUCH PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS AS WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION BY WHICH THE CLOSED MEETING WAS CONVENED, WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED OR CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD. IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT. MR. VALENTINE, COULD YOU DO ROLL CALL PLEASE? MRS. LOWE? AYE. DR. FUNK? AYE. MADAM CHAIR? AYE. MR. MCFADDEN? AYE. MRS. SALAN? AYE. THANK YOU. WELCOME [2.A. Call to Order - Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence - School Board Chair] EVERYONE, IF YOU'LL PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY A MOMENT OF SILENCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY, WE HAVE LOTS OF STUDENTS HERE THIS EVENING, SO WE'RE GONNA START THIS EVENING WITH OUR [2.B. School Reports - Dr. Ballenger ] SCHOOL REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS. DR. BALLINGER? THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. UH, FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO, TO WELCOME EVERYBODY HERE TONIGHT. THIS IS WONDERFUL SEEING EVERYONE AND, AND WE HAVE SOME GREAT PRESENTATIONS TONIGHT. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT, UM, GETTING OUR, OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR TEAMS AND, AND THEN ALL SOME OF OUR OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR SCHOOL AND JUST BE ABLE TO SHARE THOSE TONIGHT WITH EVERYBODY. SO, UH, TO FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MS. LAYMAN, UM, IT IS AS ROAD'S SPOTLIGHT TONIGHT. SO MS. LAYMAN, THANK YOU DR. BALLINGER, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS. WE HAVE A GROUP HERE WITH US TONIGHT, SO I DO HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT I'LL GO THROUGH AND THEN WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS HERE TO JUST SHARE ABOUT OUR SCHOOL AS WELL. SO I THINK MR. BUD IS GOING TO GET THAT READY FOR US. AND WHILE WE'RE WAITING, I HAVE WITH ME ASHTON, YOU WAVE WITH THEM. DARI, UM, SORRY. DANTE . SORRY ABOUT THAT. PIPER, MRS. CURTIS AND MR. SITERS. SO JUST, I HAVE TWO MORE COMING. OKAY, PERFECT. UM, SO JUST TO KIND OF GET US STARTED, JUST A LITTLE OVERVIEW. I KNOW WITH A LOT OF BUDGET TALKS PEOPLE HAVE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT LIKE WHAT DOES THEIR STAFF LOOK LIKE. OBVIOUSLY AS ROADS WE ARE THE SMALLEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITHIN THE COUNTY. OUR NUMBERS HAVE GROWN THOUGH ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE. UM, RECENTLY, SO WE ARE AT ABOUT 265 STUDENTS K THROUGH FIVE. WE DO HAVE AN AVERAGE CLASS SIZE OF 22 STUDENTS. OUR FIRST GRADE CLASSES ARE THE LARGEST SIZE MR. SITERS WITH 25 OVER HERE. HE IS WINNING AND MRS. CROWDER'S CLASS HAS 24 STUDENTS. UM, AS MANY OTHERS HAVE SAID, WE DO HAVE A FULL-TIME SCHOOL COUNSELOR, FULL-TIME PE TEACHER LIBRARIAN AND OUR ART TEACHER ALSO TEACHES MUSIC. SO [00:05:01] THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN EVERYONE ELSE, BUT SHE'S ABLE TO DO BOTH OF THOSE AND DOES A REALLY GREAT JOB AT THAT. AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT STUDENT SUPPORT COACHES AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS. WE DO HAVE ONE STUDENT SUPPORT COACH AND ONE STUDENT SUPPORT INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT AT OUR SCHOOL. UM, WE SHARE TEACHERS WITH A LOT OF SCHOOLS, SO WE HAVE KIND OF LIKE PART-TIME TWO DAYS A WEEK. OUR GT TEACHER WE SHARE, UM, OUR EL TEACHER SHARED, WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION COACH TWO DAYS A WEEK AND A READING COACH. SO AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, LAST YEAR WE WERE SLATED TO HIRE A VLA READING COACH SPECIALIST AND WE WERE NOT ABLE TO FIND SOMEONE TO FILL THAT POSITION. SO GRACIOUSLY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE THAT PERSON WITH SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO THAT READING COACH HELPS US TWO DAYS A WEEK AND THAT HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL THIS YEAR. SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT POSITION FILLED FOR US, UM, FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR TO SHARE WITH E WILSON. UM, BACK TO THAT STUDENT SUPPORT COACH AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT. UM, FOR US, WE DO USE THEM AS REMEDIATION TEACHERS FOR READING. MOST OR NOT, I SHOULDN'T SAY THAT. MOST OF THE OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS DO HAVE TITLE ONE TEACHERS OR TITLE ONE READING INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS. UM, WE DO NOT HAVE THOSE RESOURCES AT OUR SCHOOL. SO IN PLACE OF THAT WE DO REALLY RELY ON THAT STUDENT SUPPORT COACH AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT TO HELP US WITH THAT. READING REMEDIATION TIME DAILY, 45 MINUTES EVERY GRADE LEVEL. AND SO THEY'RE ABLE TO PULL SOME SMALL STUDENTS FOR INTENSIVE READING INTERVENTION AND THAT ALLOWS OUR TEACHERS TO ALSO HAVE A SMALLER CLASS SIZE IN THEIR CLASS SO THAT THEY CAN, IN ADDITION TO THAT, HAVE READING GROUPS WITHIN THEIR CLASSROOM. UM, AND THAT'S CURRENTLY ABOUT 62 STUDENTS FOR OUR SCHOOL. SO IT IS A HUGE NUMBER AND I'M NOT SURE HOW CREATIVE WE WOULD HAVE TO BE TO FILL THAT GAP IF IT WEREN'T ABLE TO BE, UM, PROVIDED NEXT YEAR. WE DO USE SOME DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. WE USE, UM, LEXIA WITH OUR OLDER STUDENTS TO JUST TRY TO SUPPLEMENT SO THEY STILL HAVE THAT FACE-TO-FACE READING REMEDIATION, BUT WE ALSO USE LEXIA AND ONTO LEXIA. SO WE'VE HAD PRETTY GREAT SUCCESS WITH THAT. I THINK I'VE MENTIONED THE PROGRAM IN THE PAST, BUT IT WAS DESIGNED A LOT AROUND THE TYPES OF INTERVENTIONS THAT STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA WOULD NEED, UM, TO MEET THOSE PHONOLOGICAL PHONICS, UM, GOALS IN THEIR READING AND BUILD THOSE BASIC SKILLS. AND SO FAR THIS YEAR WE'VE HAD ABOUT A HUNDRED STUDENTS COMPLETE A FULL GRADE LEVEL OF WORK WITHIN LEXIA. SO EVERYONE TAKES A PLACEMENT TEST AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND THEN THEY WORK THROUGH THE LEVEL. SO ABOUT A HUNDRED STUDENTS HAVE ALREADY COMPLETED ONE LEVEL. ABOUT 20 STUDENTS HAVE COMPLETED TWO GRADE LEVELS WORTH OF WORK AND THAT'S INDEPENDENTLY THAT THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT IT IS, UM, GEARED TOWARDS A LOT OF MANIPULATION OF CONTENT. SO IT'S VERY HANDS-ON WITH THEM IN TERMS OF THEY'RE SEEING VIDEOS, IT'S DIRECT INSTRUCTION OF THOSE BASIC SKILLS THAT MAY BE THE GAPS THAT THEY HAVE. UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ONE STUDENT WHO HAS COMPLETED THREE GRADE LEVELS WORTH OF WORK IN THE YEAR. SO SOME STUDENTS WILL WORK ON IT AT HOME, SOME STUDENTS, UM, WE DO REFLEX MATH IN THE MORNING. IF THEY GET THAT FINISHED THEY WANT TO BE ON LEXIA AND FILLING THOSE GAPS, UM, FOR THEMSELVES. AND SO THAT'S BEEN A GREAT THING. AND OUR OLDER GRADE LEVELS JUST STARTED LEADERBOARDS. SO THEY ARE BEING VERY COMPETITIVE IN TRYING TO HAVE THE MOST LEVELS COMPLETED FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR HOMEROOM. WE ALSO USE IXL MATH, UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE USE TO IDENTIFY READING LEVELS FOR OUR FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT TAKE THE VOWS ASSESSMENT THAT STATE, UM, BASED ASSESSMENT FOR READING. AND WE DO USE THAT ALSO FOR OUR MATH LEVELS FOR FIRST THROUGH FIFTH GRADE. SO WITHIN THAT PROGRAM, AGAIN, THEY CAN WATCH VIDEO, SHORT VIDEO LESSONS. IT PRESENTS MATH IN MULTIPLE WAYS TO STUDENTS. SO WHETHER THAT'S A PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION OR THE ABSTRACT, IT REALLY SPANS ALL OF THOSE WAYS AND IT PRESENTS IT IN MULTIPLE WAYS SO THAT THEY HAVE UH, AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THAT. SO THE GOAL EACH MONTH IS 25,000 QUESTIONS ANSWERED FOR OUR SCHOOL. AND IN FEBRUARY WE HAD ANSWERED 74,000 QUESTIONS. SO EVEN WITH ALL OF THE SNOW AND ALL THE DELAYS, UM, OUR STUDENTS REALLY WERE WORKING HARD ON THAT AND IT SHOWS IN THEIR GROWTH. YOU CAN SEE THAT MOST KIDS ARE MAKING MORE THAN ONE MONTH'S GROWTH WITHIN EXCEL [00:10:01] AS THEIR WORK. I EXCEL, SORRY, AS THEY'RE WORKING. SO IN OUR FIFTH GRADE MATH, I'M SORRY, OUR FIFTH GRADE READING, THEY ARE JUST REALLY SOARING WITH THAT INFORMATION. SO WE'RE PROUD OF THEM FOR THAT WORK. READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK IS THIS WEEK, OF COURSE. I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN LOTS OF THINGS ABOUT THAT. UM, WE DID PARTNER WITH A GROUP. BOOKS ARE FUN AND SO WE DID A FUNDRAISER WITH THEM AT THE END OF JANUARY AND AS STUDENTS RAISED, UM, DONATIONS FOR EVERY $10 DONATED, THEY EARNED A BOOK AND THEY COULD EARN UP TO 10 BOOKS. UM, AND THEN ALL OF THE EXTRA MONEY KIND OF WENT INTO A SCHOOL FUND SO THAT WE COULD COVER THE DIFFERENCE FOR ANYONE WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO RAISE $10. SO WE WERE ABLE TO KICK OFF MONDAY. A COUPLE CUTE PICTURES THERE OF STUDENTS, EVERY STUDENT RECEIVED AT LEAST ONE BOOK AND A LOT OF STUDENTS RECEIVED MORE THAN, MORE THAN JUST THE ONE BOOK. SO THEY REALLY LOVED THAT. AND LAST NIGHT WE HAD OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT NIGHT WITH THE DISCOVERY MUSEUM THAT WAS GRACIOUSLY SPONSORED BY FRONT ROYAL ELKS LODGE. THEY COVERED THE DONATION OF $750 FOR THAT PROGRAM TO COME OUT. SO IT WAS A FREE EVENT TO OUR FAMILIES. LAST NIGHT WE WERE MAKING CLOUDS, MAKING SNOW, MAKING ROCKETS. THAT WAS PRETTY POPULAR. UM, MAKING ROCKETS PAINTING, UM, POLLINATION, HAPPENING POLLINATION. WE HAD STEM ROPE, WE HAD ROBOTS THAT THEY COULD CODE TO FOLLOW DIFFERENT PATHS. SO IT WAS A GREAT TIME. SO I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT TO ANY OTHER SCHOOLS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO INVOLVE FAMILIES. WE DID HAVE ABOUT 40 FAMILIES OUT, SO 40 OF OUR STUDENTS, BUT THEN ALSO SOME OLDER SIBLINGS CAME ALONG, SOME YOUNGER SIBLINGS CAME ALONG AND IT WAS JUST A GREAT TIME IN THE UM, PE BUILDING LAST NIGHT. AND MRS. CURTIS HAS BEEN PRETTY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING TO LEAD OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, UM, GROUP AND GETTING A DONATION FROM THE ELKS LODGE. SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEN ALL OF OUR STAFF VOLUNTEER TIME TO JUST STAY LAST NIGHT HELP RUN PROGRAMS. SO WE APPRECIATE THEIR SUPPORT AS WELL. AND CLUBS. SO WE'RE SMALL I GUESS, BUT MIGHTY WE HAVE A WALKING RUNNING CLUB AND I'LL LET MS. CURTIS SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. UH, WE HAVE A DISC GOLF CLUB. WE JUST RECENTLY STARTED EARLY ACT CLUB, SO WE'VE REALLY HAD THE DECEMBER AND JANUARY MEETINGS. FEBRUARY WAS SNOWED OUT, SO WE HAVE OUR MARCH MEETING NEXT WEEK. UM, WE HAD A MUSIC CLUB IN THE FALL, SO WE TRIED TO BRING BACK CHORUS. IT JUST REALLY HASN'T REVIVED FOR US SINCE COVID. UM, THERE WAS NOT A HUGE INTEREST IN JUST CHORUS. SO OUR MUSIC ART TEACHER CHANGED IT TO A MUSIC CLUB SO THEY COULD DO SOME PIANO, THEY COULD DO, YOU KNOW, LIKE DRUMMING AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF THINGS AND ALSO INCORPORATE SINGING AND SHE IS OFFERING, HER AREA OF SPECIALTY IS ART, SO SHE IS OFFERING THAT STARTING NEAR THE END OF THIS MONTH. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE HOW MANY STUDENTS JOIN US FOR THOSE. SO HERE WITH US TONIGHT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO MRS. CURTIS TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WALK RUN CLUB AND I THINK SHE HAS A FEW FRIENDS THAT WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING. YOU HI. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. UM, I STARTED IT BECAUSE MY, MY BOYS WENT TO FREDERICK COUNTY SCHOOLS AND AT BASS HOOVER THEY DID A RUNNING WALKING CLUB THAT WAS AMAZING FOR MY YOUNGEST SON SCOTT, WHO HAS A DD. UM, IT HELPED HIM TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS IN CLASS AND TO DO WELL ON TESTS WHEN HE HAD TESTS AND RUNNING WALKING CLUB THE SAME DAY. SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO START IT HERE AT AS RHODES FOR THAT INTENT TO HELP THESE KIDS GET THEIR ENERGY OUT, BE ABLE TO SEE KIDS FROM NOT ONLY FIFTH GRADE WHERE I TEACH, BUT I CAN SEE KIDS FROM ALL THE GRADE LEVELS AND LEARN ALL THEIR NAMES BEFORE THEY COME TO ME IN FIFTH GRADE. UM, TO GET THEIR WIGGLES OUT, TO GET THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEIR FRIENDS. WE PLAY BASKETBALL, WE DO SOCCER, WE HAVE TORNADO THAT WE CREATE. I'M IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TORNADO AND THEY HAVE TO BLOW ME AROUND. UM, WE JUST HAVE A GREAT TIME TOGETHER. SO IT'S JUST A WAY OF JUST SOCIALIZING, COMING TOGETHER, GET THOSE WIGGLES OUT, GO TO CLASS AND LEARN AND LET OUR BRAIN CELLS JUST SOAK IN ALL THE KNOWLEDGE. UM, I WILL ADD THAT MISS CECILIA LOGAN, SHE WANTED ME TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS TONIGHT THAT I REALLY LOVE RUNNING WALKING CLUB BECAUSE I LOVE TO RUN AND WALK. RUN CLUB LETS ME TALK TO MY FRIENDS. IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY THAT I CAN BE THERE EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY AND SHE'S [00:15:01] GOT A HILL AT HER HOUSE AND SHE'S NOW ABLE TO GET UP THAT HILL AND BEAT HER MOM AND DAD TO THE HOUSE. SO THAT'S GREAT. AND I HAVE MIAH HERE AND MADDIE HERE AND I HAVE PIPER HERE AND DANTE AND ASHTON. AND WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO SHARE OUR LOVE OF RUN WALKING CLUB. DO YOU WANNA GO FIRST? SURE. I'M NOT TOLERANT AND UH, IT'S HELPED ME A LOT WITH GETTING ACTIVE AND GETTING OUT OF THE HOUSE AND DOING MORE THINGS AND IT LETS ME EXPRESS MYSELF AND HAVE FUN WITH MY FRIENDS BEFORE SCHOOL AND HE'S AMAZING TO THE LITTLES TOO. MACKAY, YOU WANNA GO NEXT? SURE. . UM, IT HELPS ME LIKE WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND GET ACTIVE AND READY FOR SCHOOL IN THE MORNING. 'CAUSE SOMETIMES I'M REALLY TIRED IN THE MORNING AND IT HELPS ME LIKE SOCIALIZE A LOT TO MY PEERS AND I LIKE WHAT YOU SAID ANTE AND I WOULD AGREE ON LET'S GET YOU OUT OF THE HOUSE AND THESE GUYS COME A HALF AN HOUR BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS, SO IT'S AMAZING. PIPER, YOU WANNA GO NEXT? YEAH. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT RUNNING WALKING CLUB IS THAT I GET TO PLAY WITH MY FRIENDS AND UM, I GET TO MAKE UP SOME GAMES LIKE CRAB CLUB AND BUG CLUB AND IT HELPS ME EXERCISE AND LET ME GET OUTTA THE HOUSE FAST BECAUSE I REALLY WANNA SPEND TIME WITH MY FRIENDS. ASHTON WANNA GO. ASHTON TOLD ME TO SHARE THAT HE LOVES TO RUN AND HE LOVES SOCCER AND WE DO SONIC DURING OUR TIME TOGETHER. WE PLAY OUR SOCCER BALL TOGETHER AND WE JUST ENJOY EACH OTHER'S COMPANY. WE DO HOPSCOTCH TOGETHER OUT IN THE BLUE TOP TIME, DON'T WE? AND WE LOVE THE TORNADO. SOMETIMES HE GOES TO THE TORNADO WITH ME. YOU DID GREAT. ALL RIGHT MADDIE. I LIKE RUNNING IN WALKING CLUB BECAUSE I CAN TALK TO MY FRIENDS BEFORE CLASS SO I'M NOT TALKING IN CLASS AND UM, IT HELPS ME EXERCISE. GOOD JOB. WONDERFUL. THANK YOU MRS. CURTIS. UM, AND SO, AND MRS. CURTIS IS OUT THERE FAITHFULLY. TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS SEVEN UNTIL ABOUT USUALLY 7 40, 7 45. THE CREW, UM, HEADS BACK INTO THE CLASS SO THEY CAN GET THEIR BREAKFAST AND AND GET SETTLED IN FOR THE DAY. SO I THINK IT'S BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS SO FAR. AND THEN WE HAVE MR. SITERS WITH US THAT STARTED OUR DISC GOLF CLUB THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT A LOT ALSO . GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. UH, SO THE SOUND OF CHAINS AND FALL, WINTER AND SPRING. GO CHING CHING, CHING CHING. I HEAR THAT A LOT YEAR ROUND AT AS ROADS. UH, AGAIN, MY NAME IS CHRIS SEIDER. I'M THE SPONSOR OF THE DISC GOLF CLUB WITH MRS. LAYMAN'S PERMISSION. AROUND 2018 WE STARTED THIS, UH, GROUP, UH, WITH THE HOPES OF HELPING STUDENTS. AS YOU HEARD, OUR STUDENTS IN THE MORNING CLUB BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND FRIENDSHIPS OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM. AND WE ALSO SEE THAT GOING ACROSS GRADE LEVELS. SO WE HAVE KINDERGARTNERS PLAYING WITH FIFTH GRADERS AND THEY LEARN TO ASSOCIATE AND GET TOGETHER WITH EACH OTHER WHERE THAT WOULD BE LIMITED. WITHIN THE NORMAL CLASSROOM SETTING. WE DO HAVE HOPES TO INSTALL NINE PERMANENT BASKETS ON SITE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE THIS TRADITION AT A ROADS FOR YEARS TO COME. WE WOULD LIKE TO DEMONSTRATE A FEW OF THE SKILLS, UH, PIPER HAS VOLUNTEERED, UH, TO JUST SHOW YOU WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, GETTING THE DISCS TO FLY. UH, WHEN WE PROMOTE IT EARLY IN THE YEAR, I ASK STUDENTS, HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE TO THROW THINGS AND WHAT KID DOESN'T LIKE TO THROW THINGS? AND I SAY, WELL, HOW MANY OF YOU LIKE TO THROW THINGS AND NOT GET IN TROUBLE? THAT'S THE SECOND BEST THING. SO WE GET TOGETHER AND WE, WE THROW THINGS. WE LOVE TO SEE THE DISC FLY AND WE JUST LOVE TO. PIPER, DO YOU WANNA TELL 'EM YOUR FAVORITE PART? YEAH. OKAY. TELL 'EM YOUR FAVORITE PART OF DISC GOLF. I LIKE TO THROW AND I LIKE TO MAKE IT AND TO BASKETS WHERE I CAN AIM MORE BETTER. SO COME ON UP HERE. PIPER, MRS. CURTIS ALSO HELPS. SO THESE ARE MINE. THIS IS MRS. CURTIS. STUDENTS CAN PURCHASE THESE. WE PROVIDED THESE PRIZES. SO PIPER, YOU'RE [00:20:01] JUST GONNA GET IT FLY, RIGHT? YOU'RE GONNA POP IT RIGHT IN THERE, PUT IT RIGHT IN THE CHAIN, AND THEN GO CH CH CHING CHING. . YEAH, GET IT IN THAT SAME TIME. UM, 3, 2, 1, GO. YEAH, WE HAVE SOMETHING TRICKY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, WELL THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. UM, AGAIN, OUR STAFF IS AMAZING, JUST VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. UM, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAKES AS ROADS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK AND LEARN. SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU GUYS. NEXT MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE, UH, MR. CUP AND COACH SIMONS TO THE PODIUM. UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, SPECIAL SEASON FOR US AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL. UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, SO, WE'RE THE FIRST, UH, STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM FOR SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL, AND I BELIEVE THE FIRST MALE TEAM, RIGHT? MORIN COUNTY. SO THE FIRST MALE SPORTS TEAM IN MORIN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL HISTORY. UM, WE BUILT A VERY STRONG PROGRAM OVER THE LAST SIX, SEVEN SEASONS. UH, AND WE'VE COME, COME CLOSE ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS. FINISHED SECOND, FINISHED THIRD, UH, MULTIPLE YEARS. UH, BUT TO FINALLY PULL IT OFF IS VERY NICE. WE KNEW THAT, UH, WE HAD A VERY SPECIAL GROUP AND A GROUP OF MEN AND WOMEN THAT, UH, BELIEVED IN A CULTURE AND BELIEVED IN AN EFFORT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE DOWN SOME VERY GOOD TEAMS IN THE STATE IN WHICH WE WERE ABLE TO DO. UM, OUTSIDE OF THAT, I WANNA RECOGNIZE EACH OF OUR INDIVIDUAL PLACE WINNERS. SO IF THEY COULD STAND UP, UM, AS WE RECOGNIZE THEM, UH, FIFTH PLACE FINISHER DJ, MAYBE COULD THEY JUST COME UP TO THE FRONT? COULD THEY COME UP TO FRONT? YES. UH, OTHER FIFTH PLACE FINISHER, CARTER HOUSTON. THIRD PLACE FINISHER, MORGAN LAYMAN, ALSO THIRD CODY SOLOMON, SECOND PLACE FINISHER, STATE RUNNER UPS. WE HAD JACOB B VINNY DEVELO, VINNY VELO, HIS BROTHER JOEY VELO. THEN WE ALSO HAD THREE INDIVIDUAL STATE CHAMPIONS PAID AN ALLIER, PARKER WITHERS AND JOSIAH SYKES. AND I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGER THINGS AS WELL FOR US IS, UH, THIS COMMUNITY HAS PROVIDED US A WONDERFUL AMOUNT OF SUPPORT. UM, THE SCHOOL ITSELF, UH, THE COUNTY ITSELF HAS PROVIDED US A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SUPPORT. I CAN REMEMBER TIMES WHERE, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER DURING COVID AND BEING TOLD THAT WE WERE DEFINITELY GONNA HAVE A, TO A SEASON WHEN THERE WERE COUNTIES AROUND US THAT WERE SAYING OTHERWISE. SO THE PLACE FOR THE SUPPORT WITHIN THE COUNTY, I THINK SAYS A LOT, MEANS A LOT TO US. UM, AND TO BE ABLE TO, I KNOW FOR THESE GUYS AND I SPEAK FOR ALL THEM, AND FOR THE TEAM ITSELF, UH, IT'S, IT'S VERY, IT'S A VERY SPECIAL ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, 20, 25 YEARS FROM NOW, THEY'LL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO REMEMBER, UM, KNOWING. AND IF WE CAN GO ON A RUN HERE LIKE WE'RE HOPING TO DO AND WIN A LOT OF THESE IN A ROW, UH, THIS WILL STILL BE THE FIRST. AND, UH, TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THIS COMMUNITY AND BE, TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL AND TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND THAT MEANS A LOT TO US. SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT. WE APPRECIATE IT. AND, UH, GO HAWKS, I'D JUST LIKE TO TAKE A COUPLE OF MOMENTS TO, [00:25:01] UH, COMMEMORATE COACH SIMON'S, UH, STAFF, THE ATHLETES, UH, THE PARENTS. UH, YOU CAN, WE HAVE A LARGE CONTINGENT IN THE ROOM HERE TODAY WHERE WE HAD A EQUALLY LARGE CONTINGENT AT THE STATE TOURNAMENT. UH, THIS PAST WEEKEND. UM, ALUMNI CAME TO WATCH, UH, WE HAD THE YOUTH WRESTLING GROUPS AND KIDS ALL CAME TO WATCH. AND, UH, COACH SIMONS AND HIS GUYS HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB OF BUILDING THIS PROGRAM INTO, INTO LITERALLY ONE OF THE BEST IN THE STATE, UH, ACROSS THE LEVELS. AND THAT'S TO THEIR CREDIT, THE HARD WORK THEY'VE PUT IN, AS COACH SIMONS MENTIONED, IS ALSO TO YOUR CREDIT, THE SUPPORT, UH, THAT YOU HAVE OFFERED US, UH, THAT WE DO TAKE A LOT OF TRIPS. YOU GUYS HAVE TO APPROVE THOSE TRIPS AND GIVE US THE SUPPORT WITH TRANSPORTATION TO GET PLACES. UH, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TRAVELING HOURS AWAY TO GO TO THE TOURNAMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, COACH SIMONS DEEMS US NECESSARY TO GET TO THE LEVEL WE'RE AT. UH, IT, IT IS IMPORTANT, UH, FOR WHAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH ALL THE SUPPORT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY FOR DONATIONS. YOU KNOW, ALL THESE TRIPS ALSO COST A LOT OF MONEY FOR HOTEL ROOMS AND FOOD AND ALL THOSE THINGS. UH, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS SPENT BY OUR PARENTS BECAUSE THEY, THEY'RE GOING TO MOST OF THESE TOURNAMENTS AS WELL. AND IT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A GREAT TO SEE, UH, FINALLY THE HARD WORK PAID OFF. UH, AS COACH MENTIONED, UH, IN THE LAST SIX YEARS SINCE HE'S BEEN HERE, WE HAD TWO STATE RUNNERS UP AND ONE NOW ONE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE COUPLE THIRDS. SO WE'VE BEEN IN THE TOP FIVE SINCE HE'S BEEN HERE. AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY TO GET TO THIS LEVEL, BUT TO MAINTAIN IT IS, UH, A DIFFICULT THING. AND NOW YOU'RE ON TOP, EVERYBODY'S GONNA COME FOR YOU. SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW SPORTS WORK. I JUST, LIKE I SAID, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR SUPPORT. UH, WE'VE HAD A GREAT WINNER OVERALL. I'M HERE, YOU KNOW, BOYS AND GIRLS. THE GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM HAD PROBABLY THE BEST SEASON WE'VE EVER HAD. UH, MADE IT INTO THE REGION TOURNAMENT. THE BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM HAD ANOTHER EX EXCELLENT SEASON, MADE IT TO THE REGION SEMIFINALS, YOU KNOW, SO WE'RE, UH, DOING WELL. INDOOR TRACK JUST CAME BACK FROM THEIR STATE MEET. WE HAD AN AAN, A BULL CASSEM ENDED UP BEING A STATE CHAMPION IN THE HIGH JUMP. SO WE HAD STATE CHAMPION INDOOR TRACK ALSO. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT WINTER WE'VE HAD, AND NOW WE'RE MOVING INTO THE SPRING. ALL OF OUR SPRING SPORTS WILL START NEXT WEEK WITH SCRIMMAGES, AND THEN THE SEASON OFFICIALLY KICKS OFF THE FOLLOWING WEEK. SO WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING THIS UP. I DO APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND CAN WE TAKE A MINUTE FOR A PHOTO OP WITH EVERYONE HERE? YEAH. AND SO IF WE COULD GET THE, THE FULL TEAM UP, IF WE COULD GET THE FULL TEAM TO COME UP. ARE YOU GUYS GONNA WANT TO COME DOWN AND TAKE A PICTURE? IF YOU GUYS COULD, IF YOU GUYS TURN THIS WAY AND FACE OUT THAT WAY, YOU CAN GET YOUR PICTURE KIND OF DOES THE I DO, DOES THE BOARD MEMBERS WANT STAND SO I CAN SEE YOU? THANK YOU ALL. CONGRATULATIONS. NEXT, MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD, UM, LIKE TO BRING UP ANOTHER GREAT PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS AND WE ARE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING EARLY ACT. NO OFFENSE GUYS. NO OFFENSE, . I USUALLY HAVE THIS EFFECT ON FIVE TO 11 YEAR OLDS, BUT THAT'S RIGHT. ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING SOMETHING? NO, WE ARE JUST LETTING EVERYONE CLEAR. AND THEN I THINK , JUST SO YOU'RE NOT INTERRUPTED, I ASSUME YOU'RE GONNA TELL US ABOUT THE GREAT PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE OFFERING [00:30:01] AT EACH OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO HOP IN WHENEVER YOU WANT. WE JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE, UM, I BELIEVE THE ONLY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE COMMONWEALTH AND MAYBE WE DETERMINED IN THE WORLD THAT HAS AN EARLY ACT CLUB IN EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. CORRECT. SO PLEASE TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I'M GONNA LET HILDA JAY GO FIRST AND LET THE FOLKS GO FIRST AND THEN, UM, 'CAUSE SHE'S A BETTER SPEAKER THAN ALL OF US PUT TOGETHER. AND, UM, WE'LL ALL JUST STARE AT OUR DOG WHILE THAT HAPPENS. AND, UM, OR AMY MORE, YOU CAN COME UP HERE, UH, HILDA JAY BARBER, SPONSORED BY THE ROTARY CLUB OF, UH, FRONT ROYAL ALONG WITH LFK AND THE AS RHODES, UH, EARLY ACT CLUB, RESCUE JEFFRIES EARLY ACT CLUB, AND E WILSON MORRISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EARLY ACT CLUBS ARE SPONSORED BY THE ROTARY CLUB OF WARREN COUNTY. UM, I'M GONNA LET, I DON'T WANT TO MONO. THANK YOU, . SO ROTARY IS FOR ADULTS AND IT'S REALLY TEACHING THE ADULTS, UM, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SERVICE ABOVE SELF. AND WE WANT TO REALLY INSTILL THAT INTO THE KIDS AT AN EARLY AGE, WHICH IS WHY, UM, WE'RE SO FORTUNATE FOR THE TWO ROTARY CLUBS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN TOWN TO SPONSOR IN ALL THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT WE CAN REALLY INSTILL THAT, THAT IDEA OF SERVICE ABOVE SELF. UM, I KNOW AT HILDA WE DO IT AS EARLY AS THIRD GRADE, UH, OVER AT E WILSON. I THINK YOU GUYS DO IT AS YOUNG AS KINDERGARTEN, RIGHT? UM, AND ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. UM, SO WE DO VARIOUS PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. UM, I KNOW WE MEET ONCE A MONTH. SOME SCHOOLS MEET ONCE A WEEK, RIGHT? SOME SCHOOLS MEET TWICE A MONTH. IT JUST DEPENDS. UM, BUT WE DO VARIOUS PROJECTS. UH, AT LEAST FOR ME AT HILDA, I REALLY LIKE TO TEACH THE KIDS TO, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT SERVICE THAT YOU CAN SEE EITHER. UM, THEY WANT, I WANT THEM TO DO SERVICE THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS THEIR SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, THEIR IMMEDIATE SURROUNDINGS, DO SERVICE THAT IMPACTS THEIR COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, ALL OF FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY. BUT WE ALSO DO SOME GLOBAL, UM, INTERNATIONAL SERVICE AS WELL. UM, WE HAVE DONE PROJECTS SUCH AS TUTU DESK, WHICH ARE WHERE WE RAISED MONEY TO PURCHASE THESE BOARDS THAT ARE SENT OVER TO STUDENTS IN AFRICA THAT DON'T HAVE DESKS OR FLOORS OR ANYTHING REALLY . UM, SO THAT WAS ONE OF OUR MAJOR GLOBAL PROJECTS A COUPLE YEARS AGO. UM, WE DO ANYTHING AS LIKE, FILL BLESSING BOXES. WE'VE MADE BLANKETS FOR, YOU KNOW, ASSISTED LIVING. UM, WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO A HUMANE SOCIETY DRIVE. SO, UH, BED BEDS. YES, WE, WE, UM, RAISED MONEY FOR SLEEP AND HEAVENLY PEACE, WHICH IS AN ORGANIZATION IN THE AREA THAT BUILDS BEDS FOR LOCAL STUDENTS IN NEED. UM, SO WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED TO CONTINUE. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO ROTARY AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT SUPPORTS US. HI, I AM HALEY AND I AM THE EARLY ACT REPRESENTATIVE FOR A RUSTY JEFFRIES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. UM, THE BIGGEST THING I WANTED TO DO, I STARTED THIS ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND I WANTED TO MAKE THESE KIDS AWARE OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. SO THE BIGGEST THING IS I TEACH 'EM IN EARLY ACT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE SERVICE ABOVE SELF AND MAKING SURE YOU'RE A GOOD COMMITTEE MEMBER. SO THEY ARE KIND OF, THEY, WHEN THEY START EARLY ACT, THEY REALIZE, OKAY, THIS IS HOW I SHOW THAT I'M A GOOD STUDENT RESPECT, ACTING LIKE A JAGUAR, ALL OF THOSE GOOD THINGS. SO SOME OF THOSE KIDS THAT MAYBE JUST NEEDED THAT LITTLE PUSH EARLY X KIND OF HELPED THEM AND THEY CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE THEIR SERVICE IS GOING INTO COMMUNITY. UM, WE, OUR BIGGEST PROJECT WAS OUR CHANGE WARS. WE MADE OVER $700 FOR THE ABLE VETERANS, AND I HEARD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HELP A FAMILY FROM BEING EVICTED OVER THE HOLIDAY SEASON. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOING A MARCH HUMANE SOCIETY DRIVE, AND WE HAVE DONE HYGIENE BASKETS FOR ALL THE BLESSING BOXES. SO WE'RE PRETTY BUSY AT RUSTY, BUT IT'S BEEN A REALLY GOOD THING FOR MY STUDENTS. AND WE HAVE OVER 70 MEMBERS ALREADY. GREAT. SO, AS I SAID, AS ROADS IS KIND OF NEW TO THIS. SO WE STARTED WITH KIND OF SIMPLE JUST MAKING SOME HOLIDAY CARDS FOR THE, UM, MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL NURSING HOME AND DELIVERING THOSE ALONG WITH LITTLE TISSUE PACKS, UM, THAT WERE JUST FABRIC TISSUE PACKS FOR INDIVIDUAL PACKS, JUST TO GIVE SOME TYPE OF SMALL GIFT TO THEM. AND THEN WE ALSO MADE SOME VALENTINE'S FOR THEM THE FOLLOWING MONTH, AND WE BRAINSTORMED WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO THEY ARE REALLY ACTUALLY EXCITED TO REALLY BUILD ON THE OUTSIDE OF OUR SCHOOL AND JUST RE REVITALIZING THOSE FLOWER BEDS AND STUFF. SO THEY, THEY WOULD REALLY LOVE TO JUST CLEAN UP, PICK UP TRASH, [00:35:01] LIKE WHO KNEW THAT WOULD BE , WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. YOU KNOW, THEY REALLY WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING OUTSIDE IS NICE AND CLEAN AND THEN HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, CHECKING ON THOSE FLOWER BEDS AND GETTING SOME NEW PLANTS IN THEM. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO DO THAT THIS SPRING. MS. BUNNING REFUSES TO SPEAK . I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT. BUT ANYWAY, SO, UM, CUT ME OFF AT ANY POINT. BUT, UM, HALEY HAD TALKED ABOUT THE CHANGE WARS THAT WE DID. UH, WE KIND OF COMBINED EFFORTS THIS PAST YEAR AND WE RAISED A LOT OF MONEY AS WELL. BETWEEN THE TWO OF US. WE RAISED, RAISED A LITTLE OVER 2000 BUCKS AND IT DID HELP A LOCAL VETERAN'S FAMILY, UM, AVOID BEING EVICTED FROM THE HOLIDAYS. UH, SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE THAT WE'VE COMBINED WITH EFFORTS WITH OTHER, OTHER EARLY ACT CLUBS IS, UH, HYGIENE CARE PACKAGES. UM, I, I, I DIDN'T REALIZE I, I DON'T THINK ABOUT SOME THINGS BECAUSE I, I'M A FORTUNATE PERSON. UM, UM, BUT BECAUSE OF WHERE I WORK AND BECAUSE OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND AND WHATNOT, CERTAIN THINGS COME TO MIND. AND, UM, WE FOUND OUT THAT THAT WAS A NEED. AND SO WE COMBINED EFFORTS IN BETWEEN THE SEVERAL SCHOOLS. WE PUT TOGETHER WITH 500 HYGIENE CARE PACKAGES FOR, UM, THE PHOENIX PROJECT, THE HOUSE OF HOPE, UH, THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB, UM, COME ON MICHAEL, THE NURSING HOMES, UM, WHO SAID SOMETHING, THE BLESSING BOXES. THE BLESSING BOXES. AND, UM, MY CHURCH, UH, FIRST BAPTIST, UH, WE, WE FEED FOLKS, UM, MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AND WE HAD BOXES THERE. THEY'RE ALL GONE BY THE WAY. UM, THEY WERE ALL GONE WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. SO, UM, THE NEED IS THERE. AND IT'S JUST WONDERFUL TO SEE A YOUNG PERSON, WHETHER THEY'RE FIVE OR 11 YEAR OLDS, FIVE OR 11 YEARS OLD, UM, TALK 'EM WITH THEIR MOUTHS INSTEAD OF THEIR THUMBS AND LEARNING, UM, OF THE THINGS THEY THINK SAY OR DO FIRST. IS IT THE TRUTH? SECOND, IS IT FAIR TO ALL CONCERN? THIRD, WILL IT BUILD GOODWILL AND BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? AND FOURTH, WILL IT BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL CONCERN? AND THEN TO SEE THEM ATTEMPT TO HOLD ONE ANOTHER ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT DURING THE WEEK, UM, IN A NONVIOLENT MANNER IS, UM, REALLY NICE. UM, SOMETIMES YOU KIND OF WONDER IF YOU DID THE RIGHT THING AS A, AS A EARLY ACT PERSON WHEN YOU'RE PULLING TWO EARLY ACT KIDS APART FROM EACH OTHER IN THE PLAYGROUND BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE FOR VIOLATING THE FOUR WAY TEST. AND I'M LIKE, UH, LET'S SIT DOWN FOR A MINUTE AND FIGURE THIS OUT. SO ANYWAY, UM, IT'S AN ABSOLUTE JOY AND I, I'VE BEEN SO BLESSED TO HAVE MS. BUNNING HELP ME WITH IT. UM, SHE'S KIND OF THE, SHE'S THE, I DON'T WANNA SAY GOOD DISCIPLINARIAN. THERE WE GO. THE GOOD, GOOD COP BAD COP. I'M, I'M THE, HEY, HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING? AND FLOYD'S LIKE, SIT DOWN . SO IT'S GOOD. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THAT. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THAT. AND I'M JUST FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH A LOT OF WONDERFUL PEOPLE AND WE LOVE OUR KIDS. AND, UM, WE HAVE 154 MEMBERS, UM, FROM K THROUGH FIVE AND, UM, WE'RE THE CRAZY CLUB THAT MEETS EVERY WEEK. UM, NOT 154 AT A TIME. UH, K ONE TWO. I, I TRIED. YOU'RE NOT THERE. CRAZY. NO, I, I TRIED K THROUGH THREE ONCE AND THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. UM, BUT UM, ANYWAY, IT'S JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND UM, ANYTIME YOU, ANYTIME YOU ALL WANT TO COME TO ONE OF OUR MEETINGS, WE, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU SOMETHING, SOMETHING WE'RE WORKING ON NOW. UM, WE'RE, UH, DOING SOME STARTER GREEN BEAN PLANTS. UM, I REALLY BELIEVE IN HELPING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM AND THAT IT DOESN'T GROW AT MARTIN'S. AND, UM, AND HELPING THEM SEE SOMETHING THEY'VE CREATED GROW AND TO CARE FOR THAT AND TO SEE THE, THE GENUINE ATTENTION AND CONCERN THEY HAVE FOR THAT IS REALLY COOL. AND WE'RE MOVING THINGS INTO OUR GREENHOUSE PODS. WE'VE GOT A, UM, A COMPOST BIN WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON THROUGH OUR FOUR H CLUB, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THAT DOES THIS SPRING. WE THE PEACE POLL. OH, SORRY. THAT TOTALLY NEEDS TO BE FOR MULTIPLE HI AGAIN, , PUSH ME BACK UP HERE. UM, SO WE WERE BLESSED TO GET A GRANT, UM, THROUGH ROTARY FOR EACH SCHOOL TO RECEIVE A PEACE POLE. UM, I KNOW HILDA HAS PLANTED OURS. IT'S RIGHT OUT FRONT OF OUR BUILDING, SO IF YOU EVER CATCH YOURSELF NEAR HILDA, CHECK IT OUT. UM, I KNOW E WILSON HAS PLANTED THEIRS, HAS ANYBODY ELSE THAT YOU KNOW OF LFK HAS THEIRS AS ROADS GOT KIND OF HOSED BECAUSE THEY RAN OUTTA MONEY AND, UM, SOMEHOW AS ROADS NEVER SHOWED UP, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET THEM THEIRS IN THE FALL. YES. OH, YOU HAVE YOUR, OKAY. ALL, SO THEY, EVERYBODY'S GOT THEIR FOUR A ROADS. WE'LL, WE'LL WORK ON THAT. UM, BUT THE PEACE BOWL KIND OF JUST REPRESENTS, YOU KNOW, MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH. UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE POLL, THE POLL SAYS, MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH ON ONE SIDE IN ENGLISH. UM, HOWEVER IT MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH IS ALSO WRITTEN IN THE LANGUAGES OF WHICH THE SCHOOL REPRESENTS AS WELL. UM, SO FOR HILDA, WE HAVE URDU AND, UH, SPANISH AND THERE'S ONE MORE, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THAT FOURTH ONE IS. ANYWAY, THERE'S ENGLISH, BUT SPANISH URDU, AND THERE'S, UM, ONE MORE. BUT THOSE ARE THE LANGUAGES THAT ARE SPOKEN [00:40:01] BY THE STUDENTS MOST COMMONLY IN OUR SCHOOL. SO IT KIND OF JUST IS MEANT TO UNITE OUR STUDENTS. UM, AND REALLY IT, IT'S SET RIGHT AT THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL TO, TO KIND OF HELP EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, BRING PEACE INTO THE BUILDING. YOU KNOW, LEAVE, LEAVE YOUR PROBLEMS OUTSIDE, PICK UP THE PEACE AND, AND HAVE A GREAT DAY AT SCHOOL. AND I BELIEVE THAT THE PIECE, WE WERE LIKE, OUR COUNTY WAS LIKE THE FIRST ONE, WE WERE THE HALF THE PEACE POLL, RIGHT? I'M PRETTY SURE WE WERE THE FIRST COUNTY TO GET THE PEACE POLES. I, WHEN I WAS TOLD THAT I COULD APPLIED FOR, I APPLIED FOR ONE FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS AND I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA GET IT, BUT, UM, I WOUND UP JUST GETTING THEM FOR, UH, WE WOUND UP JUST GETTING THEM FOR FOUR OF OUR FIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN ONE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS. BUT I'M GONNA BE, I'M GONNA BE, UM, BANGING ON THE DOORS OF BOTH OF OUR ROTARY CLUBS THIS FALL TO TRY AND ROUND THAT OUT SO THAT EVERY SCHOOL CAN HAVE THAT. AND, UM, IF YOU GET IN A FEW WEEKS, IF YOU GET A CHANCE, UM, BACK IN NOVEMBER, UH, SOME OF OUR STUDENTS PLANTED TULIPS, UH, UH, ROTARY TULIPS AROUND, UM, AROUND, UH, OUR PEACE POLE AT E WILSON MORRISON. THEY'RE STARTING TO BLOOM SOME IF YOU WANT TO COME BY AND SEE SOMETHING REALLY COOL, UH, RIGHT NOW YOU JUST SEE A LITTLE GREEN THING STICKING UP. BUT IN A FEW WEEKS, HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SEE SOMETHING RED ATTACHED TO IT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, . NEXT, [2.C. Attendance Award Presentation - Dr. Ballenger ] I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE ATTENDANCE AWARD PRESENTATION. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. UM, AS WE KNOW, ATTENDANCE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US. UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOMS IN ORDER TO, FOR THEM TO LEARN. AND YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A COUPLE YEARS, UM, AS FAR AS WITH PROVIDING A MONTHLY ATTENDANCE AWARD. I WILL SAY THAT, THAT THIS MONTH, UH, AND, AND ACTUALLY OVER THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, UM, OUR ATTENDANCE RATE HAS BEEN ABOUT 90% FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. SO IT'S, IT'S PRETTY CLOSE WHEN IT COMES TO WHO'S GETTING FIRST, WHO'S GETTING, YOU KNOW, FOR ELEMENTARY OR WHO WANT IT FOR THE SECONDARY VERSUS, UM, THE, UH, THE MOST IMPROVED. SO, BUT TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, RECOGNIZE AGAIN, UM, AS ROADS WITH AN ATTENDANCE RATE OF 94.76%, UH, ATTENDANCE RATE FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS RECOGNITION AND WE'VE INTRODUCED OUR OURSELF, OURSELVES EARLIER, BUT, UM, DANTE STUCK IT OUT HERE WITH ME. UM, AND I ASKED HIM IF HE WOULD JUST SHARE WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO COME TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY. SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL THEM WHAT YOU'RE THINKING? MAYBE I'LL PUT HIM ON THIS. IF YOU DON'T COME TO SCHOOL, YOU CAN MISS IMPORTANT TESTS THAT YOU WON'T NEED TO FINISH, AND SOME PEOPLE JUST DON'T COME TO SCHOOL FOR MINOR THINGS, SO THAT'S GOOD, RIGHT? WE NEED TO BE AT SCHOOL TO LEARN. DR. BALLINGER SAID IT AS WELL. SO, UM, WE AGAIN APPRECIATE OUR FAMILIES, OUR STUDENTS ALSO, I, WE'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, BUT WE DO A BULLETIN BOARD IN THE HALLWAY AND WE CHART, UM, EACH CLASSROOMS ATTENDANCE FOR THE WEEK. SO THE STUDENTS ARE ALSO VERY COMPETITIVE AND THEY DO KIND OF HOLD EACH OTHER ACCOUNTABLE FOR, HEY, WE ARE ONLY AT 94% THIS WEEK, AND THAT OTHER CLASS IS AT 98% AND THEY'RE TRYING TO BEAT THAT OTHER CLASS. SO THAT COMPETITION ALWAYS SEEMS TO WORK IN OUR FAVOR. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS AWARD. FOR THE SECONDARY, UH, FOR THE WINTER, FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY. AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL. UH, THEY HAVEN'T, GO AHEAD . THEY HAD AN ATTENDANCE RATE OF 91.79%. THANK YOU DR. BALLINGER AND GOOD EVENING BOARD. WE ARE, WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL IS VERY PROUD TO WIN THE ATTENDANCE WARD AGAIN. UM, WE JUST PRIDE OURSELVES ON CREATING A CULTURE WHERE KIDS WANT TO COME TO SCHOOL, UM, AND TEACHERS WANT TO TEACH AND IT'S JUST A GREAT PLACE TO BE. A COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS I'LL POINT OUT. YESTERDAY WE DID A ROCK PAPER SCISSORS STAFF CHALLENGE FOR ALL THE ONLY TEACHERS, STUDENTS WERE NOT ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE. UM, BUT THE KIDS HAD [00:45:01] FUN INTERACTING WITH THE TEACHERS THROUGHOUT THAT, SO THEY ENJOY WONDERING LIKE, WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT? WHAT EVENTS COMING UP? WE HAVE A DANCE TOMORROW AFTER SCHOOL, AND THAT'S BASED ON THEIR ATTENDANCE. SO IF THEY ARE NOT IN GOOD STANDING AND THEY DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC ATTENDANCE RATE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO ATTEND OUR DANCE. UM, BUT THEN WE ALSO OFFER OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT EVERYONE CAN, UM, CAN ATTEND, WHICH IS A PEP RALLY. SO WE'RE PLANNING OUR, UH, PEP RALLY FOR MARCH 28TH TO KICK OFF OUR FACULTY, STUDENTS, UH, BASKETBALL TEAM, BASKETBALL GAME. SO LOTS OF GREAT THINGS HAPPENING AND WE JUST WANNA KEEP THE KIDS KIDS HAPPY AND KIDS COMING TO SCHOOL. SO THANK YOU. AND NOW I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR MOST IMPROVED WITH AN ATTENDANCE RATE OF 91.7%. SO WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL WON BY NINE HUNDREDTHS OF A POINT THIS MONTH, UH, FOR ATTENDANCE, UH, AND THAT IS SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL. THANK YOU DR. BALLINGER AND SCHOOL BOARD. THIS IS MY SECOND TIME HERE AND I FEEL HONORED, BUT NOT ONLY THAT, WE'RE GETTING THERE. WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS ONE TIME, BUT I, I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE STUDENTS WANTING TO COME TO SCHOOL AND THE PARENTS ENSURING THAT THEY GET THERE AND OUR TEACHERS ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO ENCOURAGE KIDS TO COME AND, AND ENGAGE IN AND, AND LEARNING. SO THANK YOU ALL. ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP THIS EVENING. [2.D. Accept or Modify the Agenda - School Board ] IS THERE A MOTION TO ACCEPT OR MODIFY THE AGENDA? I MOVE THAT THE AGENDA BE ACCEPTED AS PRESENTED. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. A. AYE. OPPOSED? NO. THANK YOU. NEXT UP [2.E. Community Participation ] THIS EVENING, WE HAVE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION. I JUST ALSO WANNA MAKE A NOTE THAT WE'LL HAVE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION FOR THREE MINUTES FOR EACH SPEAKER THIS EVENING AND THEN A COUPLE LITTLE SPOTS DOWN. WE'LL HAVE THE BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH WILL OPEN UP FOR THREE MINUTES AS WELL. I'M ONLY GONNA READ THIS ONE TIME. IT IS THE DUTY OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE SCHOOL BOARD WITH ASSISTANCE FROM THE COUNTY SHERIFF AS NECESSARY TO CONDUCT THE MEETING IN AN ORDERLY MANNER AND TO LIMIT DISCUSSION TO TOPICS RELEVANT TO THE ISSUE BEFORE THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION. PERSONS ADDRESSING THE SCHOOL BOARD ARE ADVISED TO LIMIT THEIR REMARKS TO THOSE RELEVANT TO THE PENDING ITEMS. NO PERSONS IN ATTENDANCE SHALL BE ALLOWED TO VOICE REMARKS EXCEPT AS RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIRPERSON OR THE CLERK OF THE BOARD AFTER AUDIBLY STATING THEIR NAME AND WHOM THEY REPRESENT. IF APPLICABLE, NO PERSON SHALL BRING INTO THE BOARDROOM ANY SIGN, BANNER, OR OTHER SUCH ITEM WHICH WOULD INTERFERE WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN SEEING, HEARING OR OTHERWISE PARTICIPATING IN THE MEETING. PROVIDED THAT MODELS, PHOTOS, MAPS, CHARTS, DRAWINGS, AND OTHER SUCH DEMONSTRATIVE MATERIALS INTENDED FOR USE IN A PRESENTATION BY A SPECIFIC PERSON SHALL BE PERMITTED UPON RECOGNITION BY THE CHAIR OR THE CLERK OF THE BOARD. THE SPEAKER SHALL ADDRESS THE SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR CONFINE THEIR COMMENTS TO ISSUES OF PUBLIC CONCERN RELATING TO THE OPERATION OF WARREN COUNTY. PUBLIC SCHOOLS REFRAIN FROM WORDS OR STATEMENTS, WHICH FROM THEIR USUAL CONSTRUCTION AND COMMON ACCEPTANCE ARE DEFAMATORY TO SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS OR TEND TO VIOLENCE OR BREACH OF THE PEACE. REFRAIN FROM OBSCENITY AND VULGARITY. STAY WITHIN ALLOTTED TIME. STOP SPEAKING. WHEN DIRECTED BY THE CHAIRPERSON GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS IN THE AUDIENCE CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE ARE DETRIMENTAL TO OR DISTURBING, THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THE MEETING WILL BE ASKED TO REFRAIN FROM SUCH CONDUCT ONCE ANY ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCE AFTER THE WARNING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND THE CHAIRPERSON WILL ASK THE COUNTY SHERIFF TO REMOVE THE INDIVIDUAL GROUP OR CLEAR THE BOARDROOM SO THE BOARD CAN CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION WHEN RECOGNIZED. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, WHETHER YOU'RE A COUNTY RESIDENT, PARENT OF A WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT OR AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION, AND LIMIT YOUR COMMENT TO THREE MINUTES. MR. VALENTINE, IS ANYONE ON THE LIST? YES. UH, FIRST SPEAKER WOULD BE KEN KASH. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KEN ESH AND I'M THE PRINCIPAL AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL. I'VE WORKED IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO PROPOSE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS DESIGNEE A SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES POLICY FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ACCORDING TO POLICY BFC [00:50:01] DASH R. AS AN EMPLOYEE, I HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROPOSE A POLICY FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION. I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A POLICY SIMILAR TO GA B DASH R TWO, WHICH CURRENTLY EXISTS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES. POLICY GA B DASH R TWO SPECIFICALLY STATES THAT EMPLOYEES ABSTAIN FROM POSTING NEGATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS, FELLOW EMPLOYEES, OR THE SCHOOL DIVISION. I BELIEVE THAT A POLICY SHOULD EXIST THAT HOLD MEMBERS OF THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD TO THESE SAME STANDARDS. SO I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS DESIGNEE USE POLICY GAB DASH R TWO AS A MODEL TO DEVELOP A SIMILAR POLICY, WHICH WE WOULD BE INCLUDED IN SECTION B. I AM AWARE THAT THE POLICY BFC STATES THAT ONLY THE SUPERINTENDENT OR HIS DESIGNEE CAN DEVELOP AND PRESENT A NEW POLICY TO THE BOARD. SO PLEASE CONSIDER THIS MY FORMAL REQUEST TO, TO DEVELOP AND PRESENT THIS POLICY FOR BOARD APPROVAL. MY DAUGHTER WILL BE GRADUATING THIS YEAR FROM WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL. SHE PLANS ON ATTENDING COLLEGE TO BECOME A MIDDLE SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER. IT IS HEARTBREAKING FOR ME TO STRUGGLE WITH THE FACT THAT UNLESS THINGS CHANGE, I WILL BE ENCOURAGING HER TO NOT APPLY TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO WHICH I HAVE DEDICATED THE PAST 25 YEARS OF MY LIFE. BUT AS A FATHER, DO I WANT MY CHILD TO BE TO THE NEXT TARGET, TO LIVE IN FEAR THAT SHE WILL BE HUMILIATED ON SOCIAL MEDIA? I LOVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH ALL MY HEART. THAT IS WHY I AM HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS PARENTS, AND ESPECIALLY OUR TEACHERS, NEED TO KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE TO ALL OF US. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU REGARDING THE PROPOSED POLICY. THANK YOU TO THE EDUCATORS WHO I SEE EVERY DAY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN. I AM ALSO EXTREMELY PROUD AND HUMBLE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE AS TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. VALENTINE. ELISA? OKAY. NO APPLAUSE PLEASE. THANK YOU. ELISA. BRADFORD. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME'S ELISA BRADFORD. I'M A WARREN COUNTY RESIDENT, WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER AND WCEA PRESIDENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION. TONIGHT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT HOW SOCIAL MEDIA IS AFFECTING OUR TEACHERS. TEACHERS ARE BEING ATTACKED ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR WHAT THEY MAY MIGHT SAY IN A MEETING OR TAUGHT IN A CLASSROOM. THIS IS AFFECTING OUR MENTAL HEALTH. MAYBE INSTEAD OF RUNNING TO PUT IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA, GO TO THE SOURCE. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SOMEONE HAVING AN ISSUE WITH SOMETHING SENT HOME TO YOUR CHILD AND CONTACTING THE TEACHER. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FOLLOWING THE CHAIN OF COMMAND WHERE THERE WAS AN ISSUE? UNFORTUNATELY, EVERYONE RUNS TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO SLANDER AND DEFAME OTHERS. ISN'T THIS WHAT WE ARE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN NOT TO DO AS ADULTS? WE NEED TO BE SETTING THE EXAMPLE FOR THE CHILDREN IN THIS COMMUNITY. TEACHERS HAVE BECOME AFRAID TO TEACH ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE IN THEIR CURRICULUM. FOR EXAMPLE, I TEACH FUNDAMENTAL IT FUNDAMENTALS AND WE CURRENTLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CYBERSECURITY. TO GET MY STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF JOBS THAT THEY CAN DO IN THAT FIELD, I GIVE THEM A LIST AND THEY CAN CHOOSE ONE TO RESEARCH. I DECIDED TO KEEP ONE JOB TITLE OUT OF THIS DISCUSSION. PENETRATION TESTER. A PENETRATION TESTER IS A CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONAL WHO PERFORMS AUTHORIZED ASSESSMENTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS, NETWORKS, AND APPLICATIONS TO IDENTIFY VULNERABILITIES AND ASSESS THE SECURITY POSTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION. I DID NOT WANT THIS JOB TITLE TO BE TAKEN OUT OF CONTENT AND PLASTERED ALL OVER SOCIAL MEDIA, SO I DIDN'T EVEN MENTION IT. WHY SHOULD I AS AN EDUCATOR BE AFRAID TO HAVE MY STUDENTS EXPLORE ALL THE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO THEM? LASTLY, IF TEACHERS AND SCHOOL STAFF NEED TO FOLLOW A POLICY THAT PROHIBITS THE NEGATIVE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA, THEN AS EDUCATORS WE FEEL THAT THE BOARD, THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL SHOULD BE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARDS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. MEGAN BUD. MEGAN BUD. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MEGAN BUD AND I'M A TEACHER IN WARREN COUNTY AS WELL AS A PARENT OF TWO WARREN COUNTY STUDENTS, ONE OF WHICH IS AN EIGHTH GRADER AT WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL. BOTH OF MY TEACHER OR BOTH MY CHILDREN, SORRY, HAVE HAD SUCH AMAZING TEACHERS THAT POUR SO MUCH ENERGY INTO PROVIDING THE BEST EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR STUDENTS. MY MIDDLE SCHOOL DAUGHTER TRANSFERRED TO WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL THIS YEAR AND WAS NERVOUS TO START A NEW SCHOOL IN EIGHTH GRADE. HER SCIENCE AND ENGLISH TEACHERS KNEW SHE WAS NERVOUS AND CHECKED IN FREQUENTLY TO SEE HOW SHE WAS ADJUSTING. SHE JOINED [00:55:01] THE CROSS COUNTRY TEAM WHERE SHE WAS COACHED BY HER CIVICS TEACHER. HE ENCOURAGED AND SUPPORTED HER, AND I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF SEEING HIS DEDICATION TO HIS STUDENTS BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM. IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HIS EXCITEMENT FOR HIS AND ENERGY FOR HIS RUNNERS, YOU'RE TRULY MISSING OUT. I ALSO HAVE THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING THE OTHER WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL CIVICS TEACHER SINCE SHE'S A RECENT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE AND I'M HER FORMER TEACHER. I REMEMBER SEEING HER JUST BEFORE SHE STARTED HER TEACHING CAREER AND SHE WAS SO EXCITED TO START TEACHING IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT HELPED SHAPE HER. THESE ARE BOTH TEACHERS THAT CARE ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS AND DO NOT DESERVE THE HATEFUL SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND COMMENTS THAT WERE BEING MADE BY PEOPLE IN POSITIONS THAT SHOULD BE FIGHTING TO HELP THEM DO THEIR JOBS. IT BAFFLES ME THAT WE HAD A BOARD MEMBER SAYING THAT PARENTS DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO VERBALLY ATTACK TEACHERS IN ONE MEETING, AND THEN THE SAME BOARD MEMBER PUBLICLY ENCOURAGING NEGATIVITY TOWARDS TEACHERS. BY THE VERY NEXT MEETING, THESE TEACHERS WERE IDENTIFIED BY THEIR POSITIONS AND SCHOOL ON THAT BOARD MEMBER'S FACEBOOK PAGE. AND DURING A PUBLIC MEETING, THAT BOARD MEMBER REPEATEDLY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD BE DISCUSSED FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION DURING CLOSED SESSION WHILE NOT IDENTIFIED BY NAME. THIS FEELS LIKE VERY UNETHICAL. THE WAY THESE TEACHERS HAVE BEEN TREATED IS AWFUL AND DEFINITELY DOES NOT SHOW SUPPORT FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM OR IN COURT. ENCOURAGE OTHER TEACHERS TO CONTINUE WORKING HERE. WE HAVE ENOUGH TROUBLE ATTRACTING TEACHERS TO OUR COMMUNITY, AND I FEEL IT SHOULD BE ON ALL OF US TO SHOW SUPPORT, EMPATHY, AND ENCOURAGEMENT. AT THE VERY LEAST, IT'S A GOOD REMINDER THAT TEACHERS ARE HUMAN AND IMPERFECT. IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU WOULD YOU DISAGREE WITH, FOLLOW THE CHAIN OF COMMAND FOR REAL CHANGE INSTEAD OF POLITICAL THEATRICS THAT CREATE UNNECESSARY STRESS AND CHAOS FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. TEACHERS ARE EXPECTED TO FOLLOW A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY OF PROFESSIONALISM, AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD HOLD THEMSELVES TO THE SAME STANDARD. IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE ONE IN PLACE, I URGE YOU TO IMPLEMENT ONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS ALSO, THIS ISSUE ALSO PUTS A SPOTLIGHT ON WHY THERE'S A HUGE NEED TO FUND THE FULL PRESENTED BUDGET. A FLAT FUNDED BUDGET WILL NOT ALLOW FOR PURCHASING MUST MUCH NEEDED RESOURCES TO SUPPORT STUDENT LEARNING. HISTORY. TEXTBOOKS HAVE NOT BEEN PURCHASED SINCE 2012 WHEN ONE OF OUR CIVICS TEACHERS WAS ACTUALLY A STUDENT IN WARREN COUNTY. THIS IS NOT ISOLATED TO ONLY CIVICS CLASSES AND REQUIRES TEACHERS TO SEEK OUT OR CREATE RESOURCES TO CREATE TE UM, TO SUPPORT TEACHING THE REQUIRED STANDARDS. YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO FIGHT FOR THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM AND TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN OF THIS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. MR. VALENTINE. ALEXANDER PARKER. I'M SORRY. I CAN'T HEAR MR. VALENTINE. MR. VALENTINE, ALEXANDER PARKER. HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME. UH, I'M A RESIDENT OF FRONT ROYAL, UH, IN WARREN COUNTY. I DON'T HAVE A STUDENT AT WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL, BUT I AM A CONCERNED CITIZEN. I'VE LOVED THIS COUNTY EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE KID AND WAS BROUGHT HERE TO PLAY SOCCER. AND NOW I LIVE HERE. AND MY CONCERN IS WITH WHAT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING I READ AND THE ROYAL EXAMINER, THE ISSUES OF A BIAS CURRICULUM BEING PRESENTED. AND A QUOTE IN THE DISCUSSION WAS THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE, AN ASSUMPTION THAT THE CURRICULUM BEING PRESENTED WAS BIAS WAS ALREADY ASSUMED, AND THE DISCUSSION WAS ABOUT WHAT THE PUNISHMENT SHOULD BE WITHOUT ANY ACTUAL CLARIFICATION ON OR DISCUSSION ON WHETHER IT WAS A BIAS CURRICULUM. AND THE ROYAL EXAMINER, I DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL DOCUMENT, ONLY WHAT THEY CITED. I DID LOOK UP WHAT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE SAID. YOU HAVE AN EASY 28 PAGE DOCUMENT YOU CAN READ CITING IT. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING TO ME THAT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS A CLEAR VIOLATION BASED ON WHAT THEY PRESENTED IN THAT NEWSPAPER. I BELIEVE THIS MAKES THE COUNTY LOOK BAD, AND I THINK THAT THIS SHOULD BE REVISITED AS TO ADDRESS WHAT LOOKS VERY CONCERNING TO THE PUBLIC AND THAT THESE ASSUMPTIONS SHOULD NOT BE MADE WITHOUT ACTUAL EXAMINATION. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. OKAY, ONE SECOND. MR. VALENTINE, REBECCA HUDSON. HELLO, MY NAME IS REBECCA HUDSON HODGE. I AM SPEAKING TONIGHT AS THE WARREN COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATION. THE WCEA REPRESENTS THE STAFF OF WARREN COUNTY. WE WORK TO IMPROVE THE WORKING CONDITIONS FOR THE STAFF. TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT THE CLIMATE WITHIN WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AS A-W-C-E-A BOARD MEMBER, I HEAR A LOT OF CONCERNS FROM OUR STAFF. [01:00:01] I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW THE TEACHERS AND STAFF AT WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE CONCERNED. OUR MEMBERS ARE TELLING US THEY ARE WORRIED, SCARED, AND DEMORALIZED. AS THE BOARD CONTEMPLATES ITS POLICIES AND BUDGET OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND HOW THE TEACHERS AND STAFF OF WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FEEL ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS. OUR DEDICATED STAFF GIVE TIME BEYOND THEIR REQUIRED HOURS. THEY SHOW UP TO GIVE THEIR BEST TO THEIR STUDENTS AND FREQUENTLY TAKE THEIR FREE TIME TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND FOR WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AS I'M SURE YOU ARE AWARE, OUR COUNTY SALARIES CONTINUE TO BE NEAR THE BOTTOM OF THE CONTIGUOUS COUNTIES WITH THE CURRENT TEACHER SHORTAGE. THE REALITY IS, EVERY TEACHER AT WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHOOSES TO BE HERE AND CHOOSES TO STAY HERE BECAUSE THEY ARE DEDICATED TO OUR SCHOOL AND OUR STUDENTS SALARIES ARE IMPORTANT. THE WCEA ENCOURAGES YOU TO CONTINUE TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE OUR SALARIES AS COMPETITIVE WITH SURROUNDING COUNTIES AS POSSIBLE. NOT ONLY DO THE WCPS EMPLOYEES DESERVE IT, IT IS ESSENTIAL TO KEEP AND ATTRACT QUALITY STAFF, BUT SALARIES ARE ONLY ONE SMALL PART OF WORKING CONDITIONS. THE WORKING CONDITIONS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL ARE ALSO AFFECT OUR STAFF AND THE STUDENTS WITHIN WCPS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL. WE NEED SUPPORT STAFF TO WORK WITH STUDENTS. WE NEED PAPER AND CHROMEBOOKS AND SMALLER CLASS SIZES. OUR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS DESPERATELY NEED MORE PLANNING TIME IN THEIR DAY, AND THAT WILL ONLY BE POSSIBLE WITH MORE SUPPORT. WE, THE WCEA IMPLORE YOU TO WORK TOGETHER TO PASS UNANIMOUS BUDGET AND TO WORK TOGETHER TO CONVINCE THE BOARD OF SUPER BUDGETS, OR SORRY, THOSE SUPERVISORS. OUR BUDGET IS NEED-BASED BECAUSE IT IS IN TRUTH. OUR NEEDS TO TRULY BE OUR MOST EFFECTIVE ARE EVEN MORE THAN WHAT IS INCLUDED IN OUR BUDGET. WHILE THE WCEA REPRESENTS THE STAFF OF WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ULTIMATELY WE ALL WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR THE STUDENTS. THE ITEMS LISTED IN OUR BUDGET WILL ALSO BENEFIT THE STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS. OUR CONVERSATIONS AND ACTIONS SHOULD REVOLVE AROUND WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS AND WHAT WILL BE BEST MEET THEIR NEEDS. TREATING OUR TEACHERS WITH RESPECT AND MODELING PROPER DECORUM SHOULD SET THE EXAMPLE OF HOW THEY SHOULD BE BEHAVE. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE, UM, OUR FEEDBACK SERIOUSLY AND TO FOCUS ON THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, JENNY. JENNY BRYANT. HELLO, I'M JENNY BRYANT. UM, I'M A RESIDENT OF WARREN COUNTY, A GRADUATE OF WARREN COUNTY, A TEACHER AT WARREN COUNTY, AND I HAVE TWO, ALMOST THREE CHILDREN ENROLLED AT HILDA. I AM HERE TONIGHT TO PRAISE EVERY SINGLE PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER WHO HAS CHOSEN TO WORK IN WARREN COUNTY, THE TEACHERS WHO SHOW DEDICATION, RESILIENCE, AND PASSION FOR SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR COMMUNITY. IN A WORLD WHERE WE FACE SO MANY CHALLENGES AND UNKNOWNS, OUR EDUCATORS CONTINUE TO STAND STRONG. EVEN WHEN RESOURCES ARE SCARCE AND OBSTACLES ARE OVERWHELMING FOR TEACHERS TO THRIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE POSITIVITY, COLLABORATION, AND RESPECT, BOTH IN THE CLASSROOM AND BEYOND. LIKE MANY SPEAKERS BEFORE ME, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT CURRENT AND POTENTIAL SOCIAL MEDIA ATTACKS ON THE CHARACTER OF OUR TEACHERS. INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING REAL ISSUES AFFECTING OUR SCHOOLS, OUR BUDGET CRISIS, OUR TEACHER RETENTION, AND A LACK OF RESOURCES, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD BE IMPARTIAL SEEKING TRUTH AND BALANCE, NOT SINGLING OUT EDUCATORS FOR PERSONAL OR POLITICAL REASONS. OUR STUDENTS DESERVE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WHO UPLIFT AND SUPPORT EDUCATION, NOT ONES THAT TEAR DOWN THE VERY PEOPLE WHO ARE DEDICATED TO THEIR SUCCESS. I HOPE MOVING FORWARD WE CAN CREATE A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT, UM, THAT HAS PROFESSIONALISM AND MUTUAL RESPECT FOR EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY OUR STUDENTS, THAT WE ARE ALL HERE TO SERVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. VALENTINE. THE FINAL SPEAKER TO SIGN UP IN ADVANCE IS JEFF BROWN. OKAY. MY NAME IS JEFF BROWN. I'M A RESIDENT OF WARREN COUNTY, UH, AND I AM A VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE BOYS TENNIS TEAM AT SKYLINE. I HAVE, UH, WITH ME, UH, COACH RAMSEY, WHO'S ALSO, UH, UH, WORKS WITH THE TENNIS TEAM. I'VE BEEN PLAYING TENNIS FOR 60 YEARS. I'VE BEEN AN INSTRUCTOR. I SPENT, UM, UH, SIX YEARS AS A TENNIS DIRECTOR AT A CLUB THAT OVERSAW THE ANNUAL MAINTENANCE ON EIGHT COURTS AND RECONSTRUCTION OF FOUR OF THEM THAT HAD A SHIFTING SUBSURFACE. LIKE THE COURTS AT SKYLINE. THE, THE TENNIS COURTS AT SKYLINE ARE IN BAD SHAPE. [01:05:01] UM, I HANDED OUT, UM, YOU'LL SEE SOME PHOTOS THERE. I TOOK, YES, I TOOK YESTERDAY AT BOTH HIGH SCHOOLS TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE WE FACED THERE. UH, THE WINTER WAS TOUGH. THIS YEAR, UH, ICE ACCUMULATED AN EXISTING CRACKS, WIDENED AND LENGTHEN, UH, THE CRACKS. THEY'RE AT A POINT WHERE SHOES AND BALLS ARE NOW STARTING TO GET CAUGHT IN THEM. OUR CONCERN IS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS, THE 35 OF 'EM ON OUR TEAMS, AND THE MEMBERS IN THE, OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ALSO USE THE COURTS. WARREN COUNTY TENNIS COURT SHOULD BE SAFE FOR ALL WHO PLAY ON THEM. WHEN, WHEN, AND IF YOU HAVE A CONTRACT TO IMPROVE THE TENNIS COURTS. UH, WE RECOMMEND, UH, THAT, UH, SEVERAL THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION. FIRST IS, IF YOU'RE DOING RECONSTRUCTION, SHOULD INCLUDE PARTICULAR TENSION TO MINIMIZING WATER ON AND BENEATH THE COURTS WATER'S. THE PRIMARY REASON COURTS DON'T LAST THE 25 YEARS THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LAST. RECONSTRUCTION AS OPPOSED TO RESURFACING MUST BE JUSTIFIED. UH, FREQUENTLY, UH, UH, COMPANIES WILL TELL YOU IT HAS TO BE TOTALLY REDONE, WHEN IN FACT YOU CAN ACTUALLY JUST DO RESURFACING. IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET REFERENCES FROM BUILDERS ON COURTS, UH, THAT THEY'VE REBUILT WITH A SHIFTING SUBSURFACE, BECAUSE THAT'S THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IN MORIN COUNTY. SECOND, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO GET SEVERAL BIDS AS THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CONTRACTORS FOR THE SAME SCOPE OF WORK. SINGLE SOURCING LEADS TO HIGHER PRICES LAST, GET A GUARANTEE FROM THE, FROM THE CONTRACTOR. WILLINGNESS OF A COMPANY TO STAND BEHIND THEIR WORK CORRELATES WITH THEIR CONFIDENCE. FISCAL REALITY DICTATES THAT ONLY ONE SET OF COURTS MAY GET DONE THIS YEAR. THAT MEANS ONE HIGH SCHOOL, UH, OR POSSIBLY BOTH. HIGH SCHOOLS MUST WAIT UNTIL, UH, ADDITIONAL FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE. IN THE INTERIM, PATCHING THE CRACKS WILL MAKE THE EXISTING COURTS SAFER AND MORE PLAYABLE, PLUS THE COURTS WILL LAST LONGER. FINALLY, ANNUAL MAINTENANCE OF TENNIS COURTS IS CRUCIAL. I, I BEG YOU TO INCLUDE IT INTO YOUR, UH, BUDGETING PROCESS AS YOU MOVE FORWARD. THINK OF A ROOF THAT HAS A LEAK. IF IT ISN'T TAKEN CARE OF, IT BECOMES A MUCH BIGGER ISSUE. THANK YOU. COURTS ARE NO DIFFERENT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK THIS EVENING? I THINK THAT WAS THE END OF OUR LIST, BUT WE'RE STILL OPEN FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION. OH, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS STEVIE MARIE, BUT I'M A FRONT ROYAL NATIVE, THE PROUD AUNT OF TWO WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS AND A LONG-TERM EMPLOYEE OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION. I WAS NOT ORIGINALLY GOING TO SPEAK THIS EVENING. INSTEAD, I EMAILED MY CONCERNS TO DR. PENCE AS CHAIR OF THE BOARD AND TO DR. FUNK, WHO IS MY REPRESENTATIVE. I THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PROMPT AND KIND RESPONSES. DR. FUNKY ENCOURAGED ME TO SPEAK BEFORE THE BOARD TONIGHT WITHOUT FEAR. HOWEVER, I AM AFRAID. I'M AFRAID FOR MY JOB. I'M AFRAID OF POSSIBLE RETRIBUTION, AND I'M AFRAID OF THE PUBLIC SCRUTINY THAT I OPEN MYSELF UP TO FOR ADDRESSING MY CONCERNS HERE IN PUBLIC. HOWEVER, AS A TEACHER AT WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL, I CANNOT TAKE RECENT EVENTS LYING DOWN. I FEEL THAT I MUST SPEAK IN DEFENSE OF THE EXCELLENT TEACHING STAFF OF THIS COUNTY. I'M CONCERNED BY THE RECENT INFLAMMATORY AND DEMEANING PUBLIC ATTACKS MADE ON TEACHERS BY A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD. THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR IS HIGHLY UNPROFESSIONAL AND IT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. THE STATEMENTS THAT WERE MADE ABOUT OUR TEACHERS VIOLATE WARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL'S POLICY, GAB BARK, R TWO, WHICH GOVERNS DIVISION EMPLOYEES USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA. THE POLICY STATES IN PART THAT EMPLOYEES SHOULD ABSTAIN FROM POSTING NEGATIVE INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS, WHILE EMPLOYEES OR THE DIVISION EMPLOYEES FOUND IN VIOLATION OF THESE REGULATIONS FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION UP TO AND INCLUDING THEIR TERMINATION. WHY IS THERE NO SUCH SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY TO GOVERN THE SCHOOL BOARD? WHY SHOULD ANYONE HAVE CARTE BLANCHE TO LAUNCH ATTACKS ON DIVISION EMPLOYEES VIA SOCIAL MEDIA WHEN SUCH BEHAVIOR IF PERPETUATED BY AN EMPLOYEE, WOULD RESULT IN PUNISHMENT OR TERMINATION? ASIDE FROM DEMORALIZING THE COUNTY'S TEACHING STAFF, THESE ATTACKS DO NOT SERVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STUDENTS OF THIS COUNTY. RATHER, THEY ADD TO THE GROWING DISTRUST AND ILL WILL. THE COMMUNITY SEEMS TO PLACE ON PUBLIC EDUCATION IN GENERAL, AND THE TEACHERS OF WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN PARTICULAR. FURTHERMORE, THESE STATEMENTS ARE NOT CONDUCIVE TO HELPING US GAIN THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE COUNTY. WE SO DESPERATELY NEED. A QUESTION THAT FREQUENTLY POPS UP IS WHY WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS SUCH DIFFICULTY ATTRACTING AND RETAINING HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS. THE ANSWER IS NOT TO BE FOUND IN THE PAY SCALE ARE BENEFITS OR THE COMMUTE. THE ANSWER IS THE DISRESPECT WITH WHICH [01:10:01] THE TEACHERS OF THIS DIVISION ARE TREATED. PERHAPS IF TEACHERS WERE TREATED LIKE THE HIGHLY DEDICATED, HIGHLY EDUCATED, HIGHLY QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS, WE ARE NOT LAMBASTED IN PUBLIC FORUMS, TAUNTED WITH TALK OF MERIT-BASED PAY SCALES AND LEFT CONSTANTLY LOOKING OVER OUR SHOULDERS FOR FEAR OF RETRIBUTION OR ATTACK. MORE OF OUR EXCELLENT TEACHERS WOULD CHOOSE TO STAY IN WARREN COUNTY. I URGE YOU TO CREATE A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY TO GOVERN THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD. OR AT THE VERY LEAST, CONSIDER THE IMPACT YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS HAVE ON THE COMMUNITY, THE TEACHING STAFF, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY THE STUDENTS BEFORE YOU PRESS THE SEND BUTTON. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THIS EVENING? ANYONE ELSE? OKAY. NEXT UP THIS EVENING, WE [3. Consent Agenda ] HAVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT THE CONSENT AGENDA BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED? IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NO. OKAY. NEXT UP THIS EVENING, I'M [4.A. Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget - Dr. Ballenger/School Board Chair ] GONNA OPEN UP THE BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING. UM, THIS, YOU'LL HAVE THE SAME THREE MINUTES, UM, TO SPEAK ON THE BUDGET. IS ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE BUDGET SPECIFICALLY? WE DO HAVE SOME OKAY. MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, AND THE FIRST ONE IS NANCY LEWIS. GOOD EVENING. I'M NANCY LEWIS AND I TEACH MATH AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL. 20 YEARS AGO WHEN I BEGAN TEACHING, I WAS ALWAYS TOUCHED WHEN STUDENTS WOULD WANT TO COME UP TO THE BOARD AND TEACH, COME UP TO THE BOARD AND PRETEND TO BE ME. COME UP TO THE BOARD AND PRETEND TO BE PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS. AND THE HINT THERE WAS THAT ONE DAY THEY MAY WANT TO TEACH THAT THEY WERE TRYING ON THE HAT TO SEE HOW THAT FELT TO STAND AND LEAD THE CLASS TO STAND AND IMPART INFORMATION. AND NOW THERE IS NO ONE TRYING ON THE HAT, NO ONE SAYING THAT THEY WANNA BE A TEACHER. WHEN I ASK THEM IF THEY MIGHT WANT TO BE A TEACHER, DO YOU MAYBE WANT TO DO THIS ONE DAY? AND THE SAD COMMENT IS NO, BECAUSE OF THE DISRESPECT. I HAVE HEARD THAT MORE THAN ONCE. AND THE RESPECT, THE DISRESPECT COMES IN MANY, MANY FORMS FROM MANY AREAS OF THE PROFESSION. AND IT IS REALLY, REALLY SAD. BUT TONIGHT, WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THE BUDGET AND THERE ARE MANY FORMS OF RESPECT, BUT PART OF THE RESPECT IS PAYING TEACHERS AS AN APPROPRIATE MEMBER OF SOCIETY WITH A SALARY THAT REPRESENTS THE EXPERIENCE AND THE JOB EXPECTATIONS. SO I BRING TO YOU TONIGHT SEVERAL POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND, AND I URGE YOU TO PLEASE FUND DR. UH, BOLLINGER'S BUDGET. NUMBER ONE, THE STATE HAS REQUESTED TEACHERS IN VIRGINIA TO GET 3% RAISE THIS YEAR. I URGE YOU, PLEASE DO NOT TURN DOWN THEIR MONEY BECAUSE WE WILL VOTE NO FOR A MATCH. NUMBER TWO, WE NEED OUR STEP TO REPRESENT THE EXPERIENCE THAT DOES MATTER. AND NUMBER THREE, TO KEEP QUALITY TEACHERS, WE MUST STAY AT LEAST SOMEWHAT CLOSE TO OUR SURROUNDING COUNTIES. THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. PEOPLE CAN LEAVE. PEOPLE DO LEAVE, PLEASE. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE ANY MORE TEACHERS. MONEY IS FAR FROM EVERY, FROM EVERYTHING. BUT IT DOES REPRESENT VALUE AND IT REPRESENTS RESPECT. OUR STUDENTS DESERVE TO HAVE QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN THEIR CLASSROOM, AND WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE FUND DR. BOLLINGER'S BUDGET. THANK YOU, MS. LEWIS. THANK YOU. BRIANNA MCHUGH. [01:15:02] HELLO, MY NAME IS BRIANNA MCHUGH. I'M A TEACHER IN WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AS IS MY HUSBAND AND MY TWO KIDS ARE IN WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE'RE ALL IN WHEN IT COMES TO WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE MOVED HERE THIS PAST SUMMER FROM ARLINGTON. WE HAD WATCHED THE REAL ESTATE HERE, AND WHEN TWO JOBS OPENED UP, UH, WE JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNITY. THERE'S APPEAL TO WORKING HERE, SMALLER CLASS SIZES, CHOICES THAT REFLECT KIDS AND FAMILY FIRST, LIKE LUNCH AND BREAKFAST, THE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS WHERE, UH, TO WHERE, WHERE WCPS PARENTS WORK AND THE BENEFITS THAT SUPPORT TWO EMPLOYEES FROM THE SAME HOUSEHOLD RATHER THAN PUNISH THEM FINANCIALLY. SO WE TOOK, WE EACH TOOK A FIVE FIGURE PAY CUT TO MOVE HERE WHERE WE COULD BUY A HOUSE AND MAKE ENDS MEET AND RAISE OUR FAMILY HERE. NOW, I'VE WATCHED THE DISCUSSIONS AROUND BUDGET AND STAFFING AND WISH TO SHARE SOME COMMENTS AND CONCERNS. WHENEVER A SCHOOL BUDGET IS PRESENTED, IT'S EASY TO BULK AT THE AMOUNT ALLOCATED TO PERSONNEL AND STAFFING. AND I COULD GO ON ABOUT THE RESEARCH THAT CONSISTENTLY SHOWS HOW A TEACHER IS THE MOST INTEGRAL FACTOR IN A CLASSROOM, OR HOW AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER MAKES HUNDREDS OF SPLIT SECOND DECISIONS PER HOUR IN A CLASS. THAT HAVING A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHER PROVIDES CONSISTENCY AND STRUCTURE THAT AFFECTS NOT JUST TEST SCORES AND PERFORMANCE, BUT ALSO TRUANCY AND PROACTIVE AND PREVENTATIVE DISCIPLINE, AND ENCOURAGES STUDENT GROWTH INTO PRODUCTIVE AND ENGAGED CITIZENS. THAT A ROBUST PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IS AN INVESTMENT THAT PAYS OFF IN A BETTER LOCAL ECONOMY. BUT THAT RESEARCH MUST WAIT FOR ANOTHER TIME. I'M CONCERNED THAT THE IMPENDING GROWTH TO WARREN COUNTY THAT WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT IS ALREADY HERE OF MY ALBEIT SMALL AND THEREFORE LIMITED NETWORK OF FRIENDS AND FAMILIES. MANY OF THE PARENTS ARE EDUCATORS. HOWEVER, OF THOSE EDUCATORS WHO LIKE ME, HAVE TAUGHT FOR SEVERAL YEARS OR OR A DECADE, MOST OF THEM LIVE HERE AND TEACH IN A DIFFERENT COUNTY. THEY ARE ALREADY, THEY ALREADY FEEL THE EFFECT OF FLAT FUNDING. AND THIS TREND WILL CONTINUE. MY FAMILY CAN MAKE ENDS MEET NOW THIS YEAR. BUT FOR HOW LONG, HOW MANY ALREADY TRAINED AND EFFECTIVE TEACHERS LIVE HERE BUT ARE NOT ATTRACTED BY THE SALLY OR BENEFITS THAT DON'T COMPETE WITH NEARBY DISTRICTS? HOW MANY WOULD STAY AND WORK HERE WHERE THEY LIVE? IF THE INCREASES IN PROPERTY AND SUCH WERE ALONGSIDE INCREASES TO THEIR PAY SO THEY COULD BE SOLVENT? I WORRY THAT BY KEEPING OUR HEAD IN THE SAND ABOUT THE GROWTH THAT IS ALREADY HERE, WE'RE LOSING OUT ON THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ATTRACT HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF TEACHERS AND KEEP THOSE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE HERE IN WCPS. AND I WORRY ABOUT THE TEACHERS LIKE ME WHO ARE IN WCPS AND WANT TO KEEP AND BUILD UP A ROBUST PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR OUR OWN KIDS AND OUR COMMUNITY. I SAID IT ALREADY, BUT THE RESEARCH SUPPORTS INVESTING IN QUALITY TEACHERS BECAUSE IT SUPPORTS THE KIDS AND THE KIDS OF WARREN COUNTY. PUBLIC SCHOOLS DESERVE GOOD TEACHERS AND A FULL STAFF. AND WHEN WE, AND THEN WE KNOW THE LOCAL ECONOMY BENEFITS FROM A SOLID AND PUBLIC ED SYSTEM, IT BEHOOVES THE BOARD TO SUPPORT THE BUDGET AS PROPOSED AND TO ADVOCATE AND DEFEND THIS INVESTMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IN OUR KIDS. THANK YOU. I YIELD MY TIME. THANK YOU ELISA. BRADFORD. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. MY NAME'S ELISA BRADFORD. I'M A WARREN COUNTY RESIDENT, WCPS TEACHER AND THE WCEA PRESIDENT OF SECONDARY EDUCATION. I'M HERE TO DISCUSS A CRITICAL ISSUE THAT IMPACTS THE FUTURE OF OUR STUDENTS, TEACHERS IN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. THE NEED FOR THOUGHTFUL INVESTMENT IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. AS WE ALL KNOW, THE CORE MISSION OF ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION. THIS MEANS MORE THAN JUST OFFERING TEXTBOOKS CLASSROOM SPACE. IT MEANS ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE STAFF RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS NECESSARY TO FOSTER A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE EVERY STUDENT CAN THRIVE. TODAY I STAND BEFORE YOU TO ASK FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT STUDENTS TRULY COME FIRST IN OUR DECISIONS BOTH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. FIRST AND FOREMOST, OUR STUDENTS MUST REMAIN AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO. WE KNOW THAT EACH STUDENT IS UNIQUE AND REQUIRES DIFFERENT KINDS OF SUPPORT FROM ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE TO SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING. OUR STUDENTS NEED NEEDS ARE DIVERSE AND WE MUST BE RESPONSIVE TO THOSE NEEDS. BUT TO TRULY MEET THOSE NEEDS, WE NEED THE APPROPRIATE RESOURCES IN PLACE, RESOURCES THAT CANNOT BE MAINTAINED BY A LEVEL FUNDED BUDGET. ONE OF THE MOST PRESSING AREAS WHERE, UM, OUR DISTRICT IS CURRENTLY, UM, UNDER RESOURCES, STAFFING. WHETHER IT'S SPECIAL EDUCATION COUNSELORS, SUPPORT STAFF, EVEN CLASSROOM TEACHERS, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE POSITIONS REQUIRED TO SUPPORT OUR GROWING STUDENT POPULATION AND INVOLVING NEEDS. WITH THE CURRENT STAFFING LEVEL, UM, LEVELS, IT'S BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THAT QUALITY OF EDUCATION THAT OUR STUDENTS DESERVE. UM, LEVEL FUNDING FOR NEXT YEAR WOULD BE A STEP BACKWARDS. IT WOULD MEAN WE ARE ACCEPTING THE STATUS QUO, WHICH NO LONGER IS ACCEPTABLE. [01:20:01] OUR STUDENTS ARE FACING A RAPID CHANGING WORLD, AND WE CANNOT AFFORD TO, UH, TO STAND STILL. WE MUST INVEST IN INNOVATION, IN STAFFING, AND IN THE RESOURCES THAT WILL HELP OUR STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL. I UNDERSTAND THAT BUDGETS ARE NOT, ARE NEVER EASY TO BALANCE, AND THERE ARE ALWAYS COM COMPETING COMPET COMPETITING PRIORITIES. UM, BUT IF YOU TRULY PLACE STUDENTS FIRST, WE WILL FIND THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO MAKE THESE INVESTMENTS. WE CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS TODAY IN HOPES THAT THE THINGS WILL GET BETTER ON THEIR OWN TOMORROW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. MEGAN BUD. OKAY. HELLO AGAIN. MY NAME IS MEGAN BUDD. I'M A TEACHER IN WARREN COUNTY, AS WELL AS THE PARENT OF TWO WARREN COUNTY STUDENTS. I'M HERE TO URGE YOU TO APPROVE THE FULL BUDGET AS PRESENTED. OUR SYSTEM CANNOT SUSTAIN ANOTHER YEAR OF FLAT FUNDED BUDGET. NON-LABOR BUDGETS WERE CUT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, WHICH ADDS EVEN MORE STRESS TO EVERYONE. SINCE THE COST OF NECESSARY ITEMS HAVE NOT RE REMAINED THE SAME, THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO CUT. MY YOUNGER DAUGHTER ATTENDS RESCUE JEFFRIES, THE THIRD LARGEST SCHOOL IN OUR COUNTY. YET THEIR NON-LABOR BUDGET AND STAFFING HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THEIR GROWTH. THE PRESENTED BUDGET WOULD GIVE THEM A MUCH NEEDED INCREASE IN THEIR NON LEAVER BUDGET, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL STAFFING TO SUPPORT THEIR GROWING STUDENT POPULATION. I'M NOT SURE THIS PLAN EVEN GIVES THEM EVERYTHING THAT THEY ACTUALLY NEED, BUT IT WOULD BE A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TOWARDS PROVIDING EQUITABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR THEIR STUDENTS COMPARED TO STUDENTS AT OTHER SCHOOLS. IN ADDITION TO BEING A PARENT AND TEACHER, I'M ALSO ON THE WARREN COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION BOARD. AT OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS, MANY TEACHERS FROM MULTIPLE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS HAVE INDICATED CONCERN OVER RUNNING OUT OF PAPER AND HOW THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOBS. IF THIS HAPPENS, SO MANY TEACHERS ARE ALREADY FORCED TO PURCHASE MATERIALS FOR THEIR CLASSROOMS OUT OF THEIR OWN MONEY BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH SCHOOL FUNDS TO DO SO. THERE'S ALSO CONCERN THAT IF OUR SCHOOLS ARE FLAT FUNDED TEACHER RAISES WILL BE CUT, CAUSING US TO FALL EVEN FARTHER BEHIND NEIGHBORING SCHOOL SYSTEMS THAT ARE APPROVING BUDGETS WITH RAISES THAT ARE ALREADY HIGHER THAN THE 3% PRESENTED IN OURS. THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT THEY'LL ALSO SEE AN INCREASE IN OUR INSURANCE RATES REDUCING THEIR ACTUAL TAKE HOME PAY, AND AGAIN, SETTING US FARTHER BEHIND OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES. AS SOMEONE WORKING IN AN UNDERSTAFFED DEPARTMENT, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT WE ALREADY STRUGGLE TO RECRUIT AND KEEP TEACHERS, AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO FALL FARTHER BEHIND AS MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, IT'S YOUR DUTY TO FIGHT TO ENSURE THAT THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS THE RESOURCES THAT IT NEEDS TO EDUCATE THE CHILDREN IN THIS COMMUNITY. A VOTE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET IS A VOTE TO SUPPORT THE TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS THAT YOU ARE ELECTED TO OVERSEE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BOBBY FORD. HELLO, I AM BOBBY FORD, THE SECRETARY FOR THE SKYLINE, FFA CHAPTER THIS YEAR, FFA HAS ALL AND AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART AND ALWAYS WILL. THE AGRICULTURAL CLASSES OFFERED AT SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR CHANGED MY LIFE AND MY FEELING OF PURPOSE. I ONCE WAS A SIXTH GRADER THAT GOT LOST ON HIS FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL TRYING TO FIND THE AG CLASSROOM. I AM NOW A SOPHOMORE IN HIGH SCHOOL WHO HAS VERY HIGH ASPIRATIONS FOR WHAT I WILL DO IN THE COMING YEARS. I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT WHY THESE TEACHERS MATTER AND HOW THEY HAVE POSITIVELY IMPACTED MY LIFE. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TOUCH ON THE TOPIC AT HAND, WHICH IS THE POSITION FOR A SECONDARY, SECONDARY SKYLINE AGRICULTURAL TEACHER. AND THIS IS MORE THAN A WANT FOR MY PEERS AND ME. THIS IS A NEED. THE KIDS IN MY SCHOOL ARE BEING DENIED OPPORTUNITIES DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE WORKLOAD THAT IS PUT ONTO MRS. BUCKLIN DAY IN AND DAY OUT. MRS. BUCKLIN WORKS NONSTOP TO PROMOTE OUR PROGRAM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND TO HELP IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE WITH PROBLEMS THAT MAY ARISE FOR US STUDENTS. WITH THAT SAID, MRS. BUCKLIN SIMPLY DOES NOT HAVE THE TIME TO TEACH ALL OF THE CLASSES THAT SHOULD BE OFFERED AND HOUSE ALL OF THE CHILDREN WANTING TO TAKE THEM. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. AND THE ONLY WAY I SEE ANY RESOLUTION FOR THIS IS TO ADD THE SECOND POSITION THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED. THE CLASS THAT IS SPECIFICALLY NOT OFFERED IS LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT. THIS CLASS IS ONE THAT WILL GREATLY BENEFIT ME AND A NUMBER OF OTHERS WANTING TO GO INTO THE AGRICULTURAL SPACE WHEN WE ARE OLDER. I PERSONALLY [01:25:01] WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND VIRGINIA TECH TO PURSUE A DEGREE IN ANIMAL AND POULTRY SCIENCES, AND THEN FURTHER MY EDUCATION BY GOING TO VET SCHOOL. THE AG PROGRAM MEANS SO MUCH TO SO MANY, AND IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL IF WE COULD RECEIVE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE ADDITIONAL TEACHING POSITION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ABBY FORD. I'M ABBY FORD, RESIDENT OF WARREN COUNTY AND A PARENT OF A SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. SO AT A RECENT PRESENTATION, I LEARNED THAT SEVERAL POSITIONS WERE HELD DURING LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. I CONSIDER ALL OF THE POSITIONS ESSENTIAL TO THE BETTERMENT OF OUR COUNTY'S YOUTH. HOWEVER, I CAN WHOLEHEARTEDLY ADVOCATE FOR ONE OF THE POSITIONS LISTED. SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL NEEDS A SECOND AGRICULTURE TEACHER POSITION. THE CURRENT AGRICULTURE TEACHER IS BEYOND AMAZING, BUT SHE CANNOT CONTINUE TO GROW THE PROGRAM AT THE PACE SHE IS WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF ANOTHER TEACHER. THERE ARE CURRENTLY CHILDREN ON WAIT LISTS FOR HER COURSES. THIS MEANS THERE ARE CHILDREN REQUESTING ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ONLY TO BE TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THERE ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH ROOM. IN ADDITION, A COURSE CALLED LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT CANNOT CURRENTLY BE OFFERED BECAUSE THERE IS NOT SPACE IN MRS. BUCKLAND'S TEACHING SCHEDULE. LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT IS A CLASS THAT MANY CHILDREN WOULD ULTIMATELY END UP TAKING AFTER INTRODUCTORY CLASSES. AS A BRIEF BACKGROUND, MY SON IS WHO HE IS BECAUSE OF HIS FFA ADVISORS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. HIS ENROLLMENT IN AG IN SIXTH GRADE LED TO HIS INVOLVEMENT IN FFA. AS COVID RESTRICTIONS SUBSIDED, THE OPPORTUNITIES PRESENTED ALLOWED HIM TO COMBINE PASSIONS HE KNEW HE HAD AND DISCOVER PASSIONS HE NEVER THOUGHT WERE POSSIBLE FOR HIM. BOBBY GREW COMFORTABLE SPEAKING IN PUBLIC. HE PARTICIPATED IN COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENTS AND LEARNED ABOUT ANIMALS. IN SEVENTH GRADE, HIS AG TEACHER ENCOURAGED HIM TO TAKE A CHANCE AND SHOW LIVESTOCK AT THE COUNTY FAIR. SOMETHING THAT LITERALLY CHANGED HIS LIFE BECAUSE OF THE AG COURSES OFFERED. BOBBY KNOWS HIS EDUCATIONAL GOALS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL HAS MET PEERS FROM SURROUNDING COUNTIES THAT KEEP IN TOUCH AND DISCOVERED SKILLS HE WOULD'VE NEVER, EVER KNOWN HE HAD. I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THE FFA AND AG PROGRAMS IN THE NEWS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA MAKING STRIDES IN COMMUNITY SERVICE INVOLVEMENT IN STATEWIDE COMPETITIONS, AND OVERALL SIMPLY REPRESENTING THE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND WARREN COUNTY IN A POSITIVE MANNER. THESE KIDS HAVE THESE OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE OF THE COMMITMENT OF MRS. BUCKLIN. IN FACT, I'M NOT SURE HOW SHE DOES IT. MRS. BUCKLIN, THROUGH HER EXTRAORDINARY COMMITMENT OF TIME, ENSURES ALL CHILDREN, WHETHER INTERESTED IN LIVESTOCK, MEAT JUDGING, HIP APOLOGY, PUBLIC SPEAKING, OR HORTICULTURE, HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN COMPETITIONS, WORKSHOPS, AND IN THE CLASSROOM FOR LEARNING. MRS. BUCKLIN HAS SPENT NUMEROUS WEEKENDS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WITH FFA CHAPTER AS SHE DRIVES THEM TO COMPETITIONS ACROSS THE STATE. MRS. BUCKLIN ACCOMPANIES THE CHILDREN TO BOTH STATE AND NATIONAL CONVENTION, WHICH EQUATES TO MANY DAYS AND NIGHTS AWAY FROM HER OWN THREE CHILDREN. MRS. BUCKLIN IS AT SCHOOL EARLY MOST DAYS TO AFTER PRACTICE, OFFER PRACTICE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CHILDREN COMPETING IN CONTESTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND TYPICALLY, THERE ARE SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK THOUGH MRS. BUCKLIN STAYS LATE AFTER SCHOOL TO FACILITATE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PARADES, AREA COMPETITIONS, FAMILY GATHERINGS, AND OTHER EVENTS. THE CURRENT PROGRAM OFFERS SO MUCH, BUT I CANNOT HELP BUT THINK HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE MISSING OUT BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT CAPACITY FOR ENROLLMENT IN CLASSES AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. MRS. BUCKLIN IS ONE PERSON. PLEASE TRULY CONSIDER THE ADDITION OF THE AG TEACHING POSITION AT SHS. THANK YOU, GRACE BUCKLIN. GOOD EVENING. I'M GRACE BUCKLIN AND I'M A TEACHER AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL. THE BUDGET AFFECTS US ALL OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE AND THE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMUNITY. THAT FUTURE DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION WE PROVIDE. AND RIGHT NOW, WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEEDS FULL FUNDING TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT HAS ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES, TEACHERS, AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY DESERVE. EDUCATION IS THE FOUNDATION OF A THRIVING COMMUNITY. WHEN WE FULLY FUND OUR SCHOOLS, WE INVEST IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF DOCTORS, ENGINEERS, TEACHERS, AND LEADERS. WE ENSURE THAT CLASSROOMS ARE NOT OVERCROWDED, THAT STUDENTS HAVE UP TO DATE TECHNOLOGY, AND THAT EDUCATORS RECEIVE FAIR PAY FOR THEIR HARD WORK WITHOUT FULL FUNDING. STUDENTS ARE FORCED TO LEARN IN UNDER-RESOURCED CLASSROOMS. TEACHERS STRUGGLE WITH LIMITED SUPPORT AND ESSENTIAL PROGRAMS LIKE ARTS, SPORTS AND ADVANCED COURSEWORK ARE CUT. SOME MIGHT ASK, CAN WE AFFORD TO FULLY FUND OUR SCHOOLS? BUT THE REAL QUESTION IS, CAN WE AFFORD NOT TO? EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN EDUCATION LEADS TO A STRONGER WORKFORCE, HIGHER PROPERTY VALUES, AND A SAFER, MORE PROSPEROUS COMMUNITY. UNDERFUNDING OUR SCHOOLS DOESN'T JUST [01:30:01] HURT STUDENTS. IT WEAKENS OUR ENTIRE COUNTY. LET'S COMMIT TO GIVING WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS THE FULL FUNDING THAT WE NEED. LET'S SHOW OUR CHILDREN THAT THEIR EDUCATION MATTERS, THE SUCCESS OF OUR SCHOOLS AS THE SUCCESS OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND IT IS UP TO US TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT HAS A CHANCE TO REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THE FINAL SPEAKER TO SIGN UP IN ADVANCE IS FAYE CAMPBELL. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS FAYE CAMPBELL AND I RESIDE IN THE FORK DISTRICT. I AM A PROUD MOTHER OF A CHILD WITH A DISABILITY THAT LIVES THAT RESIDES IN WARREN COUNTY AS WELL AND ATTENDS WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SHE IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SKYLINE, FFA. I AM HERE TODAY TO ADVOCATE ON THE NEED FOR THAT SECOND AGRICULTURAL TEACHER WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE FFA IS MORE THAN JUST AN ORGANIZATION TO US. IT IS A COMMUNITY AND IT'S, IT'S A FAMILY. UM, IT HAND, YOU KNOW, OFFERS HANDS-ON LEARNING, BUILDING CONFIDENCE, SELF-ESTEEM, SOCIAL SKILLS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE SENSE OF BELONGING. UM, SINCE OUR DAUGHTERS JOINED, WE'VE SEEN A WHOLE NEW SIDE OF HER. YOU KNOW, SHE LOOKS FORWARD TO COMING TO SCHOOL EVERY DAY. SHE CAN'T WAIT TO COME HOME AND TELL US WHAT CRAZY THING THEY DID IN FFA CLASS. UM, SHE'S GONE ON TO PARTICIPATE IN COUNTY CONTEST, UM, TO SHOW LIVESTOCK WITH LITTLE TO NO HELP FROM US, WHICH IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR HER. UM, AS YOU KNOW, CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, THEY FACE CHALLENGES THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO FEEL THAT THEY'RE INCLUDED IN ANYTHING. UM, AND FFA OFFERS THAT CHANCE FOR THEM TO LEARN AND GROW AND THRIVE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT CELEBRATES THE DIVERSITY. EVERY CHILD, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY, DESERVES THIS OPPORTUNITY. UNFORTUNATELY, AS YOU HEARD PREVIOUSLY, SOME CHILDREN CANNOT PARTICIPATE DUE TO THE WAIT LIST THAT YOU KNOW ARE, ARE THERE. WITH YOUR HELP IN BRINGING THIS ADDITIONAL TEACHER, WE CAN OPEN THESE POSSIBILITIES TO MORE STUDENTS WITH A SIGNIFICANT, WHICH WOULD MAKE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES. SO IN MY CONCLUSION, WITH YOUR SUPPORT, YOU CAN TRULY TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF THESE CHILDREN AND HELP REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. AND BESIDES THAT, WHAT COUNTY CAN YOU LIVE IN TODAY THAT YOU CAN GO TO WORK TOMORROW AND SAY, I AM SORRY TO YOUR BOSS THAT YOU'RE LATE FOR WORK BECAUSE YOU WAS STUCK BEHIND THE FFA KIDS DRIVING THEIR TRACTOR TO SCHOOL. . YOU KNOW, YOU ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. SO WITH YOUR SUPPORT, IT WOULD MEAN SO MUCH TO THESE CHILDREN AND TO ALL THE FAMILIES. UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE BUDGET THIS EVENING? YEP. YEP. MS. HELLO, I'M LEE MEADOWS, UH, HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT RESIDENT AND AG TEACHER AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL. I WATCHED DR. BALLINGER PRESENT AT THE LAST SCHOOL BOARD MEETING AND AGREE THAT WHAT WAS PRESENTED IS NOT AN EXCESSIVE BUDGET. IT ADDRESSES ONGOING NEEDS IN OUR DISTRICT NEEDS THAT HAVE BEEN POSTPONED IN SOME CASES FROM PRIOR YEARS AND WOULD SERVE US ALL WELL IF APPROVED. AND I'LL REFER TO THAT PROPOSAL AS OPTION ONE. THAT BEING SAID, I ALSO HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE CONCERNS THAT MRS. ALAN'S RAISED THAT NIGHT. SHE HAS A VERY VALID POINT THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS HEADED TOWARD ONLY OFFERING LEVEL FUNDING EVEN IF THAT DECISION IS SHORTSIGHTED. THEY HAVE STATED THEIR PRIORITIES ARE PUBLIC SAFETY, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, AND FIRE AND EMS. I THINK REALISTICALLY, A SCENARIO OF WHAT LEVEL FUNDING LOOKS LIKE FOR 25 26 NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED HERE PUBLICLY WITH THE VERY REAL PROPOSED CUTS THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE. CALL THIS OPTION TWO. EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE WHAT IT TRULY MEANS TO THIS DISTRICT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. RIFS PAY CUTS, STAGNANT SALARY SCALES, INCREASE CLASS SIZES AND REDUCE SERVICES. WHATEVER IT IS IT NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED. AND THEN A PRIORITY BUDGET NEEDS TO BE PRESENTED. CALL THIS OPTION THREE, WHERE YOU AS A BOARD NEED TO DECIDE WHAT ARE THE BOARD'S HIGHEST PRIORITIES, AND ASK DR. BALLINGER AND MR. BALLANTINE TO CREATE THAT BUDGET. AND IT NEEDS TO BE SHARED PUBLICLY AS OPTION THREE IN LIGHT OF THE ONGOING COUNTY BUDGET DISCUSSIONS AT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. [01:35:01] AND IN REGARDS TO MR. STAN MEYER'S COMMENTS LAST NIGHT ABOUT COUNTY PRIORITIES, I DO HOPE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE ON THE JOINT BUDGET COMMITTEE WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL ADVOCATE FOR MORE THAN JUST LEVEL FUNDING AND BE CLEAR IN THEIR DISCUSSIONS WITH SUPERVISORS AND THE COMMUNITY ABOUT SPECIFICS OF HOW LEVEL FUNDING IMPACTS THE SCHOOLS AND THE COMMUNITY. NOT IN GENERAL TERMS, BUT SPECIFICALLY DR. BALLINGER. BASED ON COMMENTS I HAVE HEARD, MADE A THOROUGH EXPLANATION IN LAYMAN'S TERMS OF HOW THE COMPOSITE INDEX WORKS AND WHAT IT REVEALS ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY'S ABILITY TO PAY AND HOW STATE FUNDING OF SCHOOLS AND SOQ POSITIONS WORK NEEDS TO BE CONVEYED AND CLARIFIED TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS, SCHOOL AND COUNTY, AND THE PUBLIC. I ASK THAT YOU PRESENT THAT INFORMATION PUBLICLY, NOT JUST HERE, BUT ALSO TO THE FULL BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WHEN THE SCHOOL BUDGET IS PRESENTED, SO THAT THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE SEES IT AND DEVELOPS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW SCHOOL BUDGETS WORK. JUSTICE AS CRYSTAL KLEIN HAS DONE FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND AS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE FOR THEIR DEPARTMENTS AT LAST NIGHT'S SUPERVISOR'S MEETING. MR. STAN MEYER. THANK YOU FOR THIS. SORRY, I TALK SLOW. I DO HAVE PRINTED COMMENTS WITH ALL OF MY COMMENTS FOR YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THIS EVENING OR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO READ THAT FOR MS. MEADOWS? I GUESS, UM, OKAY. YEAH, . OKAY. AGAIN, AT LAST NIGHT'S SUPERVISORS MEETING MR. ST. MEYER COMMENTED THAT THE COUNTY WANTS TO BE ABLE TO HIRE GOOD TEACHERS. I HOPE THAT THE COUNTY ALSO WANTS TO RETAIN GOOD TEACHERS AND STAFF BY ENSURING THAT WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS A GOOD PLACE TO WORK BY KEEPING APPROPRIATE CLASS SIZES TO MEET OUR STUDENTS' NEEDS, PROTECTING THE AVAILABILITY OF CLASS OFFERINGS THAT ALLOW STUDENTS TO SELECT CLASSES WHICH INTEREST THEM AND HELP OBTAIN LIFE AND WORK SKILLS AND EVEN CAREERS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. AND NOT TO GET BUMPED BECAUSE THOSE COURSES HAVE WAITING LISTS OR CAN'T BE OFFERED BECAUSE THEY, THERE AREN'T ENOUGH SLOTS OR TEACHERS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. I HOPE THAT ATTRACTING AND RETAINING FULLY CERTIFIED TEACHERS INSTEAD OF RELYING ON PROVISIONAL LICENSES TO FIND STAFF IN A PINCH BY MAINTAINING COMPETITIVE SALARIES IS AN ONGOING PRIORITY. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BACKSLIDE WHEN ALL AROUND US SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE COMPETING IN THE SAME SHRINKING POOL OF EDUCATIONAL PROFESSIONALS. I'M JENNY BRYANT. HELLO. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE ON THE BUDGET THIS EVENING? GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE. OKAY. BUDGET, PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. NEXT UP THIS [5.A. Superintendent ] EVENING. WE HAVE REPORTS. DR. BALLINGER. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. UM, AGAIN, I WANNA WELCOME EVERYBODY THAT HAS THE, THAT HAVE COME OUT TONIGHT AND, UH, SHARED YOUR THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS WITH US, UM, CONCERNING THE BUDGET. I DO APPRECIATE THAT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK, UM, AS ROADS, OUR SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING TEAM, AND THEN OUR EARLY ACT REPRESENTATIVES WERE COMING OUT AND ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE GREAT PROGRAMS AND SUCCESSES WE'RE HAVING THERE. UH, I ALSO WANTED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THIS PAST WEEKEND, 46 WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, DECA UH, STUDENTS COMPETED IN VARIOUS COMPETITIONS AT THE VIRGINIA DECA STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN VIRGINIA BEACH. SOME OF THE AWARDS THAT THE CHAPTER RECEIVED WERE THE TEAM OF ALEXA BRADLEY AND ALI MUSEL PLACED FIRST IN SCHOOL-BASED, UM, ENTREPRENEUR FOOD OPERATIONS. UH, THE TEAM OF KAYLEE PRE GRAVES AND GREENVILLE. GREENVILLE, UH, PLACED FIRST IN FINANCIAL LITERACY. UM, WE HAD A LOT OF OTHERS THAT, THAT HAVE PLACED IN THERE AS FAR AS FINALISTS IN SPORTS AND, AND MARKETING. WE ALSO HAD RECOGNITION FOR OUTSTANDING DECK ADVISORS. UM, MR. ESH, UH, RECEIVED A FRIEND OF VECA OF DECA AWARD. AND THEN, UH, THE DECA TAILGATERS WILDCATS LIVES, ROAR AND WILDCATS DEN RECEIVE GOLD CERTIFICATION AWARDS FOR THEIR SCHOOL-BASED, UM, ENTERPRISES. SO 12 STUDENTS ARE IN THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND DECA INTERNATIONAL CAREER DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE IN ORLANDO IN LATE APRIL. UM, WE WILL BE HAVING OUR DECA PROGRAM, UM, IN ATTENDANCE AT OUR WORK SESSION, UM, HERE IN MARCH. AND WE WILL GET TO, UH, RECOGNIZE THEM AT THAT POINT IN TIME. ALSO, [01:40:01] I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE NOTE THAT THE, UH, BLUE RIDGE ARTS COUNCIL OPENING NIGHT, UM, IS FEBRUARY 20TH. AND THERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF DISPLAYS AS FAR AS STUDENT WORKS OF ART. I BELIEVE WE DID SEND SOMETHING OUT, UH, TO THE BOARD, UH, CONCERNING THAT. UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE GREAT DISPLAYS AND ARTWORK THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE PUT IN, UM, YOU KNOW, PUT FORTH AND, AND AND OUT THERE ON DISPLAY. SO THAT WILL BE ON FEBRUARY 20TH. SO, UH, SORRY, MARCH? YES. MARCH. UM, I'M GOING BACK A MONTH. I'M SORRY. I APOLOGIZE. BUT YES, MARCH 20TH. SO THAT'LL BE THE NIGHT AFTER OUR WORK SESSION. AND THAT IS A CHANGE, I BELIEVE. AND DID YOU GET THAT NOTIFICATION ON THAT CHANGE? IT, WAS IT ORIGINALLY FEBRUARY 6TH? IT WAS. OKAY. OKAY. IT WAS ORIGINALLY FEBRUARY 6TH, BUT, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S FOUR TO SIX AT BLUE RIDGE ARTS COUNSEL. YEAH, IT'S, UM, BEEN CHANGED ON THAT, BUT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE OUR, OUR STUDENTS ARTWORK. AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU, MA'AM. THANK YOU. UM, FIRST UP THIS EVENING WE [5.B. School Board ] HAVE MR. MCFADDEN BADDEN. UH, THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO REPORT OTHER THAN I WANT TO CONGRATULATE, UH, COACH SIMONS AND THE SKYLINE WRESTLING TEAM FOR THEIR HISTORIC VICTORY. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT, HAVE THAT TROPHY. IT'S QUITE AN ACHIEVEMENT. UM, MRS. LOWE AND I HAVE BEEN ON WORKING WITH THE SBMA FOR POLICIES. WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME OF THEM READ TONIGHT, HOPEFULLY GET APPROVED TONIGHT AS WELL. I THINK WE'VE LIKED THAT SYSTEM OF, OF, OF THE, OF THE SBMA, CHECKING OVER OUR POLICIES, MAKING SURE THEY'RE UP TO SCRATCH. AND THEN THE SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET COMMITTEE, DR. FUNK AND I ARE ON THAT. AND, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GIVE SOME MORE INPUT ON THAT ITSELF. BUT WE'VE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEETINGS ABOUT THE BUDGET AND, AND, UH, TRYING TO COME TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE DOING. BUT THAT'S, UM, ALL I'VE BEEN DOING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. SALEMS. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO THANK ALL THE STUDENTS WHO CAME TONIGHT TO, TO PRESENT AND CONGRATULATE THE WRESTLING TEAM. UM, I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS TO MEET WITH, UM, SOME TEACHERS, PARENTS, LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, JUST TO GET FEEDBACK ABOUT THE, THE BUDGET. UM, I CAN SPEAK MORE ABOUT THAT IN THE ADDRESSING THEIR CONCERNS DURING THE BUDGET SECTION. UM, AS FOR THE BOMBARDMENT TONIGHT, UM, I'M ACTUALLY CONCERNED THAT IT'S A CONCERN OF THE TEACHERS THAT LESSONS THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY PRESENTED TO OUR CHILDREN, THEY OBJECT TO HAVING THE PARENTS KNOW ABOUT THEM. UM, I DO NOT KNOW WHO THE TEACHER WAS WHO PUT ON THE LESSON. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHO THAT TEACHER WAS. THEY CERTAINLY DIDN'T NAME THE TEACHER. UM, BUT I FEEL LIKE PARENTS NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE BEING TAUGHT IN CLASS. MY ISSUE AT THAT MEETING WAS THAT IT WAS, IT WAS A FOIA VIOLATION FOR US TO DISCUSS THE LESSON PLANS IN CLOSED SESSION. THE FULL LESSON WAS SENT TO US THROUGH EMAIL. THE PUBLIC DOESN'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF, OF SEEING THOSE, THOSE LESSONS. AND IF, IF OUR BOARD, WHAT I WANTED OUR BOARD TO HAVE WAS AN OPEN, HONEST SHARING OF IDEAS AND THOUGHTS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT LESSON WAS APPROPRIATE. UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T GET TO DO THAT, AND THAT THAT IS A TRAVESTY. UM, I, I DID WANNA ASK, DOES THE SOL TEST THE, ON THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE PLATFORM? ARE THERE ANY TESTS ON THAT OR ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT TEST ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE PLATFORM? MY UNDERSTANDING IS NO. THERE'S, THERE'S NOT ANY TESTS, TEST QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACTUAL RNC PLATFORM. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TAUGHT IS THAT WE HAVE A TWO PARTY SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT. AND UNFORTUNATELY, OUR CHILDREN IN A CERTAIN CLASSROOM WERE TAUGHT SOME REALLY INAPPROPRIATE THINGS ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM. HAD THEY BEEN TAUGHT INAPPROPRIATE THINGS ABOUT THE DEMOCRAT PLATFORM, AND I HAD RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT, YOU BETTER BELIEVE I WOULD'VE RAISED OBJECTIONS ABOUT THAT AS WELL. UM, I ALSO WANTED TO CLARIFY THE FACT THAT I'M NOT EMPLOYED BY WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'M EMPLOYED BY THE VOTERS OF THIS COUNTY. AND 70% OF THE VOTERS IN THIS COUNTY ARE, IN FACT, REPUBLICANS AND THEIR PARENTS DO DESERVE TO KNOW WHEN THEY'RE BEING TAUGHT ANTI-REPUBLICAN RHETORIC AND GIVEN SURVEYS TO THEIR MINOR CHILDREN WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT POLITICS, GENDER IDENTITY, RELIGION, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. [01:45:01] UM, SO FOR THE RECORD, I'M GONNA READ EXACTLY WHAT I POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA ALONG WITH ACTUAL PHOTOS OF THE LESSON. I SAID, DO YOU WANT YOUR YOUNG CHILD TO BE VULNERABLE IN A CLASSROOM, HAVING TO FACE THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR? DO YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TAUGHT THAT REPUBLICANS ARE ANTI-IMMIGRANT, NOT ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT. THEY WERE TAUGHT THAT THE REPUBLICANS ARE ANTI-IMMIGRANT. DO YOU WANT YOUR CHILD GIVEN POLITICAL SURVEYS WITHOUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND CONSENT AND COVER TOPICS LIKE RACISM, RELIGION, AND GENDER IDEOLOGY? WE MAY HAVE WON THE ELECTION, BUT THE LEFT IS FURIOUS, AS WE SAW TONIGHT, FURIOUS ABOUT THEIR LOSS, AND THEY'RE WILLING TO BRING THE FIGHT INTO OUR OWN HOMES. SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IF TEACHERS DON'T WANT THEIR BIASED LESSONS POSTED, THEN DON'T TEACH THE BIASED LESSON. WE HAVE TONS OF FABULOUS TEACHERS TEACHING FABULOUS LESSONS IN THIS COMMUNITY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A FEW WHO, WHO GO ROGUE AND TEACH THINGS THAT ARE, ARE FACTUALLY UNTRUE. UM, WHILE THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM IS 28 PAGES LONG, APPARENTLY IT ALSO HAS A ONE PAGER WITH, WITH 20 POINTS. IF YOU WANT TO TEACH THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM, GIVE THEM THAT. LET 'EM SEE, LET 'EM SEE. LET 'EM READ IT DIRECTLY FOR THEMSELVES. HAND THEM THE DEMOCRAT PLATFORM, LET THEM READ IT FOR THEMSELVES. BUT TO INTERPRET IT AND PUT IT INTO YOUR OWN WORDS WITH FACTUALLY UNTRUE INFORMATION. IT'S NOT SOMETHING I'M GONNA STAND, STAND BY. AND JUST A HEADS UP, IF THIS BOARD DOES WANNA CREATE A POLICY LIKE THAT TO VIOLATE MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, THAT'S NOT GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT FLIES WITH ME AND I WON'T FOLLOW IT. SO I THINK THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT FOR TONIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, DR. FUNK. THANK YOU. UM, SO, UM, I HAPPENED TO BE AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL ON MONDAY, UH, MONDAY AFTERNOON. AND WHEN I WALKED INTO THE OFFICE, THERE WERE THE SEVEN OF TROPHIES THERE. UM, SO I'M VERY EXCITED THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONGRATULATE THOSE STUDENTS, UM, FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK. UM, AND I, THEY, THEY TOLD ME ALL ABOUT SEVEN TROPHIES. UNFORTUNATELY, I CANNOT RENAME EVERY SINGLE AWARD THAT WAS, WAS, UH, GIVEN, BUT I KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY PROUD OF THAT AND, AND GLAD TO HAVE, UM, SEEN THAT COMING OFF OF THEIR WEEKEND. UM, THANK YOU FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL THE, THE, UM, UH, PARENTS. UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO THANK THE PARENTS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, OUR KIDS GET TO WHERE THEY ARE BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS ARE THERE. UM, FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING CELEBRATING, UM, SKYLINES, UH, UH, GINORMOUS WIN. UM, MY HUSBAND IS GONNA KILL ME FOR SAYING THIS, BUT HE WAS A WRESTLER IN HIGH SCHOOL AND HAD A FEW TITLES. UM, THAT WAS ONLY A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE'LL SAY. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SO I, I UNDERSTAND AND AS BEING A, A PARENT TO, UM, SOME SPORTS, UH, SPORTS KIDDO, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S A, THAT'S A VERY, UM, EXCELLENT ACHIEVEMENT. AND, UM, AND OUR, OUR EARLY ACT STUDENTS, UM, AS A A, A ROTARIAN MYSELF AS WELL, I'M VERY PROUD THAT, UM, TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WORKING WITH OUR STUDENTS. AND, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S, I'M REALLY PROUD TO, TO SEE THAT WE HAVE ALL FIVE, UM, GROUPS HAPPENING. I PERSONALLY WISH I COULD DEVOTE TIME TO BE THERE, BUT MY SCHEDULE DOESN'T ALLOW FOR IT. UM, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS HAPPENING. WE HAVE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, AS FOR THE BUDGET, UM, THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO SPOKE THIS EVENING. THANK YOU FOR THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF EMAILS I'VE RECEIVED, CALLS I'VE RECEIVED, CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH TEACHERS, WITH PARENTS, UM, ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH THE BUDGET AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IT. SO, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT THEN. BUT WE HAVE HAD LOTS OF MEETINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH BUDGET SEASON. UM, I ALSO WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS WHO SPOKE TONIGHT. I WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR STAFF WHO AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME. I, I HAVE ALWAYS SAID FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, WE MIGHT NOT ALWAYS AGREE. I MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. I MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW. BUT WE CAN ALWAYS TALK, WE CAN ALWAYS AGREE TO DISAGREE AND WE SHOULD ALL BE HEARD WITHOUT FEAR. THE OVERWHELMING CONCERN I'VE HEARD [01:50:01] IS THAT STAFF ARE AFRAID TO TALK BECAUSE THEY ARE FEARFUL. AND THAT DOES BREAK MY HEART. AND I HAVE ENCOURAGED EVERYBODY TO PLEASE DO NOT BE ANY, DO NOT BE FEARFUL. JUST SPEAK. I DON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU. NO ONE HAS TO AGREE WITH YOU, BUT YOU ALWAYS SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK. AND I CAN'T SAY THAT ENOUGH. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE AND FOR SPEAKING. UM, I WANT TO SHARE MY PERSPECTIVE. UM, 'CAUSE I'VE ALSO HAD QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE COME UP. I WANT TO SHARE MY PERSPECTIVE ALSO AND MY THOUGHTS OF HOW I HAVE INTERPRETED, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR LAST MEETING, WE DO HAVE A HIERARCHY. WE DO HAVE A PROCEDURE IF ANY PARENT HAS ANY CONCERN WITH WHAT THEIR CHILD IS DOING IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. I'M A, I'M A PARENT. AND IF YOU HAVE BEEN HAD MY CHILDREN IN SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, I HAVE PROBABLY TALKED TO YOU AT SOME POINT. I HAVE NO PROBLEM. I SEE SOME HEADS NODDING. UM, BUT WHAT I WOULD WISH ON EVERYBODY IS THAT IF YOU AS A PARENT HAVE A CONCERN WITH A LESSON, WITH AN ACTION THAT TOOK PLACE IN A CLASSROOM, THERE'S A PROCEDURE. YOU GO TO THE PRINCIPAL, ADDRESS THE PRINCIPAL, GIVE THEM THE OPTION TO ADDRESS IT. I HAVE A COUPLE NOTES, HOLD ON. SO I FELT IN THE SITUATION THAT WE WERE IN THAT WITH SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WERE PRE PRESENTED TO US, WE DID THAT. THERE WAS A CONCERN BROUGHT FORWARD. IT WAS SENT TO THE PRINCIPAL TO ADDRESS AND IT WAS ADDRESSED. AND I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THOSE ADMINISTRATORS. THEY ARE TRAINED, THEY ARE EDUCATED, THEY ARE VERSED IN CURRICULUM, THEY ARE VERSED IN TEACHING. THEY HAVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. THEY HAVE BEEN HIRED. SO I HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THEY'RE GONNA DO THEIR JOB. NOW, IF THEY PROVE THEY HAVEN'T DONE THEIR JOB, I HAVE CONCERNS AND WE WILL ADDRESS THAT. SO WHEN WE FOLLOW THAT HIERARCHY, UM, WHEN A CONCERN IS BROUGHT TO ME, I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S GIVEN TO THE ATTENTION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AND WHICHEVER DEPARTMENT IT IS IN THERE. AND I HAVE TOLD MANY OF PEOPLE THAT IF IT'S COME TO ME, I SAID, YOU KNOW, PLEASE KNOW I HAVE FORWARDED THIS ON TO, YOU KNOW, WHOMEVER I AM. I CAN ASSURE YOU IT WILL BE ADDRESSED. IF YOU DON'T HEAR SOMETHING OR IF YOU, YOU KNOW, FEEL THAT'S DIFFERENT AND HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US. BUT AGAIN, I'M GONNA LEAVE THE DAILY TASKS TO THE STAFF BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE, THEY, THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, MY JOB IS TO SET POLICY AND TO HIRE A SUPERINTENDENT. UM, SO MY PERSPECTIVE WAS THAT THE CONCERNS WERE BROUGHT TO US. THEY WERE FORWARDED AS SUCH. THEY WERE, WE WERE INFORMED WITH DETAILS, HOW IT WAS ADDRESSED. AND I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT. THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING I WAS WILLING TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT OR FELT IT WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE THINGS HAD BEEN ADDRESSED. UM, SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT. THAT'S MY, AGAIN, AND THAT'S MY PERSPECTIVE. UM, I WANNA SAY TO ALL OF OUR WARREN COUNTY EMPLOYEES, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO. I KNOW THE HARD WORK YOU DO. I KNOW THE PROGRAMS YOU PROVIDE. I KNOW THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU PUT INTO IT. YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN IT. I'VE, I'VE WORKED WITH MANY OF YOU WITH MY OWN STUDENTS, MY OWN CHILDREN, AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE HAD VERY SUCCESSFUL CAREERS. MY KIDS, ONE IS A GRADUATE WHO IS A JUNIOR AT VIRGINIA TECH. ONE WILL [01:55:01] GRADUATE THIS YEAR AND AFTER, UM, AND, AND, AND THAT, AND IT WAS HARD FOR H NOT HARD, BUT HE WA HE, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SHARED OFTEN MY EXPERIENCES AND HE HAS HAD A TEAM, A WONDERFUL TEAM OF PEOPLE. AND WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS AGREED AT THE TABLE, BUT WE HAVE COMMUNICATED AND WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, AND WE HAVE ALWAYS PUT WHAT WAS IN HIS BEST INTEREST FIRST, JUST LIKE I FEEL I HAVE, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO DO, I WILL HAVE THE DISCUSSION, I WILL SUPPORT THE TEACHERS, I SUPPORT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. MIGHT NOT ALWAYS, ALWAYS AGREE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WITHOUT A DOUBT, YOU KNOW, OUR TEACHERS, YOU, YOU HAVE MY SUPPORT, I SUPPORT YOU. AND I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. AND I THINK I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. THANK YOU, MS. LOWE. THANK YOU. UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO START OFF BY CONGRATULATING OUR WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONS. THAT'S A HUGE ACHIEVEMENT. UM, AND WE'RE SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE. UM, AND ALSO CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR DECA STUDENTS. UM, TO OUR FFA STUDENTS WHO SPOKE TO US AT OUR WORK SESSION. THERE REALLY ARE JUST SO MANY STUDENTS DOING SO MANY WONDERFUL THINGS AND OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. UM, AND IT REALLY BRINGS ME A LOT OF JOY TO SEE ALL THAT SUCCESS THAT THEY'RE HAVING, UM, IN THOSE AREAS SPECIFICALLY THAT ARE THEIR PASSIONS. YOU KNOW, THESE ARE WHAT THEY'RE DOING AFTER SCHOOL. THEY'RE NOT, IN MANY CASES, NOT GETTING GRADED ON ALL THE HARD WORK THEY'RE DOING. THESE ARE JUST SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE DOING BECAUSE THEY LOVE IT. AND THE STAFF AND TEACHERS WHO SUPPORT THEM LOVE IT. AND IT'S JUST SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING TO SEE. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF THEM. THANK YOU ALSO TO EVERYONE WHO SPOKE TONIGHT. UM, I SAY THIS OFTEN, BUT IT IS SO HELPFUL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL. AND I KNOW IT IS NOT EASY TO STAND UP AND SPEAK. UM, AND SOME OF YOU VOICED THAT TONIGHT OF HOW, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE SAYING SOMETHING THAT IS DISAGREEING, IT CAN REALLY BE INTIMIDATING TO STAND UP AND SPEAK. UM, SO REGARDLESS IF YOU THINK I'M DOING A GOOD JOB OR NOT, I HOPE YOU ALL FEEL, UM, COMFORTABLE SPEAKING BECAUSE WE ALL DO NEED TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF OUR OPINIONS AND WHAT WE THINK BECAUSE WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER. AND SO YOU ALL MAY BE SEEING THINGS THAT I'M NOT SEEING, AND YOU MAY CONVINCE ME OF A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW. SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR TAKING THE TIME TO COME AND SPEAK WITH US, UM, ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT YOU DO. UM, I DO WANNA SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT OUR BUDGET. NOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE OUR FULL BUDGET CONVERSATION LATER, BUT I HAD A COUPLE THINGS TO SAY THAT ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO THE BUDGET THAT'S BEING PRESENTED, BUT KIND OF MORE GENERAL BIG PICTURE THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO, UM, THROW OUT THERE. ONE, UM, IS THAT I MENTIONED AT OUR WORK SESSION, BUT OUR LOCAL REVENUE HAS NOT BEEN KEEPING PACE WITH THE INCREASES IN STATE REVENUE. UM, AND AGAIN, A LOT OF PEOPLE MIGHT SEE THAT AND THINK, OH, WELL, IF YOU'RE GETTING MORE STATE MONEY, YOU DON'T NEED MORE LOCAL MONEY. LIKE THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO THINK THAT. BUT, UM, THE WAY THAT THE STATE MONEY IS STRUCTURED, AND SOME OF YOU MENTIONED THIS TONIGHT, UM, THERE ARE RAISES BUILT INTO THE MONEY THAT THE STATE GIVES US. AND THEY DON'T GIVE US ALL THE MONEY FOR THE RAISES, BUT THEY DON'T GIVE US ANY OF THE MONEY FOR THE RAISES UNLESS WE MATCH IT. SO EACH TIME THE STATE GIVES US MORE MONEY, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A NEED TO GIVE MORE LOCAL MONEY TO BE ABLE TO EVEN ACCEPT THE FUNDS THAT THEY'VE GIVEN. UM, SO WHEN THAT STATE MONEY GOES UP AND IT'S NOT GOING UP A HUGE AMOUNT, BUT IT GOES UP A LITTLE BIT. AND WHEN IT DOES MORE AND MORE OF THAT PIE IS BEING TAKEN UP BY TEACHER SALARIES, WHICH ARE VERY IMPORTANT. AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT I'M GLAD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO AT LEAST GIVE THAT MINIMUM 3% RAISE. AS SOME HAVE MENTIONED, OTHER COUNTIES ARE GIVING MORE. UM, BUT THE REALITY IS IT LEAVES US LESS ROOM FOR EVERYTHING ELSE. AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU'RE HEARING TEACHERS TALKING ABOUT LACK OF PAPER AND SO ON. WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS FOR SOME OF THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THE BUDGET IS STRUCTURED. UM, I'VE ALSO NOTICED IN THE SLIDES THAT DR. BALLINGER HAS PRESENTED TO US THAT SCHOOL FUNDING HAS FAILED TO KEEP PACE WITH THE COUNTY BUDGET. IN GENERAL. FOR YEARS AND YEARS, THE SCHOOL BUDGET WAS AROUND 60% OF COUNTY FUNDS. AND IN RECENT YEARS, THAT HAS BEEN TRAILING OFF. AND SO WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE SAY THAT THERE JUST ISN'T MONEY FOR THE SCHOOLS, OR WE COULDN'T POSSIBLY GIVE THE SCHOOLS MORE MONEY UNLESS WE RAISE TAXES, I DON'T REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT IS NECESSARILY THE CASE. UM, AS WE ALL KNOW, THEY HAVE RAISED OUR TAXES. MOST OF OUR HOMES HAVE BEEN ASSESSED AT A HIGHER RATE AND $0 AND 0 CENTS OF THAT HAS GONE TO THE SCHOOLS. THAT IS A DECISION THAT HAS BEEN MADE. NOW I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NECESSARILY THE WRONG DECISION, AND I KNOW THERE'S PEOPLE WHO WILL SUPPORT THE MONEY THAT THE COUNTY IS SPENDING, WHICH IS FINE. BUT JUST TO SAY, OH, IT'S NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT RAISING TAXES. THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE. THIS IS A CHOICE THAT HAS BEEN MADE. UM, I ALSO WANNA MENTION THE, UH, LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX, WHICH WAS MENTIONED AND IS IN DR. BOLLINGER'S PRESENTATION. JUST IN A A SMALL NUTSHELL, THIS IS A FIGURE THAT THE STATE COMES UP WITH WHERE THEY ANALYZE DIFFERENT EEC ECONOMIC INDICATORS FOR EACH COUNTY AND DISTRICT, UM, COUNTY AND CITY IN VIRGINIA. THEY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, I WANNA SAY, DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS, I WANNA SAY IT'S LIKE THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE. THE SALARY RATE AND HOME PRICES ARE MAYBE THE, THE BIGGEST INDICATORS. BUT SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO SEE THE FINANCIAL CAPABILITY OF COUNTIES TO PAY. IF YOU LOOK AT THAT LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX [02:00:01] COMPARED WITH OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, OUR ABILITY TO PAY IS ACTUALLY ESTIMATED BY THE STATE TO BE HIGHER THAN MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORING LOCALITIES, INCLUDING SHENANDOAH AND PAGE, WHICH MIGHT NOT BE A SURPRISE, BUT ALSO INCLUDING FREDERICK COUNTY AND WINCHESTER CITY, WHICH MOST PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT. SO ACCORDING TO THE STATE, WE AS WARREN COUNTY HAVE MORE ABILITY TO FUND OUR SCHOOLS THAN FREDERICK COUNTY DOES OR WINCHESTER CITY. AND YET, IF YOU LOOK AT THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEBSITE, THEY HAVE THESE SCHOOL REPORTS. UM, I LIKE TO LOOK AT THOSE FIGURES BECAUSE IT'S EASIER TO GET LIKE APPLES AND APPLES BETWEEN THE COUNTIES 'CAUSE WE ALL PUBLISH OUR FIGURES ON OUR OWN WEBSITES AND ON A DIFFERENT SCHEDULE. IT CAN BE HARD, HARD TO TRACK EVERYTHING DOWN, BUT THE STATE HAS EVERYTHING LAID OUT. SO YOU CAN COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES. LIKE I SAID, THE MOST RECENT SCHOOL YEAR THEY HAVE ON THE STATE WEBSITE RIGHT NOW IS 2223. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THAT 2223 SCHOOL YEAR, WARREN COUNTY SPENDS LESS MONEY PER STUDENT THAN ANY OF THOSE NEIGHBORING COUNTIES THAT I MENTIONED. WE SPEND LESS MONEY PER STUDENT THAN FREDERICK COUNTY AND WINCHESTER CITY, LESS MONEY PER STUDENT THAN SHENANDOAH COUNTY AND LESS MONEY PER STUDENT THAN PAGE COUNTY. AND SO WITH ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER, I JUST SCALE THIS TO KIND OF SET THE STAGE THAT I DO THINK IF THIS COUNTY WANTED TO, WE COULD FUND SCHOOLS AT A HIGHER RATE. UM, SO THAT OPENS A DISCUSSION. LIKE I SAID, THERE'S MANY ARGUMENTS FOR MANY OTHER WORTHY CAUSES IN OUR COUNTY. I DON'T DENY THAT. UM, BUT IT IS A CONVERSATION THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE HAVING. UM, ON REAL TERMS, WE ALSO, BY THE WAY, SPEND THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF OUR BUDGET OUT OF THOSE COUNTIES THAT I'VE MENTIONED ON INSTRUCTION. UM, AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS WHAT I DESCRIBED EARLIER ABOUT THE SHRINKING PIECE OF THE PIE THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR ANYTHING ELSE WHEN THOSE SALARY INCREASES HAPPEN. BUT ALSO, I THINK IT WAS MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, INSTRUCTION IS WHAT WE WANNA BE SPENDING OUR BUDGET ON ANYWAY. SO I DON'T NECESSARILY SEE THAT AS A BAD THING, BUT AGAIN, JUST AS A INDICATOR THAT WE ARE USING OUR BUDGET RESPONSIBLY, WE'RE NOT SPENDING IT ON A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF, WE ARE RESERVING THOSE FUNDS MAINLY FOR INSTRUCTION. ALL RIGHT. UM, THANK YOU FOR INDULGING ME IN THAT. I ALSO WANNA TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON OUR LAST MEETING. I DID GET QUITE A FEW, UM, QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ABOUT THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPLAIN MY POINT OF VIEW AND WHY I VOTED THE WAY THAT I DID. UM, THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD IS NOT TO DISCIPLINE INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES, AND IT'S NOT TO EVALUATE LESSON PLANS OR EDIT LESSON PLANS. UM, AND THAT IS WHY I VOTED NO TO THOSE MOTIONS. ANYTIME YOU MAKE A MOTION FOR US TO DISCIPLINE AN EMPLOYEE, I'M GONNA SAY NO EVERY TIME BECAUSE THAT'S NOT OUR JOB. SO I'M NOT MAKING ANY COMMENTS ON WHETHER I THINK THE LESSON PLAN IS GOOD OR BAD, OR THE ACTIONS OF THE EMPLOYEE WE'RE GOOD OR BAD. BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY ROLE AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. THAT IS THE ROLE OF THE PRINCIPAL TO LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND TO TALK WITH THEIR EMPLOYEE ABOUT IT AND TAKE ANY NECESSARY ACTION, WHETHER THAT'S GOOD JOB OR YOU'RE FIRED. LIKE THAT'S ALL THE PRINCIPAL'S JOB. IT'S NOT OUR JOB. SO THAT IS WHY I VOTED NO ON THAT. UM, LAST COUPLE OF THINGS. I DID ATTEND THE E WILSON MORRISON TALENT SHOW OVER THE PAST MONTH THAT WAS HELD IN SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL. UM, THAT WAS AN ABSOLUTE JOY TO SEE. THERE WERE TONS AND TONS OF STUDENTS IN THE TALENT SHOW, WHICH I WAS IMPRESSED TO SEE. AND ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT TALENTS WERE ON DISPLAY FROM SPORTS TO SINGING, TO ACTING TO LIKE STANDUP COMEDY AND JOKES. LIKE IT WAS REALLY A LOVELY EVENT. AND SO THANKS TO ALL THOSE KIDS AND PARENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS WHO WORKED SO HARD ON THAT, THAT WAS REALLY FUN TO SEE. AND FINALLY, I ALSO WENT TO AN EVENT IN OUR COMMUNITY OVER THIS PAST MONTH, UM, THAT HAD A LOT OF, UM, HISTORICAL INTEREST. IT WAS, UH, SEEING THE FILM KNOCKING DOWN WALLS, WHICH WAS SCREENED AT ROYAL CINEMAS, WHICH IS A FILM THAT WAS, IT'S, IT'S ONLY 30 MINUTES. IT'S ON YOUTUBE. SO IF THIS SOUNDS INTERESTING TO YOU, PLEASE GO AND WATCH IT. IT'S CALLED KNOCKING DOWN WALLS. AND IT WAS POSTED BY ROCK TOWN HISTORY ACCOUNT. UM, 'CAUSE OTHERWISE YOU MIGHT GET LIKE HOME IMPROVEMENT VIDEOS. UM, BUT WHAT IT IS, IS A STUDENT DEVELOPED 30 MINUTE MOVIE THAT IS BASED ON THE HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY, SPECIFICALLY WITH MASSIVE RESISTANCE AND INTEGRATION OF WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL. UM, AND IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING. THERE WERE INTERVIEWS WITH THE STUDENTS WHO, WHEN THEY WERE KIDS, INTEGRATED OUR SCHOOL, UM, INFORMATION ABOUT THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD AND ACTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN IN 1959. UM, ACTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN 19 YEARS LATER TO AWARD A DIPLOMA TO A STUDENT WHO HAD GRADUATED AND NOT BEEN RECOGNIZED. UM, AND IT WAS JUST REALLY INTERESTING. AND ALSO AT THAT EVENT, THEY HAD SOME OF THE PARTICIPANTS, AGAIN, SOME OF THE STUDENTS WHO HAD INTEGRATED THE SCHOOLS WERE THERE AS A LIVE PANEL AND THEY WERE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. UM, AND IT WAS JUST A REALLY GREAT EVENT. UM, SO THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, MEMBERS WHO PUT THAT TOGETHER AND TO ROYAL CINEMAS. UM, I REALLY APPRECIATED BEING THERE. AND THAT IS ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. UM, FIRST THIS EVENING, I WANNA WANNA GIVE A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SKYLINE HAWKS WRESTLING TEAM. YOU SHOULD BE VERY PROUD OF YOUR HARD WORK AND SUCCESS. I APPRECIATE OUR EARLY ACT LEADERS COMING TO SHARE THE COMMUNITY THEY ARE BUILDING IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ACROSS WARREN COUNTY. ALSO, CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR DECA AND FFA CLUBS FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUCCESS IN EXPANDING PROGRAMS. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU ALL DO NEXT, CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR ATTENDANCE [02:05:01] AWARD AWARD WINNERS THIS EVENING. I HAVE A LOT OF FAITH IN SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL COMING IN THERE SOON. UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL EACH OF YOU DO TO BRING EXCITEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT TO YOUR CLASSROOMS EVERY DAY. I APPRECIATED HEARING ALL OF THE CLUB ACTIVITIES THAT AS ROADS IS OFFERING TO OUR STUDENTS. LOVE SEEING THE STUDENTS COME AND TELL THEIR PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT AS ROADS IS DOING. WE OFTEN CELEBRATE THE WINS HERE AT OUR BOARD MEETINGS. I ALSO WANT TAKE THE TIME TO THANK OUR TEACHERS WHO ARE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO HELP STRUGGLING STUDENTS. YOUR WILLINGNESS TO STAY AFTER FOR TUTORING TO HELP A FAMILY FIND RESOURCES, TO COVER SUPPLIES FOR A STUDENT WHO CAN'T AFFORD THEM, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. WITH THAT, IT'S THAT EXTRA TIME AND ALL OF THAT EFFORT THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN THAT'S TRULY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR STUDENTS' LIVES. I HAVE RECEIVED AN INFLUX OF EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS IN SUPPORT OF OUR TEACHERS AFTER OUR LAST WORK SESSION. I'D JUST LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE TO THANK DR. BALLINGER, MS. BRAGG, AND DR. JOHNSTON FOR APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSING CONCERNS WITH A LESSON PLAN AND A SMALL FLAG DISPLAY. THIS PROCESS WORKED AS IT SHOULD WHEN A PARENT CONCERN IS BROUGHT FORTH. NOW IT IS OUR BOARD'S ROLE TO REVIEW OUR POLICIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE AND SEE IF NEW POLICIES NEED TO BE REVIEWED OR PUT IN PLACE IF INDICATED. THIS PAST MONTH, SUPERVISOR CU AND I HELD AN OPEN MEETING AT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL ON FEBRUARY 23RD. IT HAD BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE WE'D DONE THIS. UM, WE DID IT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. WE HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY RESOURCES, FIRST RESPONDERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, LOTS OF PEOPLE THERE TO HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS. AND WE HAD TWO COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME. UM, SO IT WAS, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A LETDOWN, BUT I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SAY THAT THIS, UM, PAST WEEKEND OR THE WEEKEND BEFORE, UM, WE DID THE SAME THING AGAIN. AND WE HAD, I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY 60 OR MORE COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME. UM, IT WAS A REALLY GOOD TURNOUT. THE CAFETERIA AT SKYLINE WAS PRETTY FULL. UH, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I THINK MOST PEOPLE WERE THERE TO HEAR ABOUT BROADBAND AND TO TALK ABOUT THEIR TAX REASSESSMENT. UM, BUT I DID GET TO HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS ON THE SIDE ABOUT OUR BUDGET AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, SOME POSITIVES AND SOME QUESTION MARKS ON WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO THAT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY, AND I THINK, UM, JUST BECAUSE WE HAD THAT GREAT TURNOUT, HOPEFULLY WE'RE ENERGIZED TO DO THAT AGAIN SOONER, UM, THAN TWO YEARS. SO THAT WAS GREAT. I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY PRIOR TO THAT MEETING, UM, TWO OF OUR ASSISTANT TENNIS COACHES FROM SKYLINE ASKED ME TO COME EARLY AND WALK THROUGH THE COURTS SO THAT I COULD SEE FOR MYSELF, UM, IN PERSON. WE'VE BEEN SHOWN LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES AT OUR WORK SESSIONS, AT OUR MEETING THIS EVENING. COACH BROWN WAS TELLING US ABOUT SOME OF IT, BUT JUST TO SEE REALLY HOW DANGEROUS THOSE COURTS ARE BECOMING, NOT JUST FOR OUR STUDENTS, FOR VISITING STUDENTS, AND THEN FOR ALL OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO LIKE TO MAKE USE OF OUR TENNIS COURTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A FINITE MONEY, FINITE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE, BUT I THINK IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO HAVE, WE WANT TO HAVE NICE TENNIS COURTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO USE. I'VE HAD LOCAL PRIVATE SCHOOL OWNERS COME AND ASK ME ABOUT USING OUR COURTS, SO IT'S NOT JUST WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS USING THEM. THIS IS TRULY OPEN TO OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR, AND OTHER STUDENTS THAT AREN'T WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS. I REALLY HOPE THAT MOVING FORWARD WE CAN HAVE SOME KIND OF CONVERSATION BETWEEN US, THE COUNTY PARKS AND REC. HOW CAN WE AT LEAST MAKE THE COURTS USABLE AT ONE OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS? AT LEAST MAKE THEM SAFE FOR EVERYONE TO USE THEM. I WILL ALSO SAY, UM, THIS IS MY SIXTH BUDGET SEASON HERE, AND I THINK OF, WELL, THIS IS PROBABLY, I'VE HEARD MORE ABOUT THE BUDGET THIS YEAR THAN PROBABLY ALL SIX OTHER YEARS COMBINED. SO I DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO HAS SENT EMAILS, WHO HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO CALL, WHO'S TAKEN THE TIME TO SHOW UP AT OUR MEETINGS AND TALK ABOUT IT. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, I'VE SPOKEN TO NUMEROUS TEACHERS AND THE MESSAGE IS THE SAME. MORE TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF ARE NEEDED ACROSS THE COUNTY. I THINK WE ARE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB WITH OUR SALARY SCALE ADJUSTMENTS AND BENEFITS, BUT WE CANNOT KEEP DEPENDING ON OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF TO CONTINUE STRETCHING THEMSELVES SO THIN. WE HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATIONS OVER AND OVER ABOUT BEHAVIORS AND TEST SCORES, AND WE ASK SCHOOLS AND ADMINISTRATORS TO SPEND MONTHS PUTTING TOGETHER THEIR NEEDS. AND THEN WE ASK THEM TO BASICALLY CUT ALL OF THAT IN HALF SO THAT WE HAVE MAYBE A MANAGEABLE BUDGET TO ASK FOR THIS YEAR. EVEN WITH THAT CUT IN HALF BUDGET, WE'RE STILL 4.2 MILLION OVER WHERE WE HAD BEEN LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE LEVEL FUNDED. WE PUT SEVERAL POSITIONS ON HOLD LAST YEAR BECAUSE THERE JUST WASN'T ENOUGH FUNDING TO COVER IT. OF COURSE, THIS YEAR, THOSE SAME POSITIONS ARE BACK IN OUR BUDGET, AND NOW WE HAVE ADDITIONAL BUDGETS ON OR [02:10:01] ADDITIONAL POSITIONS ON THE LIST. EACH TIME WE ADD NEW PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES FROM THE STATE, THAT CREATES ADDITIONAL NEEDS FOR OUR SCHOOLS. WHEN WE CONTINUE INCREASING COSTS AND EXPECTATIONS WITHOUT KEEPING PACE WITH OUR BUDGET INCREASES, WE'RE BASICALLY JUST KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD YEAR AFTER YEAR. AND THAT DEBT OR THAT LACK OF FUNDING IS JUST GOING TO KEEP BUILDING. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A SEASON OF DREAD FOR EVERYONE EVERY YEAR. I UNDERSTAND. AS A TAXPAYER, HEARING THESE BUDGET REQUESTS DOESN'T MAKE ANYONE HAPPY. I'M AWARE OF THE FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS OF THE FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THAT OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE FACES, I BELIEVE, TRULY WHAT WE PUT INTO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM THOUGH, AS WITH ANYTHING, IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO GET OUT. AND WHEN WE PUT MORE INTO OUR STUDENTS, INTO OUR SCHOOLS, WE MAKE THAT INVESTMENT THAT WILL LEAD TO A STRONGER, HEALTHIER COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. OUR STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN A TRADE AND ENTER THE WORKFORCE, GRADUATE WITH AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE, OR GO ON TO COLLEGE. IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THIS SOLID FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS. ASKING FOR MORE MONEY FOR OUR SCHOOLS SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS CREATING AN ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. THE SUPERVISORS ARE NOT MIND READERS, AND IF WE DO NOT MAKE THEM AWARE OF OUR NEEDS, THEY CANNOT POSSIBLY BE EXPECTED TO PLAN AND ENSURE THE FINANCIAL WELLBEING OF OUR SCHOOLS MOVING FORWARD. OUR INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANCE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS ARE ASKING FOR OUR HELP, AND I'M IN THE SEAT TO ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND FOR OUR STUDENTS' SUCCESS. SO I APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO HAS REACHED OUT WITH THEIR BUDGET CONCERNS, WHO HAS GIVEN SOME IDEAS, WHO SHOWED SUPPORT, AND I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE REACHING OUT TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU TOO, AND LIKE THEY JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE NEED IN OUR SCHOOLS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU. I THINK, DOES ANYBODY NEED A FIVE MINUTE BEFORE WE START THE ACTION OR ARE WE GOOD? GOOD. WE HAVE, YEAH, FIVE MINUTES. FIVE MINUTES. OKAY. [6.A. FY 26 Superintendent's Proposed Budget - Dr. Ballenger ] I THINK THAT BRINGS US BACK TO OUR ACTION AGENDA THIS EVENING. FIRST UP, WE HAVE THE FY 26 SUPERINTENDENT PROPOSED BUDGET, DR. BALLINGER. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. AND WE WILL LET THAT THING GET LOADED UP AND WE WILL JUMP INTO THAT. AND AGAIN, THIS PRESENTATION, UM, WILL BE A, UH, COLLABORATIVE EFFORT, UM, KIND OF AS WE DID AT THE WORK SESSION. SO, UM, I WILL BE ASKING SOME OF MY, UM, DIRECTORS TO, TO COME UP AND, AND HELP WITH, UH, CERTAIN SLIDES. UM, BUT ANYWAY, SO LET'S JUST LOOK AT THIS. UH, ACTUALLY, I DID NOT CORRECT THE DATE ON THERE, SO I PROBABLY NEED TO DO THAT. I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND MISSED THE DATE , BUT, UH, THERE ARE PAGE NUMBERS AT THE TOP OF THIS, UH, AT THE TOP RIGHT CORNER. SO AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH YOUR PACKET THERE, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, UM, WE CAN REFERENCE THAT PAGE NUMBER. SO, VIRGINIA CODE REQUIRES THAT, UH, IT IS THE DUTY OF EACH DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT TO PREPARE WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNING BODY OR BODIES APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR THE SCHOOL DIVISION BY THE DATE SPECIFIED IN SECTION 15.2 DASH 25 0 3, THE ESTIMATES OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY DEEMED TO BE NEEDED DURING THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. DO I NEED TO DO SOMETHING HERE? NO, YOU GO, YOU KEEP ON TALKING. OKAY. UM, AND EACH MAJOR CLASSIFICATION IS PRESCRIBED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND SUCH OTHER HEADINGS AS NEEDED. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT WHY ARE WE HERE, AND WELL, WE'RE GONNA GIVE A TIMEOUT UNTIL WE GET OUR, GET OUR PICTURES BACK UP THERE. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE, . WE'RE ALL RIGHT. SO THIS IS OUR WHY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HERE BECAUSE OF THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE, BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SERVE. AND I JUST WANT TO KIND OF TELL, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT ME IS THAT I HAVE, HAVE FOCUSED MY, MY ADMINISTRATIVE CAREER OR, OR MY EDUCATIONAL CAREER AND AROUND, AROUND ONE PHILOSOPHY. AND, AND THAT PHILOSOPHY COMES FROM THE COSA AND THE ZULU TRIBES, AND IT'S CALLED UMUNTU. AND THIS PHILOSOPHY MEANS THAT I AM BECAUSE YOU ARE OR I AM, BECAUSE WE ARE, I AM AN EDUCATOR BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SERVE. THE TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOMS ARE EDUCATORS BECAUSE OF THE CHILDREN THAT THEY SERVE ON A DAILY BASIS. AND [02:15:01] SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS IT. THIS IS WHY WE'RE HERE. THIS IS THE BELIEF, THE UNIVERSAL BOND, THE SHARING OF CONNECTEDNESS IT THAT IS UBUNTU. THAT WE ARE EDUCATORS BECAUSE OF OUR STUDENTS, BECAUSE OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT. YES, WE HAVE COST CENTERS DEVELOP THEIR REQUESTS. WE USE THE STRATEGIC PLAN. WE HAVE PRIORITIES, WE HAVE STAFFING NEEDS. WE LOOK AT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. UM, WE WORK WITH COMMITTEES. WE LOOK AT STUDENT NUMBERS. THERE'S A LOT OF DATA THAT GOES INTO WHAT IS CALLED THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET. WE ALSO HAVE A TIMELINE OF, OF THIS. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE, WE START IT, IT IS A LONG PROCESS. SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, WE START SOMETIME MID-OCTOBER OR EARLY OCTOBER, AND WE PUSH OUT OUR DOCUMENTS TO OUR COST CENTERS. SO EACH COST CENTER AND COST CENTERS TO SCHOOLS, THE DIRECTORS. AND THEY START LOOKING AT THEIR NON-LABOR BUDGETS AND THEIR LABOR REQUESTS AND WHERE THEY'RE AT. AND THEN SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER, THEY, THEY GIVE THAT PRESENTATION TO US. SO THAT WE ARE THEN LOOKING AT, AT WHERE WE'RE AT AS FAR AS FROM THE COST CENTER'S PERSPECTIVE FOR PREPARING FOR THE NEXT YEAR. UM, YOU KNOW, WE THEN ALSO REVIEW AND WE, WE, WE COME UP WITH ESTIMATES FOR COSTS FOR EMPLOYEES FOR VARIOUS THINGS. AND THEN WE WORK ON DOWN AS WE KIND OF GET THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET. WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE, THE, THE GOVERNOR GIVES VERSUS WHAT THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE'S GONNA LOOK AT. APPROPRIATING. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARINGS. UH, WE, WE WORK WITH A, WE MEET ON A WEEKLY BASIS AS FAR AS THE EXECUTIVE CABINET. UM, WHEN WE GO OVER OUR BUDGET, AND THEN AGAIN, WE START WORKING WITH OUR BUDGET COMMITTEE IN NOVEMBER. SO OUR BUDGET COMMITTEE STARTS MEETING. ONCE WE HAVE THAT FIRST, ONCE WE HAVE OUR COST CENTERS AND OUR COST BREAKDOWN FROM OUR COST CENTERS, WE MEET WITH THE, THE BUDGET COMMITTEE TO START GOING OVER, ALRIGHT, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE AT, THIS IS THE REQUEST, AND LET'S START WORKING. SO IT IS A LONG PROCESS. IT TAKES A LOT OF INFORMATION, AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE, WE DO TAKE INTO, WE, WE HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT IS IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. SO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS A DRIVER, AND AS WE LOOK THROUGH THIS, IF IT DOESN'T FIT WITHIN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, THEN WE KNOW WE DON'T WANT TO BE DOING THAT REQUEST OR, OR BRINGING SOMETHING IN. UH, BECAUSE WE, WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED FOR THOSE FIVE YEARS ON WHERE WE'RE GONNA BE, HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THERE, AND WHAT ROAD WE NEED TO TAKE HERE. MAYBE WE NEED TO TAKE LEFT DOWN HERE, BUT WE, WE USE OUR FIVE CATEGORIES OF INSTRUCTION, CLIMATE AND CULTURE, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SAFETY AND HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY AND TRANSPORTATION. YOU KNOW, THE, THAT IS OUR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE, WE FOCUS ON AND WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY REQUEST TIES INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. THERE'S ALSO GOALS THAT ARE DEVELOPED WITHIN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. AND THROUGH THOSE GOALS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE OBTAINING THOSE GOALS BY DEVELOPING OUR BUDGET, WORKING THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WITH THE GOALS. AND SO WE TIE THAT ALL IN, AND IT'S JUST CIRCULAR AS FAR AS WHEN WE ARE DEVELOPING OUR BUDGET. ALSO, WITHIN THE, THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WE DO HAVE TO, TO LOOK AT OUR COMPOSITE INDEX. AND WHAT IS THE, OH, I HIT IT. I MISSED. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR COMPOSITE INDEX. AND WHAT DOES THE COMPOSITE INDEX TELL US? THE COMPOSITE INDEX DETERMINES THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT'S ABILITY TO PAY EDUCATION COSTS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE COMMONWEALTH STANDARDS OF QUALITY WITH LOCAL FUNDS. THE COMPOSITE INDEX IS CALCULATED USING THREE INDICATORS OF LO OF THE, OF A LOCALITY'S ABILITY TO PAY. AND THAT'S TRUE VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY WEIGHTED AT 50% ADJUSTED GROSS INCOME WEIGHTED AT 40%, AND TAXABLE RETAIL SALES WEIGHTED AT 10%. SO IF YOU LOOK AT OUR, AND, AND, AND THE COMPOSITE INDEX IS DONE ON A BIENNIUM, SO EVERY TWO YEARS THEY REDO THE COMPOSITE INDEX. SO YOU CAN LOOK BACK AND SAY, WHERE WAS WARREN BACK IN 22, 24? WELL, WE WERE AT 43, AND THAT BASICALLY EQUATES TO 43%. THAT BASICALLY SAYS IN 2224, WE WERE GETTING 43. THE LOCALITY HAS TO PAY 43% OF SCHOOL COSTS. THAT MEANS IF THERE'S, THERE'S A, A PROGRAM BEING PUSHED OUT, SUCH AS, I'LL JUST USE THE EXAMPLE OF THEY'RE GONNA GIVE TEACHER BONUSES AND IT'S [02:20:01] GONNA BE A THOUSAND DOLLARS. WELL, THE STATE'S ONLY GONNA FUND THEIR PORTION. THE LOCALITY HAS TO COME UP WITH THE OTHER PORTION. BUT THEN YOU CAN MOVE INTO FY 26, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT CO, THAT THAT LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX WENT UP TO 45%. SO WHEN THAT LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX GOES UP, THAT MEANS THE LOCALITY'S BURDEN BECOMES MORE, THE STATE IS GOING TO REDUCE THEIR AMOUNT BECAUSE THEY'RE EXPECTING THE LOCALITY TO PICK UP THEIR AMOUNT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THESE ARE IN, IN NUMERICAL ORDER AS FAR AS CLARK, THEY HAVE A 60% AS FAR AS THEIR LCI, WARREN COUNTY'S AT 45. UH, SHANNON DOE IS AT 42. FREDERICK WINCHESTER AT 41, AND PAGES AT 33. SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE, THAT KIND OF OUTLINES AS FAR AS THE ABILITY TO PAY FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, ALSO, WHAT DO WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IS, OR ONE OF THE THINGS WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ARE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, UM, WHAT WILL BE OUR STUDENT POPULATION. BECAUSE STUDENTS DETERMINE, OR WELL, STUDENTS DETERMINE FACULTY, IT DETERMINES PROGRAMMING. IT DETERMINES A LOT OF THINGS ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT. AND, AND I KNOW AS YOU LOOK AT THAT TREND LINE, YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, HEY, BACK IN FY 13, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS 53 92. NOW WE'VE DECLINED. WE'RE DOWN AT 48 51. I DO ALSO WANNA MAKE POINT, UH, MAKE A POINT THAT YES, WE HAVE SAW A DECLINE, BUT THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT, THAT HAVE, THAT HAS COST, THAT HAS CAUSED FOR A COST OF INCREASES. ALSO, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THIS NUMBER THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS NOT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THE BUILDING. SO YOU NEED TO ADD 153 STUDENTS TO THAT 4,851, BECAUSE THIS IS A NUMBER THAT STATE AID IS CALCULATED ON. IT DOES NOT INCLUDE OUR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS, OR SORRY, OUR PRE-K STUDENTS THAT ARE IN THERE. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A REGIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM THAT THE NUMBER OF THOSE, THOSE STUDENTS GO INTO THAT, AND THEN THEY FUND THE MONEY BACK TO US. BUT WE DON'T GET TO COUNT THOSE STUDENTS. IT GOES ON THEIR COUNT, BUT THE STUDENTS ARE IN OUR BUILDINGS. SO THERE'S 153 STUDENTS THAT WE RECEIVE FUNDING IN A DIFFERENT WAY, BUT ARE IN OUR BUILDINGS. UH, SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS NUMBER, THIS IS FOR STATE AID PURPOSES, BUT DOES NOT REFLECT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS. SO WE ASK A LITTLE BIT, OKAY, WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE THAT HIGH TO, TO WHERE WE ARE NOW? AND SO, UH, MR. VALENTINE, I'M GONNA LET YOU TALK ABOUT THIS SLIDE IF YOU DON'T MIND A LITTLE BIT. WE, UH, JUST WANTED TO COMPARE, ALL RIGHT. BACK IN FY 13 TO NOW, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENED TO SALARIES? SO, MR. VALENTINE, WHAT HAPPENED TO SALARY? I THINK WE HAD A QUESTION REAL QUICK. SO, SORRY, I DON'T WANNA INTERRUPT YOUR PRESENTATION, BUT WHEN YOU GIVE THE WHOLE THING, AND THEN I HAVE TO GO BACK AND TRY AND IT'S JUST GONNA BE EASIER IF WE, IF I CAN ASK YOU, OH, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I DIDN'T HEAR YOU. YES, NO, I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T WANNA JUST CUT YOU OFF. UM, I HAD BEEN ASKED HOW MANY OF THIS OF OUR STUDENT COUNT ARE KIDS WHO ARE COMING IN FROM OUT OF, OUT OF THE, OUT OF ZONE? OUT OF THE COUNTY? YOU MEAN OUT OUT OF THE COUNTY? YES, SORRY. OUT OF THE COUNTY. I DON'T KNOW THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD RIGHT NOW. OKAY. MY GUESS IS THAT WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, IT'S GONNA PRIMARILY BE STUDENTS OF STAFF MEMBERS THAT ARE OUT OF COUNTY THAT ARE ATTENDING IN OUR COUNTY. YEAH. WE CAN RUN THAT NUMBER AND I CAN GET THAT. YEAH, I CAN ASK THEM TO, TO PULL THAT NUMBER, BUT I JUST DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER WITH ME RIGHT NOW. BUT I CAN GET THAT NUMBER TO THE BOARD TOMORROW IF YOU'D LIKE. YEAH, NO, THAT, THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD GET THAT NUMBER, THE NUMBER THAT ARE COMING IN FROM OUT OF COUNTY. AND THEN I KNOW CERTAIN STUDENTS, WE DO COLLECT A FEE, BUT CERTAIN STUDENTS WE DON'T. SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE WE COLLECT, LIKE HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE COLLECTING FROM THEM, AND HOW MANY OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE HAVING TO PAY? SO WE DON'T NOT AWARE THAT ANY ARE PAYING, PAYING TUITION. RIGHT. THAT WAS KINDA WHAT I, YEAH, AND I DON'T THINK THAT, AND I'M NOT, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, WHEN I FIRST CAME IN, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAD IN WARREN COUNTY, AS FAR AS ACCEPTING TRANSFERS OUTTA DISTRICT MM-HMM . THAT THERE HAS EVER ONLY BEEN ONE STUDENT THAT PAID A TUITION. UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS RELAYED TO ME. SO AS FAR AS MY KNOWLEDGE, YOU KNOW, AT, AT THAT CONVERSATION WHEN THEY TOLD ME, AND, AND THAT HAD HAPPENED YEARS BEFORE MM-HMM . UM, SO IT HAD ALREADY BEEN A PRACTICE AS FAR AS WITH WITHIN THE COUNTY AS FAR AS, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT CHARGING TUITION. OBVIOUSLY [02:25:01] THE CONCERN IS THAT WHEN NOBODY, WHEN THE PARENT IS NOT PAYING INTO OUR LOCAL TAXES, IT, SO I JUST, I WANNA KNOW HOW MANY WERE, HOW MANY WE'RE DEALING WITH. I WAS ASKED THE QUESTION. YEAH. SO MM-HMM . I'M ASKING. SO, UM, MR. VALENTINE, DO YOU KNOW, I MAKE A NOTE OF THAT SO WE CAN GET THAT QUESTION ANSWERED TOMORROW. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. I'D JUST LOVE TO ADD THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT. I HAVE SEVERAL TEACHER FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN THIS COUNTY, BUT HAVE MOVED TO OTHER COUNTIES. SO THEY'RE DOING THE SAME THING. THEIR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO THE COUNTY THAT THEY WORK IN. SO IF WE FIND THAT MOST OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE OUT OF COUNTY COMING IN ARE, ARE TEACHERS, CHILDREN. I MEAN, I, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A RECIPROCAL SITUATION. AND TO SOME DEGREE, WELL, AND I, AND I, IF THEY'RE TEACHING HERE, BUT THEY STILL LIVE IN THEIR OTHER COUNTY AND PAY. RIGHT. BUT I KNOW RESIDENTS THAT LIVE HERE, SO THEY'RE PAYING OUR COUNTY TAXES ARE GOING TEACH TO, AND THEY TEACH SOMEWHERE ELSE. THEY TEACH. OKAY. THAT'S, THAT IS INTERESTING. YEAH. AND I, AND I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT IF WE HAVE TEACHERS WHO TEACH HERE WHO LIVE OUTTA COUNTY AND THEY WANNA BRING THEIR CHILDREN, I, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE NOT DO THAT. SO LET'S, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO BE MISLED BY MY QUESTION. I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE DATA IS ON THAT. WELL, AND, AND ALSO, AND MR. VALENTINE CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT YOU KNOW, IT, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY UNDERSTANDING FROM, YOU KNOW, MY TIME IN OKLAHOMA TO MY TIME HERE IN VIRGINIA. AS LONG AS THAT STUDENT IS IN YOUR A DM, WE ARE RECEIVING STATE FUNDING FOR THAT STUDENT NO MATTER WHERE THEY, WHATEVER, NO MATTER WHERE THEIR RESIDENCE IS. YES, CORRECT. STATE FUNDING. YES. THE, THE, THE POINT WAS NOT, WE'RE NOT COLLECTING, THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY WARREN COUNTY PROPERTY TAX. SO THEY'RE NOT PROVIDING LOCAL, THE PERSON, THE PARENT IS NOT CONTRIBUTING TAXES TO OUR SYSTEM, IF, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? NO, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. YES, MA'AM. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS OR, I DO HAVE ACTUALLY ANOTHER QUESTION, UM, WITH, UH, WITH HOMESCHOOLERS WHO ATTEND PART-TIME. I KNOW WE HAD TALKED ABOUT IT A WHILE AGO, BUT I JUST WANNA REFRESH MY, MY STAT. IF THEY TAKE, IS IT TWO CORE CLASSES, THEN WE RECEIVE THE FULL FUNDING FROM THE STATE? OR DO THEY HAVE TO BE, THEY HAVE TO BE FULL ENROLLED. SO IS IT THREE? SO, SO, ALL RIGHT. WE, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE CLARIFYING IF IT'S FOR FUNDING PURPOSES OR FOR ATHLETIC PURPOSES, BECAUSE I KNOW WE GET CONFUSION ON THOSE THINGS WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, AND I THINK WE REQUIRE THEM TO TAKE THREE OUT OF FOUR COURSES TO, TO QUALIFY FOR ATHLETICS. OKAY. NOW, WE, THEY CAN COME IN AND TAKE TWO CLASSES TO BE A, A HALFTIME OR PART-TIME, BUT THEY CANNOT PLAY ATHLETICS BECAUSE THEY DON'T MEET THE VHSL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE THREE COURSES. SO YES, A A PARENT THAT IS HOMESCHOOLING THEIR CHILD, IF THEY WANT TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOR TWO CLASSES, WE WOULD RECEIVE AN FTE OF, UH, OR I GUESS A FOR A DM OF A 0.5 OR, OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. SO THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE THE FUNDING JUST FOR ONLY THOSE CLASSES THAT THEY'RE TAKING. NO OTHER CLASSES, BUT IT WOULD BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TIME THAT THEY ARE ENROLLED. OKAY. AND DO THOSE HAVE TO BE CORE CLASSES, OR CAN THEY BE THE TRADE CLASSES? SO I, I THINK AS LONG AS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE SHOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM FOR ME AS LONG AS IT, IF IT'S TRADE, UM, I THINK, OR ARTS, I, I KNOW AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT. I THINK WHAT WE GET INTO THE PROBLEM WITH IS AT ELEMENTARY MM-HMM . THEY HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, AND IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO COME IN FOR JUST PE AND MUSIC, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT FULL PART-TIME. SO YOU DON'T GET TO COUNT ANYTHING TOWARDS THAT STUDENT BEING IN THAT CLASS. SO, MS. BRAGG, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE ON THAT AS WELL? I WOULD JUST SAY THAT AS FAR AS, UM, LIKE ENROLLMENT IN OUR TRADE CLASSES, LIKE A BLUE RIDGE TECH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT MM-HMM . OUR FULL-TIME STUDENTS, THEIR SEAT TAKES THE PRIORITY. SO YES, OF COURSE, CLASS SIZE IS GETTING TOO LARGE AND THOSE COURSES ARE REGULATED AS TO HOW MANY KIDS CAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE REGULATIONS WITHIN OUR CORE CLASSES TOO. RIGHT, RIGHT. BUT ESPECIALLY AT BLUE RIDGE TECH, IF THOSE COURSES ARE GETTING TOO FULL AND WE CAN'T ACCOMMODATE AN ADDITIONAL STUDENT, THE STUDENT THAT IS NOT OURS FOR FULL TIME IS THE ONE THAT WOULD BASICALLY GO ON THE WAIT LIST. YEAH. AND THEN WHAT DR. ROLLS SAID ABOUT ELEMENTARY DOES GET KIND OF COMPLICATED, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE HAVE REQUESTS TO ENROLL FOR PART-TIME, BUT THEY ONLY WANT TO ATTEND LIKE TWO SPECIALS, AND THAT'S WHEN SPECIALS DON'T MEET EVERY DAY. IT DOESN'T REALLY MEET THE NATURE OF A HALFTIME. SO, UM, [02:30:01] IT'S USUALLY LIKE A SPECIALS ENROLLMENT AND A CORE CLASS FOR ELEMENTARY MM-HMM . IN ORDER TO GET THAT HALFTIME REACHED. THAT MAKES SENSE. YEAH. OH, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I, I'M TRYING TO GET AS CREATIVE AS I POSSIBLY CAN TO BRING AS MUCH ADDITIONAL FUNDING INTO THE COMMUNITY. AND AS YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE ONE OF THE LARGEST PERCENTAGES OF HOMESCHOOLERS IN THE STATE. WE HAVE THAT RESOURCE THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY TAP, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF HOMESCHOOLERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE TRADE SCHOOL, INTERESTED IN THE AG PROGRAM. SO IF WE CAN GET FUNDING IN THE DOOR BY OFFERING THAT TO THEM, I, I MEAN, I HAVE OPENED THAT DOOR AND, AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, I, WE, WE HAVE HOMESCHOOLERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE TAKING SOME VIRTUAL VIRGINIA CLASSES THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR. SO, I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE BEST THINGS FOR SOME OF OUR HOMESCHOOL PARENTS THAT WHEN YOU GET A STUDENT THAT'S IN GOING IN AS A JUNIOR OR A SENIOR, INSTEAD OF TAKING YOUR CLASSES OVER AT BLUE, UH, OVER AT LAUREL RIDGE, SORRY, MS. LOW, UM, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA FA PAY FULL TUITION, ENROLL 'EM IN OUR SCHOOLS WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT DISCOUNT NOW, YOU KNOW, ROLL 'EM IN OUR DUAL ENROLLMENT ENGLISH ONE AND TWO, ROLL 'EM IN OUR, YOU KNOW, ENROLL 'EM IN, UM, SOME OF OUR, OUR STATS OR, OR STATISTICS OR CALCULUS OR MATH ANALYSIS, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE DUAL ENROLLMENT WHERE THEY CAN COME IN AND GET A CERTIFICATE AND IT, IT SAVES EVERYBODY MONEY AND IT, AND IT COUNTS TOWARDS WHEREVER THEY GO TO SCHOOL. IT, IT, IT IS A COLLEGE CREDIT. SO WE ARE OPEN TO THAT. UM, I, I HAVE BEEN OPEN TO THAT SINCE DAY ONE. I KNOW, YOU KNOW, I SENT AN, AN EMAIL, WELL, THE FIRST TIME'S OUT, UH, WITH MY FIRST YEAR HERE TRYING TO REACH OUT. SO, UH, YEAH, IF PARENTS WANNA DO THAT, WE'RE ALL FOR IT. AND I KNOW YOU HAVE, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS A VERY HOMESCHOOLING FRIENDLY COMMUNITY. I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO USE MY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM TO PUSH IT IF IT, IF IT WASN'T GONNA BE FINANCIALLY BENEFICIAL TO OUR, TO WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD BE SO, WELL, I MEAN, I'LL TALK IT UP. IT DOES COUNT TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, YOU DO GET A DM, BUT ALSO IF YOU GET MORE ENROLLMENT, THEN YOU ALSO HAVE TO START LOOKING AT ANOTHER TEACHER. SO, YOU KNOW, OR IF YOU'RE HAVING TO OFFER A NEW SECTION. SO, SO THERE IS SOME, SOME OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER THERE MM-HMM . UM, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT IT. BUT NO, THEY, THEY CAN COME AND ENROLL AND WE'RE, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO HELP OUT IN ANY WAY WE CAN. I ENCOURAGE IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO GOING TO THIS NEXT SLIDE, WE WANTED TO SAY WHAT HAS CHANGED SINCE FY 13 FY 14? AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT, UM, REALLY WAS JUST THE SALARIES FOR TEACHERS. WHAT WAS OUR SCALE? WHAT DID OUR SCALE LOOK LIKE THEN VERSUS NOW? WE KNOW IT'S A LOT DIFFERENT, UH, BUT THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WE HAD THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN WARREN COUNTY VERSUS WHERE WE ARE NOW. AND SO, MR. BALLANTINE, YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THIS SLIDE FOR A LITTLE BIT? YES. AND WE PICKED THE TEACHER SCALE BECAUSE THAT BY FAR IS THE, UH, ONE WITH THE MOST EMPLOYEES ON IT. AND, UH, SOME WOULD ARGUE, MANY WOULD ARGUE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE, OBVIOUSLY. UM, SO BACK IN THAT YEAR OF 2012, 13, WHEN WE HIT OUR PEAK, AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, WE HAD A TEACHER WITH, UH, ZERO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, A NEW TEACHER COMING IN WOULD'VE MADE JUST UNDER $40,000. TODAY, A NEW TEACHER COMING IN WITHOUT ANY EXPERIENCE WOULD MAKE, UH, $52,426. SO THAT'S A $12,500 ROUGHLY INCREASE. AND IF YOU GO DOWN THE SCALE, YOU CAN SEE AS WE GO DOWN THE SCALE, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT AN EXPERIENCE, UH, A TEACHER WITH A YEAR OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BACK THEN AND NOW, UM, HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY TO THE TOP OF THE SCALE WHERE IT'S A 22,750 APPROXIMATELY DOLLAR DIFFERENCE. SO WHAT I DID WAS I SAID, OKAY, WELL, LET'S JUST SEE WHAT THAT MEANS AS FAR AS TOTAL IMPACT ON THE BUDGET. UM, AND WHAT I DID WAS I JUST TOOK ALL 31 OF THOSE DIFFERENTIALS AND SAID, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE OF THEM? AND THE AVERAGE IS $17,815. AND THEN WE HAVE TO ADD TO THAT, THAT'S JUST SALARY. THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE EMPLOYER PAYS APPROXIMATELY 25% FOR, UM, BENEFITS, EMPLOYER BENEFITS THAT, UM, DO NOT INCLUDE HEALTH INSURANCE. UM, SO RIGHT THERE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $22,269 TIMES. THE 467 TEACHERS WE EMPLOY, EMPLOY [02:35:01] MEANS THAT THERE WOULD BE A TEN THOUSAND TEN MILLION THREE HUNDRED NINETY NINE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY ONE DOLLARS INCREASE IN COST FROM THEN TILL NOW. WHAT THIS DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IS THAT TEACHER WE HIRED BACK IN 1314, UM, WITH ZERO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, AND WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO KEEP THEM IN OUR EMPLOYEE UNTIL NOW, THEY WOULD BE, UH, UP ON SCALE 11, I GUESS, GRADE, UH, OR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OF 11, UM, OR 10 RATHER. AND THEY WOULD BE MAKING, UH, 59,665. SO IT WOULD EVEN MAKE THAT NUMBER MUCH LARGER. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, IS DRIVING THE DIFFERENCE BE BETWEEN WHAT WE WERE PAYING BACK THEN FOR, FOR EMPLOYEES AND WHAT, WHAT THE COST IS NOW. THANK YOU, MR. VALENTINE. AND I THINK ALSO ONE THING TO NOTICE WITH THIS IS THAT BACK IN 1314, AND, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT RECRUITMENT, IF YOU LOOK AT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE VERSUS HOW IT WAS WITH THE STEPS BACK IN FY 13, YOU CAME IN AT STEP ONE, AND THEN YOU WENT STEP TWO, STEP TWO, STEP TWO, STEP TWO. SO YOU WERE ON STEP TWO FOR MULTIPLE YEARS AS A TEACHER IN WARREN COUNTY. SO THAT PROBABLY EVEN LED TO SOME PEOPLE LEAVING THE COUNTY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TRANSITIONED TO WORKING OFF OF A YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS JUST NOT AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION BECAUSE IF YOU WOULD'VE CAME IN AS A TEACHER THEN, AND THEN YOU HAD TO GO, WHAT IS THAT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 6 YEARS BEFORE YOU GOT YOUR NEXT RAISE? UM, YEAH. AND A TEACHER WITH SIX YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WAS MAKING THE SAME AMOUNT AS A TEACHER WITH ONE YEAR THEN. AND OBVIOUSLY THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. YEAH. AND SO WE'VE MADE A LOT OF UPDATES, A LOT OF CHANGES TO, TO OUR, OUR SALARY SKILLS. SO THANK YOU, MR. VALENTINE. SO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, WHAT ELSE HAS CHANGED? ALSO, LOOKING OVER THAT TIME PERIOD FROM 2013 TO 2024, THE SOQ. SO THE STANDARDS OF QUALITY, AND, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SETS THE STANDARD STANDARDS OF QUALITY FOR HOW MANY TEACHERS WE HAVE TO HAVE. SO FOR INSTANCE, THEY MAY SAY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE, WELL, FOR INSTANCE, AT ENGLISH SIX THROUGH 12, YOU HAVE, YOU CANNOT HAVE ANY CLASS OVER 24 IN SIX THROUGH 12. SO WHEN WE GET TO OUR SCHOOLS AND WE START HAVING CLASSES OF 23, 24, 23, 24 20, IT'S TIME TO HIRE A NEW TEACHER BECAUSE ALL IT TAKES IS ONE OR TWO STUDENTS AND YOU'RE OVER THAT NUMBER. AND SO SINCE THEN, EVEN THOUGH OUR NUMBERS, OUR STUDENT ENROLLMENT HAS GONE DOWN BETWEEN 13 AND NOW, THE SOQ NUMBERS REQUIREMENTS FROM THE STATE HAVE GONE A UP 18 POSITIONS. SO EVEN AS NUMBERS, STUDENT ENROLLMENT HAS DECLINED. THE, SO QS HAVE GONE UP THE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE STATE. SO LOOKING AT THAT ALSO, WHAT ARE SOME OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION? NOW, HERE I'M LISTING CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION COURSES. I'M NOT SAYING POSITIONS, I'M SAYING COURSES. WHY AM I NOT SAYING POSITIONS? BECAUSE NOT EVERY COURSE REQUIRES A TEACHER. IT MAY HAVE BEEN THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH STUDENTS FOR ONE COURSE. SO WE STARTED ANOTHER COURSE AND STUDENTS STARTED ENROLLING IN THAT INSTEAD. BUT I CAN IDENTIFY THAT BACK PROBABLY IN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IN 17 AND 18, THOSE, THOSE FOUR POSITIONS, THOSE ARE PROBABLY PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE THREE, THOSE FOUR COURSES ARE PROBABLY FOUR POSITIONS. WHY? BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE OPENED UP A SECOND MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND SO WHEN YOU GO FROM ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH WAS AT WHERE SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL OR SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL NOW IS NOW AND THEN OPENING WARREN COUNTY. AND THEN AT HIGH SCHOOL YOU LOOK AT FY 16, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF COURSES. NOW I CAN TELL YOU THAT ON IN FY 22, THOSE TWO COURSES IN FY 22, THAT IS AN EMPLOYEE. THAT'S THE YEAR WE STARTED CRIMINAL JUSTICE. SO WE HAD TO HAVE A POSITION FOR THOSE TWO COURSES. AND ACTUALLY WE STARTED THE, THE, THAT YEAR THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO A HALFTIME POSITION. 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF ENROLLMENT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE. AND I REMEMBER RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL HAD STARTED, MS UM, JANE BAKER, MS. BAKER WAS IN THERE AND SHE SAID, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO MOVE TO FULL TIME. I'M OVERLOADED. UH, IT WAS JUST AN INFLUX OF STUDENTS WANTING THAT COURSE. SO WE HAD BUDGETED FOR A HALFTIME AND WE HAD TO MOVE TO A FULL-TIME POSITION BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ONE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE TWO, TAKE IT IN THE FALL, YOU TAKE IT IN SPRING. THAT'S A FULL-TIME POSITION WITH A CASE, WITH A COURSE LOAD. SO NOT ALL POSITIONS, OR NOT ALL COURSES AT THE TECHNICAL CENTER [02:40:01] ARE ACTUAL POSITIONS, BUT SOME CAN BE IDENTIFIED IN THAT REALM. ALSO. WHAT HAPPENED IN 2017, I JUST MENTIONED THAT WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS OPEN. AND WHEN WE WERE LOOKING THROUGH, UM, INFORMATION, UH, MR. VALENTINE FOUND HIS DOCUMENTATION THAT SHOWED THAT WE, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME THERE WAS 20 NEW POSITIONS AT WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, THAT WAS CREATED NOW ONE AT SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO AS THOSE TWO SCHOOLS SPLIT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE HAVING TO HIRE NEW STAFF. UH, SO THAT WAS AN INCREASE. AND, AND THEN THROUGH FY 21 AND 22 AND 23, THOSE ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S HOLISTIC AND NAMING AND, AND CLASSIFYING EVERYTHING. IT'S JUST KIND OF PAINTING A PICTURE OF YES, WE HAVE HAD TO ADD SOME POSITIONS. SO FOR INSTANCE, LIKE GIFT AND TALENT, I WILL POINT THAT ONE OUT. WHEN I FIRST CAME IN AS SUPERINTENDENT, THE GIFT AND TALENTED DIRECTOR HAD RETIRED. I DID NOT FEEL IT. BUT THE NEXT YEAR I HIRED TWO ELEMENTARY GIFT AND TALENTED TEACHERS. SO THAT WAS A TRADE OFF OF ONE FOR TWO. WE NEEDED ELEMENTARY GIFT AND TALENTED TEACHERS. 'CAUSE WARREN COUNTY DID NOT HAVE TEACHERS TEACHING GIFT AND TALENT AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL. AND SO I FELT IT WAS BEST USED TO, TO USE THAT POSITION ACTUALLY WITH THE STUDENTS THAN TO HAVE A DIRECTOR OVER A PROGRAM WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A PROGRAM AT THE ELEMENTARY. AND SO THERE'S ALSO SOME ON HERE THAT WE DIDN'T LIST. I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN FY 23 AND FY 24, UM, LEMME MAKE SURE I'M CORRECT HERE. UH, ACTUALLY 22, YES, 22, 23, AND 25. WE'VE HIRED ELL TEACHERS AS WELL IN THOSE YEARS, BUT I ONLY LISTED ONE HERE IN 22. BUT, SO THIS IS NOT, THIS IS JUST TO KIND OF TELL A STORY OF YES, THINGS HAVE HAPPENED, THINGS HAVE GONE UP, UH, POSITIONS HAVE BEEN ADDED. UH, WE ADDED A, B, CBA, UH, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THINGS. UM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE SOME BEHAVIORS AND, AND TRYING TO GET SOME, SOME PROGRAMS IN AND, AND GET THE SUPPORTS IN TO OUR CLASSROOMS, TO OUR TEACHERS. WE JUST MOVED A COUPLE YEARS AGO BY ADDING THE ART TEACHERS TO ALL OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SO WE ADDED TWO ART TEACHERS. AND THAT WAY EVERY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAS THAT ART TEACHER NOW. AND THEN WE ADDED A COUNSELOR. REMEMBER WE HAD, WE HAD, WE ADDED A HALFTIME BECAUSE THERE WAS A SPLIT. YOU HAD A HALF TIME A SPLIT BETWEEN E WILSON AND RESSY JEFFRIES. SO IT WAS A ONE AND A HALF. SO THEN, ACTUALLY, NO, WE ADDED A POSITION. WE ADDED A FULL POSITION. SO THAT WAY E WILSON GOT GOT, HAS TWO CALENDARS. AND RESSY JEFFRIES NOW HAS TWO COUNSELORS. SO MAKING THINGS THAT, THAT WORK FOR OUR SYSTEM, THAT MAKE US MORE EFFICIENT, THAT GIVE US A, A WAY TO, TO BETTER SERVE OUR STUDENTS. THESE ARE, AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN ADDED, IT'S JUST TO KIND OF PAINT A PICTURE. SO OUR NEXT ONE, WHAT ELSE HAS CHANGED? UM, I'M GONNA BRING BACK MR. BALLANTINE AGAIN FOR THIS, THE, TO LET HIM KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHERE WE, WHERE WE WERE IN FY 13 VERSUS FY 25. WELL, AS DR. BALLINGER JUST MENTIONED, THE PREVIOUS LIST WASN'T AN ALL INCLUSIVE LIST, NEITHER IS THIS. BUT AGAIN, WANTED TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE MAJOR DRIVERS BETWEEN WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR BUDGET AND OUR COSTS WERE 10 YEARS AGO, UM, 12 YEARS AGO VERSUS NOW. UM, OUR OPERATING BUDGET IN FISCAL 13 WAS 48 MILLION 451, 1 26. THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS 76 MILLION 193, 989. THAT'S A 27,742,000, UM, $863 DIFFERENCE. AND, UH, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE DRIVING THAT, WHEN I MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE TEACHER SALARIES, WHAT THEY WERE AND WHAT THEY ARE NOW, UM, I SAID THAT DIDN'T INCLUDE FOLKS THAT MOVED FROM ONE STEP TO THE OTHER. WHAT THE IMPACT OF THAT WAS. THIS NEXT LINE, UM, SHOWS WHERE, UH, TEACHER SALARIES AND BENEFITS WERE JUST OVER $23 MILLION BACK IN FISCAL 13. THEY'RE NOW ALMOST 40 MILLION. THEY'RE AT 37,000,861. UM, AND $76. THAT'S A 14 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS INCREASE DURING THAT TIME PERIOD. THAT DOES TAKE IN ACCOUNT NOT ONLY THE IMPROVEMENTS WE MADE TO THE SALARY SCALE, BUT ALSO THE PROGRESSION THAT FOLKS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE AS, UH, IN THE YEARS THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT STEP INCREASE. THE NEXT ITEMS, ONE THAT QUITE HONESTLY SURPRISED ME WHEN I SAW AT WHAT THE NUMBER WAS. AND THEN AFTER THINKING ABOUT IT, WELL, MAYBE IT REALLY ISN'T AS BIG A SURPRISE. THAT'S OUR HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS. THEY HAVE GONE FROM JUST UNDER 2 MILLION TO JUST OVER 6 MILLION DURING THAT, UH, 12 YEAR TIME PERIOD. $4.3 MILLION MORE. WE WERE, UM, NOT COMPETITIVE [02:45:01] AT ALL BACK THEN ON OUR HEALTH INSURANCE. WE HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES, OBVIOUSLY, BY THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S BEEN SPENT, UM, TO MAKE OUR, OR OUR COM OUR, UM, HEALTHCARE BENEFITS. MUCH, MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE. UM, THERE HAVE BEEN YEARS WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HOLD THE EMPLOYEE HARMLESS, WE'LL CALL IT, UM, WHERE THE EMPLOYEE'S PREMIUM DID NOT GO UP DURING THOSE YEARS. SO, UM, THAT'S AN AREA THAT HAS ADDED A $4.3 MILLION COST TO IT. OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION BUDGET, WHEN WE LOOK AT SALARIES AND CONTRACTED SERVICES, EVERYTHING THAT MAKE THAT UP, THAT HAS INCREASED 3.2 MILLION. WHAT I WILL SAY IS SOME OF THAT 3.2 MILLION IS ALSO INCLUDED UP THERE IN THE SECOND ITEM, THE TEACHER SALARIES, BECAUSE A NUMBER OF OUR, UH, OR A LARGE PORTION REALLY, OF OUR SPECIAL ED COSTS ARE FOR TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS, WHICH AREN'T INCLUDED UP IN THAT TOP NUMBER. AND THEN BACK IN 2017, AS, UH, DR. BALLINGER MENTIONED, WE OPENED A NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL, HAD 20 NEW POSITIONS, BUT WE ALSO TOOK ON OTHER COSTS. IT COSTS TO HEAT AND COOL THAT BUILDING. THERE'S INSURANCE COSTS, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ALL KIND OF DIFFERENT COSTS THAT GO ALONG WITH A NEW BUILDING. SO THE TOTAL OF THE SALARIES AND THOSE TYPE OF COSTS, UM, WAS A 1,000,007 71, 937 BACK THEN. I CAN ONLY TELL YOU THAT COST HAS INCREASED OVER THE YEARS, UM, SINCE THEN. BUT THAT'S WHAT THE COST WAS BACK THEN. SO THESE NUMBERS DON'T ALL ADD UP TO THE 27 MILLION DIFFERENCE, BUT I THINK THEY DO POINT TO SOME OF THE MAJOR DRIVERS IN IT. UM, WE DO HAVE MANY OTHER EMPLOYEES WHO WE DIDN'T NOTE WHAT THEIR SALARY COST INCREASED. SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE, UH, LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF IT, BECAUSE AS YOU HAVE SEEN, UM, THE NON-LABOR TO THE SCHOOLS HASN'T REALLY INCREASED MUCH, IF ANYTHING, OVER THAT TIME PERIOD. SO THAT IS NOT THE DRIVER. IT, IT'S CERTAINLY THE, UH, SALARIES OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND, UM, THAT, THAT DELIVER THE, UH, SERVICES TO OUR STUDENTS. DO WE HAPPEN TO HAVE A, UM, COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES FROM 2013 TO 2025? LIKE NUMBER OF TEACHERS, NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS FROM 2013 TO NOW? IT'LL BE EASY TO GET. I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME AND I DON'T HAVE IT, UH, TO COMMITTED TO MEMORY. OH, NO, I, AND I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. YES. THE IDEA JUST KIND OF POPPED INTO MY HEAD. WE CAN SHOW IT BY CATEGORY EVEN WHAT, WHAT IT WAS. THOSE NUMBERS ARE READILY AVAILABLE. AND THEN ALSO ON THERE, WE DID, UH, PROVIDE OUR, OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION CHILD COUNT LOOKING AT FFY 13 VERSUS FY 24. YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE WENT UP ABOUT 43 STUDENTS THIS NEXT SLIDE. YEAH. ONE OF, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT, UM, AS FAR AS INCREASED COSTS, WE, WE WANTED TO LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT OTHER DRIVERS, UM, ARE, ARE WE FACING? AND SO WE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOKED AT WAS OUR 5 0 4 COUNT. SO IN FY 13, WE HAD 68 STUDENTS ON A 5 0 4. AND THEN IN 2024, WE NOW HAD 305. SO WHAT IS A 5 0 4? YOU KNOW, IT DOES COME FROM THE REHABILITATION ACT OF 1973, UH, THAT WE ARE TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATIONS. AND YOU KNOW, IT STATES THAT WE, WE DO NOT GIVE, GET MONEY FOR FIVE OH FOURS. SO YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND, SCHOOLS RECEIVE FUNDING FOR STUDENTS ON AN IEP, BUT SCHOOLS DO NOT RECEIVE FUNDING FOR STUDENTS ON A 5 0 4. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT FIVE OH FOURS, WHAT, WHAT IS A 5 0 4? AND HOW, HOW DOES, HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? AND WHAT ACCOMMODATIONS DO WE HAVE TO MAKE? BUT, SO, YOU KNOW, IT IS BASED ON THE NEED OF THE STUDENT. SO I DID TAG SOME OF THE, THE, UM, ACCOMMODATIONS THERE AS FAR AS SEATING, UH, TIME. THERE'S, WHEN IT, WHEN IT SAYS MODIFICATIONS, THAT COULD BE A LOT OF THINGS. UM, SCHEDULES TESTING, TECHNOLOGY BREAKS, SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, BEHAVIORAL. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT 5 0 4 AND IT, AND IT IS A TEAM PLACEMENT. YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A DIAGNOSIS THAT, THAT IT'S BROUGHT TO THE TEAM. THEY GO THROUGH IT, YOU FIND OUT WHAT IS IT THAT THIS CHILD NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE EDUCATION. AND JUST TO [02:50:01] KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING WHEN IT COMES TO FIVE OH FOURS. SO BOTH FIVE OH FOURS AND IEPS EXIST TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL WITH PHYSICAL, MEDICAL OR COGNITIVE CONDITIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT EDUCATION. FIVE OH FOURS OFFER ACCOMMODATIONS TO STUDENTS WITH A DISABILITY WHO CAN LARGELY ACCESS THE GENERAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM WITH ADJUSTMENTS TO THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT FOR, TO THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, WHAT ARE WE SAYING? WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, THIS STUDENT MAY NEED MORE TIME. THIS STUDENT MAY NEED A SMALLER SETTING. THIS STUDENT MAY NEED A READ ALOUD. YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT GO INTO ACCOMMODATIONS. AND WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THAT FROM A TEACHER IN A CLASSROOM, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT YOU HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE, THE MORE NUMBERS YOU, THE MORE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT YOU HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE, THE MORE SUPPORTS THAT YOU NEED TO HELP WITH THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS. AND SO THEN YOU CAN SEE CLASS SIZES GOING DOWN INTO SMALLER CLASS SIZES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOW NEEDING TO ACCOMMODATE MORE STUDENTS. YOU'RE ALSO BRINGING IN MORE SUPPORTS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO, INTO THAT. ALSO, AGAIN, WE LOOKED AT JUST PROVIDING OVER THAT TIME WHAT WERE OUR EL NUMBERS, OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. AND IN FY 13, AGAIN, THAT WAS 111 STUDENTS. AND THEN IN FY 24 WE WERE UP TO 240. SO LOOKING AT THAT, AND AGAIN, JUST AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE, THERE ARE ELL POSITIONS THAT WE'VE HIRED. AND, AND I CAN TELL THE BOARD RIGHT NOW, WE ARE AT THE, WE ARE AT THAT TIPPING POINT TO WHERE IF WE GET JUST A COUPLE MORE STUDENTS, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER ELL TEACHER BECAUSE THAT'S BASED OFF OF THE NUMBER OF MINUTES THAT IS REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE. AND SO WE HAVE TO MEET THAT. AND SO WHEN, WHEN LOOKING AT THAT, THOSE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTING US AS WE GO AHEAD AND, AND TRY TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR SCHOOLS, FOR OUR CHILDREN, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THEIR NEEDS. UM, OKAY. I HAD A QUESTION ON THIS ONE. COULD WE, WE, THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE THE, UM, THE GRAPH FOR THE 5 0 4 AND THE NUMBER HAS GONE UP, COULD WE GET A GRAPH LIKE THAT FOR THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WITH THE IEPS AS WELL? UM, I MEAN, I, I COULD, YEAH, WE, WE, WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS. I JUST DIDN'T OKAY. YOU KNOW, I WAS, I WAS TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT, AND I'LL JUST BE HONEST HERE, I MEAN, I DON'T WANT EVERYBODY TO LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, WELL, HE'S, HE'S SAYING THE COSTS ARE GOING UP BECAUSE OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. THAT'S NOT IT. AND SO I DID NOT WANT TO, I DON'T WANT THAT PERCEPTION TO BE MADE, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S NOT THE PERCEPTION THAT I'M LOOKING FOR. THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE COSTS THAT WE HAVE AS A DRIVER. UH, BUT YES, I CAN DEFINITELY GIVE THAT NUMBER AND PUT THAT AS A GRAPH. I MEAN, I, I WASN'T TRYING TO PRESENT IT THAT WAY EITHER. YEAH. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM FEEDBACK FROM, UM, PARENTS A LOT IS THAT WHEN THEIR CHILD HAS A 5 0 4, I KNOW A LOT OF THEM HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT GONNA TAKE TO GET THIS IEP, LIKE, WE'VE BEEN WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING FOR THIS MEETING FOR AN IEP MEETING FOR JUST, JUST TO GET MY CHILD AN IEP. AND SO I, I AM CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT, WHAT IS THE DELAY IN GETTING THE IEP, ESPECIALLY IF, IF IT'S AFFECTING US WITH THE FINANCES, IF WE'RE NOT GETTING ANY COMPENSATION FOR THE EXTRA WORK THAT'S REQUIRED FOR A 5 0 4, BUT WE DO RECEIVE EXTRA FUNDING BENEFITS FOR, FOR THE IEP. WOULDN'T WE WANT TO GET THOSE CHILDREN IN FOR THEIR, FOR IEPS? NO. SO SOONER, NO. SO YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO GIVE A STUDENT AN IEP IF THEY DON'T NEED A, NEED AN IEP. WELL, I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU HAVE, YOU CAN HAVE A STUDENT THAT, THAT, AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT. SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN IEP AND, AND A 5 0 4 IS AGAIN, THE STUDENT WITH AN I, WITH A 5 0 4, THEY CAN ACCOMMODATE, THEY CAN GET THE LEARNING. THE STUDENT WITH AN IEP MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THAT LEARN THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A LEARNING DIFFICULTY GOING ON. AND SO THERE, THAT IS WHERE YOU GET THE DIFFERENCE. BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE A STUDENT WITH A DHD THAT'S JUST OUT OF THEIR CHAIR THAT JUST CAN'T SIT STILL, BUT THEY HAVE STRAIGHT A'S. THAT'S NOT AN IEP, YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT STUDENT THAT IS STRUGGLING ACADEMICALLY THAT THAT CANNOT GET A CONCEPT OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. THAT STUDENT NEEDS SOME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM OR TO THE PROGRAMMING. SO, SO THERE'S, THERE IS THAT DIFFERENCE THERE. UH, BUT NO, YOU DON'T, NOT ALL STUDENTS THAT HAVE A 5 0 4 WILL QUALIFY FOR AN IEP. AND I'M DEFINITELY NOT SUGGESTING THAT. BUT I KNOW OF AT LEAST A HALF A DOZEN PARENTS WHO ARE TELLING ME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN, THAT, THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD BY OUR SPECIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT THAT THEIR CHILD DOES NEED TO GET AN IEP, BUT THAT THEY ARE STILL WAITING AND WAITING FOR THEIR APPOINTMENT. [02:55:01] I MEAN, SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER A YEAR. SO THAT TO ME JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LONG TIME. I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE THAT'S ACCEPTABLE. WELL, WE HAVE, WE HAVE, I MEAN IF I CAN CHECK WITH, WITH SPECIAL SERVICES ON THAT, BUT I KNOW WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THREE PSYCHOLOGISTS AND OUR SOCIAL WORKERS AND THEY DO ALL THE ASSESSMENTS AND YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A WAIT LIST, MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT ANOTHER PSYCHOLOGIST, UM, YOU KNOW, BRINGING IN OR, OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. SO, UH, I CAN DEFINITELY CHECK TO SEE IF, IF WE DO HAVE A WAIT LIST. OKAY. OR MAYBE THE PARENTS ARE BEING GIVEN IN MM-HMM. CORRECT INFORMATION THERE. THERE'S TIMELINES THAT IMPACT THERE FROM, FROM, FROM START. I'LL JUST ADD IN FROM EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE, FROM A TIME AN OFFICIAL REFERRAL IS MADE TO COMPLETION. THERE ARE VERY STRICT GUIDELINES AND TIMELINES. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, IF THAT OFFICIAL REFERRAL AND, AND THAT'S A WHOLE TEAM EFFORT THROUGH A SAT TEAM, A CHILD PINE TEAM, UH, CHILD PINE TEAM. UM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY FROM A TIME THAT THERE'S BEEN AN OFFICIAL, THE PARENTS HAVE SIGNED OFF ON TESTING, THERE'S A STRICT TIMELINE MM-HMM . UM, AND WE HAVE TO MEET THAT. RIGHT. NO QUESTIONS ASKED. BUT IF THEY'RE NOT AT THAT POINT AND THEY'RE DOING MAYBE, I DON'T WANT TO CERTAINLY SPEAK, BUT IF THEY'RE DOING OTHER THINGS, UM, THERE COULD BE A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS WHY. I MEAN, I OBVIOUSLY CAN'T SPEAK, BUT CERTAINLY WE WOULD WANNA LOOK INTO IT IF THEY FEEL THAT THEY'VE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER A YEAR MM-HMM . UM, I WOULD SAY CALL THEIR PRINCIPAL. NUMBER ONE, SAY, HEY, HERE'S MY SITUATION. LET ME CALL, TALK TO THE PRINCIPAL, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. DONE. AND IF THEY DON'T GET ANSWERS, I WOULD CERTAINLY SUGGEST TO CALL THE DIRECTOR OF, UM, STUDENT, YOU KNOW, OF OUR SPECIAL SPECIAL SERVICE ED YES. TO, TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT'S BEEN DONE AS WELL. SO I I, IF THEY'RE JUST WAITING, LIKE I'M NOW QUESTIONING IF THEY'RE MAYBE JUST BEING TOLD THAT THEY'RE WAITING AND THEY'RE NOT EVEN ON THE LIST. I DON'T KNOW. I JUST WANT TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. SO, I MEAN, YES, I CAN ADD, ADD A SLIDE THERE IF, IF THAT IS WHAT THE BOARD WISHES. UM, MR. VALENTINE, ARE YOU TAKING NOTES FOR ME? 'CAUSE I'M NOT TAKING NOTES. I APPRECIATE IT, . I, ALRIGHT, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO OUR, OUR MISSION AND VISION, WE OUTLINE THOSE IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE LEARNING THROUGH INSPIRATION, ENGAGEMENT, EMPOWERMENT AND INNOVATION. EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY WE WANNA FOCUS ON EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT OUR SCHOOLS. WE HAVE NINE SCHOOLS, ONE TECHNICAL CENTER, ONE NON-TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. WE SERVE OVER 5,000 STUDENTS. WE HAVE 802 STAFF, 9, 591 TEACHING PROFESSIONALS. UH, THERE'S 63 CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION COURSES OFFERED. WE HAVE 226 STUDENT COMPLETERS. WE HAVE 21 DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES OFFERED. JUST LAST SEMESTER, LAST SEMESTER WE HAD 2084 COLLEGE CREDITS EARNED BY STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO OVER 2000 COLLEGE CREDITS EARNED. WE HAVE A 93% ON-TIME GRADUATION RATE, A 36% ADVANCED DIPLOMA RATE. ALSO, WE RUN 35 BUS ROUTES AND SEVEN CAR ROUTES. WE, UH, WE, WE SERVE OR WE TRANSPORT OVER 2300 STUDENTS DAILY AND WE DRIVE OVER 385,000 MILES EACH YEAR. ALSO FROM OUR CHILD NUTRITION, WE SERVE OVER 3,100 BREAKFAST MEALS DAILY. AGAIN, WE SERVE OVER 3,300 LUNCHES DAILY. AND OVER THE SUMMER, BOTH BREAKFAST AND LUNCH, WE SERVED OVER 2000 BREAKFAST AND LUNCHES PER DAY. SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT WE DO AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO GETTING INTO A LITTLE BIT THERE WE GO OF, OF SOME ADDITIONAL DATA THAT GOES INTO THIS. UM, THIS IS JUST A, A BAR CHART SHOWING THE STATE REVENUE SINCE 2012. AS YOU CAN SEE BACK IN 2012, UH, WE WERE, UH, JUST PROBABLY AROUND $23 MILLION THAT WE RECEIVED STATE FUNDING AND NOW WE'RE OVER $42 MILLION THAT IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WITH STATE REVENUE. THIS COMPARES OUR LOCAL REVENUE OF THE SAME YEAR. SO BACK IN FY 12, WE WERE ABOUT 19 MILLION IN LOCAL REVENUE AND CURRENTLY WE ARE AT, UM, 28 650. SO 28 MILLION. UM, IN OUR LOCAL REVENUE, OUR FEDERAL REVENUE THAT HAS DECLINED. OF COURSE YOU SAW THE, THE BIG BARS THERE GOING UP. THAT'S WHEN WE RECEIVED ALL OF OUR FEDERAL FUNDS, UH, DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. AND SO THAT INFLUX CAUSED OUR, OUR FEDERAL TO GO UP. UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR SOME OF THOSE 'CAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO RENOVATE LFK, [03:00:01] UH, USING SOME OF THOSE UH, FUNDS. BUT WE ARE STARTING TO LEVEL OUT AND WE WILL LEVEL OUT WITH OUR FEDERAL ON OUR MISCELLANEOUS AS WE LOOK AT OUR MISCELLANEOUS AND YOU'RE LIKE, ALRIGHT, WHAT'S INCLUDED IN MISCELLANEOUS? SO ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE MISCELLANEOUS HERE IS WE, WE ARE A TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT SERVICES ALL OF THE COUNTY VEHICLES. SO THAT'S INCLUDED HERE. ANYTIME SOMEBODY RENTS OR LEASES OR SCHOOL FACILITIES THAT'S COUNTED IN MISCELLANEOUS. ROB, AM I MISSING ANYTHING THAT MAY BE TAGGED IN THERE TO MISCELLANEOUS THAT'S, I THINK WE TAKE CARE OF THE COUNTY HVAC. YEAH. SO WE HAVE A YES, HAVE A PERSON, DEDICAT HAVE AN EMPLOYEE THERE, THEY REIMBURSE US THERE. YEP. SO, SO THAT, THAT REIMBURSEMENT THAT'S FALLS INTO MISCELLANEOUS. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW'S THE TREND LINE BEEN WITH OUR, UH, COMPARING STATE REVENUE TO LOCAL REVENUE, UH, THE LOCAL REVENUE IS THE BLUE CHART, THE STATE REVENUE IS THE GRAY CHART. YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S, UM, AS WE, AS WE'VE MOVED INTO 23, 24, 24, 25, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A, A, A GAP GROWING BETWEEN WHAT OUR LOCAL AND VERSUS OUR STATE REVENUE. AND SO THIS IS JUST A LINE CHART SHOWING THAT SAME INFORMATION AND, AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT THEY'RE PARALLEL. BUT IN FY 23 YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A DRASTIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW OUR, OUR LOCAL REVENUE HAS, HAS BEEN AFFECTED COMPARED TO OUR STATE REVENUE. DOES OUR, DOES OUR LOCAL REVENUE, DOES THAT, UM, COUNT THE DEBT SERVICE THAT THE COUNTY PAYS FOR US ON ALL THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND AND WHATNOT? OR IS THAT TOTALLY SEPARATE? SO, SO THIS ONE IS JUST LOOKING AT REVENUE FROM STATE AND LOCAL REVENUE. THIS IS NOT GOING, THIS ONE IS NOT COUNTING. UM, ARE, THIS IS ONLY FOR OPERATIONS. OPERATIONS. NOW I HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE ON DOWN THAT INCLUDES DEBT SERVICE. OKAY. SO, WE'LL WE, WE WILL GET TO THAT ONE HERE IN A SECOND. BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW THAT, THAT THE OPERATIONS PART OF THE, THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTION MM-HMM . THEY DO CONTRIBUTE MORE ON TOP OF THAT TO FUND THE ACTUAL WELL THROUGH REFERENDUM, ESSENTIALLY THE MORTGAGES ON ALL OF OUR, OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS, WELL THROUGH REFERENDUMS. 'CAUSE REFERENDUMS ARE SPECIFICALLY TAXED FOR BUILDINGS. AND SO IF THE, YOU KNOW, THE, IF, IF THE MEALS TAXED, IF, IF THEY'RE, IF, IF THOSE BUILDINGS ARE PAID OFF OR WHEN THEY ARE PAID OFF, THEN THOSE TAXES WILL GO AWAY UNLESS THERE'S ANOTHER REFERENDUM PUT IN PLACE TO KEEP THOSE TAXES IN PLACE. AND SO TO COUNT IT HERE WOULD NOT BE RELEVANT BECAUSE WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT OPERATION SIDE OF THINGS AND, BUT I DO HAVE THAT INCLUDED. UM, AS FAR AS THE NEXT SLIDE 'CAUSE A GOOD QUESTION. OUR DEBT SERVICE, WHAT IS, HOW IS OUR DEBT SERVICE SLIDE LOOKS? UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE BACK IN FY 12, THAT WAS JUST A SHORT OF, UH, $5 MILLION OR $6 MILLION, UM, YOU KNOW, UPWARDS OF NOW APPROXIMATELY 11 AS AS FAR AS WITH OUR DEBT SERVICE. IS OUR DEBT SERVICE COVERED COMPLETELY BY THE MEALS TAX THAT'S BROUGHT IN OR IS THE COUNTY PAYING EXTRA ON TOP OF THAT? I HAVE NO IDEA. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY WAY THAT IT COVERS THE MEALS, TAX COVERS, ALL THAT, ALL OF IT. OKAY. ON THESE DEBT SERVICE FOR SCHOOLS. OKAY. IT'S BEEN A FEW YEARS SINCE I'VE SEEN WHAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE, BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT IT'S GROWN TO THE POINT WHERE, TO THE TUNE OF $11 MILLION. OKAY. WELL MY POINT IS JUST WITH THE SHOWING THAT THE LOCAL REVENUE DOESN'T MATCH UP, IT, YOU HAVE TO GIVE THE COUNTY CREDIT FOR THE AMOUNT THAT THEY'RE PAYING ON THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS TOO. AND SO THIS NEXT SLIDE, LOOKING AT OUR COUNTY REVENUE VERSUS OUR LOCAL FUNDS FOR OPERATION INCLUDES DEBT SERVICE. SO YOU CAN KIND OF LOOK HERE, UH, THE GRAY REPRESENTS THE TOTAL COUNTY REVENUE. THE ORANGE REPRESENTS THE PROPERTY AND OTHER TAXES. AND THEN THE BLUE REPRESENTS WCPS, THAT'S OPERATIONAL AND DEBT SERVICE. UM, AND SO YOU JUST LOOKING AT THOSE, THAT DOES SHOW KIND OF HOW THE TREND LINE HAS BEEN. WE HAVE SEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, A A, A SLIGHT TREND LINE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR, FOR THAT. BUT YOU ALSO SEE THE, AS AS COUNTY REVENUES AND TAXES HAVE INCREASED, HOW THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE THERE. AND THEN I DID DO A LINE CHART JUST TO KIND OF SHOW THOSE SAME, UH, THAT BAR GRAPH. UH, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE LIKE LINE GRAPHS BETTER THAN BAR CHARTS. UH, SO THIS IS THE SAME INFORMATION AS THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. [03:05:03] AND THEN THIS IS JUST LOOKING AT LOCAL, LOCAL FUNDS. SO COUNTY REVENUE VERSUS LOCAL FUNDS FOR OPERATION. 'CAUSE LOCAL FUNDS IS OUR BREAD AND BUTTER. THAT'S WHAT WE LIVE OFF OF EACH AND EVERY DAY. SO COMPARING OUR, JUST OUR, OUR LOCAL FUNDS FOR SCHOOL OPERATION. AND AGAIN, WE'RE CARING, WE'RE, WE'RE COMPARING THE, THE COUNTY REVENUE, PROPERTY TAXES, AND THEN JUST THE LOCAL FUNDING FOR, UM, OPERATIONS. UM, AND COMPARING THOSE. AND AGAIN, I PROVIDED A, A JUST A LINE CHART THAT GOES ALONG WITH THE BAR CHART. THIS IS A NEW SLIDE FOR THIS YEAR. UH, THIS SLIDE HERE LOOKS AT THE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL COUNTY BUDGET. SO THIS TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE SCHOOL'S BUDGET AS PART OF THE OVERALL COUNTY BUDGET. AND HISTORICALLY, WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS BEEN OVER 60% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET OF WARREN COUNTY. UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN 22, 23 AND 24, WE'VE KIND OF TAKEN A DIP THERE. AND ACTUALLY, AS OF THIS YEAR, UH, WARREN COUNTY, PO WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS 49 POINT, UH, 9% OR 49.49% OF THE, UM, TOTAL COUNTY BUDGET. AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYTHING WHEN IT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW WE, WHAT, WHERE WE'VE BEEN AS A SYSTEM CONCERNING THE TOTAL COUNTY BUDGET AND WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY. THIS NEXT THING LOOKS AT JUST THIS NEXT SLIDE, LOOKS AT THE PERCENTAGE OF LOCAL APPROPRIATIONS OF THE, OF THE TOTAL COUNTY BUDGET. SO AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE TOTAL COUNTY BUDGET, BUT THEN JUST LOOKING AT LOCAL APPROPRIATIONS. SO THERE'S THE LOCAL, LOCAL SIDE FOR OPERATIONS. NOW LOOKING AT DEBT SERVICE, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, WHERE WE, WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY VERSUS WHERE WE'VE BEEN. IT'S THAT SAME TREND LINE IN THE PREVIOUS. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT SALARIES AND INCENTIVES, YOU KNOW, WE OFFER, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A 3% INCLUSIVE OF, OF STEP FOR OUR TEACHERS. WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, A SCALE ADJUSTMENT FOR INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANCE. WE'RE LOOKING AT INCREASING OUR BUS DRIVERS TO FIVE HOURS AND A SALARY ADJUSTMENT TO THAT. UH, SPEECH, SPEECH THERAPIST, SCALE ADJUSTMENT, REGISTERED NURSE, UM, SCALE ADJUSTMENT, UH, STUDENT SUPPORT, SCALE ADJUSTMENT. UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR COACHING SUPPLEMENTS AND OTHER SKILL ADJUSTMENTS. AS FAR AS BENEFITS, YOU KNOW, WE DO OFFER A, A SICK LEAVE PAYOUT. UH, THE BOARD OFFERED, UH, PAST THAT POLICY LAST YEAR. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST YEAR WITH OUR SICK LEAVE PAYOUT. SO THAT'S A BENEFIT. UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, WE DID FIND OUT THAT OUR INSURANCE RATES ARE GOING UP 10.1%, SO WE HAD BUDGETED 10%. SO WE WERE RIGHT THERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, WITH WHERE WE WERE AT. AS FAR AS OUR PROJECTION FOR, FOR INSURANCE, UH, WE HAVE A CO UH, COMPREHENSIVE HEALTHCARE COVERAGE. WE HAVE EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AS FAR AS DENTAL AND VISION. AND WE HAVE DUAL EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS AND HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS. SO WE OFFER A LOT OF BENEFITS TO OUR TEACHERS. AND, UH, WE TRY TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COMPETITIVE. 'CAUSE WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE SITUATION AS MR. VALENTINE WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST, WE'RE NOT BEING ABLE TO, TO BE COMPETITIVE FROM A BENEFIT SIDE FOR OUR STAFF BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S NOT ALWAYS SALARY. A LOT OF TIMES IT'S THOSE BENEFITS THAT STAFF ARE, ARE, UM, INTERESTED IN. SO THIS IS JUST, AGAIN, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR SALARY INCENTIVE, AGAIN, OUR SALARIES TAKE UP 85 TO 90% OF OUR BUDGET. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL, UH, PIECE OF THAT PIE. SO THIS IS ALWAYS THE BIGGEST PIECE, UH, WHAT YOU HAVE HERE ON THIS SCALE OR ON THIS SLIDE, IT'LL JUST LIST THE COST OR THE PROJECTED COST THAT WE HAVE FOR EACH OF THE SCALES. AND DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, WE DID BREAK THOSE OUT WHEN I MENTIONED JUST EARLIER THAT WE'RE DOING SOME SCALE ADJUSTMENTS. AND SO WE LISTED THOSE SCALE ADJUSTMENTS SEPARATELY SO PEOPLE COULD SEE THOSE EASILY. UM, BUT THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THE, UH, IN THE TOTAL COST UP THERE. MR. VALENTINE, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO MENTION ABOUT THIS SLIDE BACK UP. OKAY. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT ALSO SALARY INITIATIVES AND PERSONNEL, UH, WE, WE TAKE INTO A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS. AND SO, YES, WHEN WE GO THROUGH OUR BUDGET PROCESS, THERE WAS OVER FOUR TO $5 MILLION AS FAR AS REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS FROM OUR COST CENTERS. WE DID NARROW THOSE THINGS. WE DID NARROW THAT DOWN. UH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IS WE TOOK OUR, OF COURSE, OUR HELD POSITIONS THAT WE HAD TO HOLD LAST YEAR SO THAT WE COULD MAKE BUDGET, UM, AND FALL WITHIN OUR, OUR APPROPRIATED AMOUNT THAT WAS, UM, GIVEN TO US. AND [03:10:01] WE, WE WANT, WE NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT THOSE POSITIONS AGAIN INTO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. BUT WE ALSO TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO, AS WE WERE REVIEWING, TO SAY, OKAY, DO SOME OF THESE POSITIONS, CAN WE ACTUALLY REPURPOSE THEM? AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO ADD THIS YEAR, CAN WE REPURPOSE THOSE OLD POSITIONS AND MAKE 'EM SOMETHING NEW? SO I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. UH, IF YOU LOOK AT LFK, SO LFK, WE HELD A A TEACHER LAST YEAR. AND THEN YES, OUR NUMBERS DID GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT. AND THE NUMBERS AT LFK LOOK GOOD. I REACHED OUT TO MS. CAMERON, I TALKED TO MS. CAMERON. I SAID, HEY, I'M LOOKING AT YOUR NUMBERS. WE'RE, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT PRE-K PROJECTIONS. AND I SAID, HEY, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE YOU NEED THAT TEACHER. CAN WE REPURPOSE THAT TEACHER AS A READING SPECIALIST? AND SO INSTEAD OF HIRING A TEACHER AND THEN HIRING A READING SPECIALIST, WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION TO, TO REPURPOSE THAT TEACHER AT LFK AS A READING SPECIALIST. SO AGAIN, SAME THING HAPPENS. IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT, UM, AS RHODES REACHED OUT TO MS. LEHMAN, TALK TO HER ABOUT PRE-K, TALKED TO MS. VACA, UM, ABOUT PRE-K AND THE NUMBERS AND WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING. AND I SAID, OKAY, CAN WE REPURPOSE THAT POSITION AS A READING SPECIALIST? BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO GET A READING SPECIALIST AT EACH OF OUR BUILDINGS, ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND IF WE HIRE TWO READING SPECIALISTS, WE WILL HAVE A READING SPECIALIST IN ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS, ELEMENTARY THROUGH MIDDLE, UH, AGAIN, LOOKING AT REPURPOSING INSTEAD OF ADDING AN ADDITIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL. 'CAUSE SOME NUMBERS ARE GOING TO INCREASE THERE. I TALKED TO MISS, UH, KNOX AND SAID, HEY, CAN WE TRANSFER THIS POSITION FROM E WILSON TO, TO WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL? AND, AND SHE WAS ON BOARD WITH THAT, DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, SAID THE NEED WAS NOT THERE FOR HER, UM, AT THIS POINT IN TIME. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE NOT JUST ADDING POSITIONS, WE'RE TYING TO USE SOME OF THE CURRENT POSITIONS THAT WE HAD THAT HAVE BEEN IN OUR BUDGET PREVIOUSLY AND REPURPOSE THEM IN, IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER THAT'S BEST GONNA SUIT OUR NEEDS RIGHT NOW. NOW, IF YOU LOOK OVER TO THE RIGHT, THERE ARE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, YOU KNOW, YES. A BLUE RIDGE TECH SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER. UM, AND THEN DIVISIONWIDE AGAIN, I MENTIONED ALREADY ABOUT WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR EL NUMBERS AND WE'RE, WE'RE LITERALLY THAT CLOSE TO HAVING TO HAVE ANOTHER TEACHER. AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT, SORRY, UH, WE ALSO NEED A TRANSLATOR BECAUSE WE, WE HAVE THAT TRANSLATOR LINE COMING IN. WE NEED TO REACH OUT TO OUR, OUR COMMUNITY, BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM IN, IN VARIOUS CAPACITIES. SO THERE IS A NEED FOR THAT. OF COURSE, A NURSING COORDINATOR, WITH ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AND EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING DOWN THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, WE NEED SOMEBODY THAT CAN MANAGE THAT JOB, THAT CAN MANAGE OUR NURSING PROGRAM. YES, WE HAVE A LEAD NURSE, BUT THAT LEAD NURSE IS ALSO A SCHOOL NURSE. AND THAT'S WHEN SHE'S A SCHOOL NURSE. SHE'S BUSY. SHE DOESN'T HAVE TIME TO GO AROUND AND HELP AND SUPPORT AND MONITOR AND, AND PLAN BECAUSE SHE'S GOT LITTLE ONES TO TAKE CARE OF. SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED SOMEBODY THAT THAT'LL BE ABLE TO, TO WORK IN THAT NURSING COORDINATOR, UM, POSITION THAT CAN HELP TRAIN, HELP SUPPORT, UH, WHENEVER SOMETHING IS HAPPENING AT A SCHOOL CAN REPORT, IF THERE'S A MEDICAL AND EMERGENCY. THAT WAY YOU HAVE TWO, TWO MEDICAL PEOPLE THERE ON, ON, ON CALL. AND THAT WAY SHE CAN MAKE SURE, OR HE OR SHE CAN MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE BEING DONE PROPERLY, THAT WE'RE HANDLING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY. UH, WITH OUR CURRENT SETUP RIGHT NOW, YES, WE HAVE A LEAD NURSE, BUT THEY'RE ALSO A SCHOOL NURSE. SO THAT, THAT'S NOT AN, AN EFFECTIVE WAY FOR US TO MANAGE OUR NURSING PROGRAM. AND THEN WE'VE HAD A PIO ON THERE FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, AND I'M GONNA KEEP PUTTING THE PIO ON THERE BECAUSE COMMUNICATION'S OUR THING AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO BETTER COMMUNICATE. WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PUT YOU INFORMATION OUT AND, YOU KNOW, A COM, A-P-I-O-A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER WILL MAKE IT, IT WILL JUST CHANGE THE WAY THAT WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS, IS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND PUSH INFORMATION OUT. UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE, YOU'RE RELYING ON PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY DOING A LOT OF THINGS. AND SO HAVING SOMEBODY THAT'S DESIGNATED TO THAT, THAT CAN PUSH THAT INFORMATION AND THAT'S ALL THEY DO, IT WILL HELP US BECAUSE COMMUNICATION IS OUR, UH, ONE OF OUR MAIN GOALS. AGAIN, LOOKING AT PAY GRADES. WE HAVE SOFTWARE SPECIALISTS TO A TECHNICIAN, DEAN OF STUDENTS TO A PRINCIPAL, INCREASED PART-TIME SECRETARY RATE ALIGNED SCHOOL COUNSELOR COORDINATOR, STIPEND. AND THEN DOWN HERE, THIS IS OUR STUDENT SUPPORT COACHES AND STUDENT SUPPORT COACH OR STUDENT SUPPORT INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS. THESE ARE THE, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE HIRED WITH OUR CARES MONEY. WE STARTED OUT, I BELIEVE IT WAS 51 STUDENT, 51 POSITIONS. [03:15:01] CORRECT, ROB? YES. AND SO AS WE'VE LOST ALL THE CARES FUNDING, UH, LAST YEAR, WE PIECED IT TOGETHER WITH OUR ALL IN TUTORING. AND NOW WE ARE DOWN TO WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT ASKING FOR 15 POSITIONS. UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED THOSE POSITIONS. THEY, THEY ARE DOING ONE-ON-ONE INTERVENTION. THEY'RE DOING SMALL GROUPS, THEY'RE MAKING STRIDES WITH OUR STUDENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, ON A DAILY BASIS. SO WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT PERSONNEL, THIS IS HOW WE'VE REPURPOSED TO WHAT WE WANT TO ADD FOR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS AND, AND OUR STUDENT SUPPORT COACHES. AND THAT'S THEIR COST. DR. BELLINGER? YES, MA'AM. DID YOU START THAT SLIDE WITH SAYING THE ORIGINAL ASKS FOR ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL WAS SOMETHING LIKE TWICE THAT, I'M SORRY, I WAS ADDING UP THE NUMBERS WHERE WE ARE NOW. SO THAT PAGE IS 2 MILLION, BUT DID YOU SAY ORIGINALLY THE ASKS FROM THE SCHOOLS WERE LIKE FOUR OR 5 MILLION? UH, YEAH, IT WAS ALMOST, UH, WHAT WAS THAT, ROB? FOUR AND A HALF? I THINK IT WAS FOUR AND A HALF. YEAH. SO I THINK THAT'S GOOD WITH THE SHOWING OF THE PERSONNEL SHOWING HOW YOU'VE CONVERTED. I I THINK THAT'S MORE THAN HALF. THAT'S IMPORTANT TO DEFINITELY SHOW THAT IN THE PRESENTATION. UM, SO JUST WANTED TO GIVE THAT COMPLIMENT, UM, THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, I THOUGHT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT. AND IF THE, IF THE COUNTY WAS GETTING ONE, WOULDN'T WE JUST SHARE WITH THEM? WE NEED, WE NEED OUR OWN. I WOULD LOVE FOR THE COUNTY TO REACH OUT AND SAY THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE PAYING FOR THAT OFFICER AND IT'S GONNA BE OUR SHARED POSITION. BUT SO FAR WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM THE COUNTY AS THAT BEING A SHARED POSITION WITH THE SCHOOLS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. OKAY. I, AND, AND I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, MS. ALEN, I MEAN, WE HAVE ENOUGH WORK TO KEEP SOMEBODY BUSY ALL DAY LONG AND ALL THAT BECAUSE THIS PERSON IS ALSO GOING TO BE RESPONSIVE TO GOING OUT TO ACTIVITIES, UM, AT NIGHT, ON THE WEEKENDS. UM, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO, TO WORK WITH OUR, OUR GROUPS AND BE ABLE TO SPOTLIGHT GROUPS AND DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS. SO THIS IS NOT JUST A EIGHT TO FIVE JOB. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A, A FLOWING SCHEDULE TO WHERE THEY, THEY ARE DOING A LOT OF THINGS AND SOMETIMES IT'S AT NIGHT. UM, SO, SO IT'S FOR, FOR ME, THE THING THAT WE, WE NEED RIGHT NOW IS PROBABLY SOMETIME SOMEBODY FULL TIME JUST TO, WE CAN KEEP 'EM BUSY AND PROBABLY HAVE THEM OVERWORKED, UH, OURSELVES. WELL, AND I THINK OUR GOALS ARE DIFFERENT. I MEAN, WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED IS VERY DIFFERENT. YES. UM, AND SO YES, HAVING THAT PERSON THAT'S OUT ON THE GROUND EVERY DAY MM-HMM . AND THEN WITH THE, UH, THE CARES POSITIONS, WE START AT 51. DO WE ONLY HAVE 15 NOW? OR DO WE HAVE MORE THAN 15 RIGHT NOW? NO, WE HAVE, UH, I'M CUTTING, I THINK IT'S SEVEN POSITIONS OUT OF WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. SO WE HAVE 22, I THINK WE HAVE 23, 22 OR 23. TWO OR 2323. YEAH. SO MR. DRAKE SAID HAD 23. SO, SO I, I'M CUTTING THAT DOWN TO THE, TO 23. AND, AND I'LL JUST BE HONEST, THE REASON I'M DOING THAT, UM, IF WE CAN GET THE TWO READING SPECIALISTS TO IN THE SCHOOLS, THEN I, I'M, I'M SAYING, OKAY, I'LL TRADE SEVEN OF THOSE POSITIONS FOR TWO READING SPECIALISTS. BECAUSE NOW, RIGHT NOW OUR READING SPECIALISTS ARE SPENDING ALL OF THEIR TIME JUST DOING READING PLANS. THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO DO ANY READING INTERVENTION OR, OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE. AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UH, MS. MS BRAGG, IF WE CAN, CAN GET THOSE AT EACH SITE, THEN THOSE READING SPECIALISTS WILL BE IN CHARGE OF THE READING PROGRAM AND THE READING INTERVENTION PROGRAM. THEY WILL BE ABLE TO NOT JUST DO THE READING PLANS, BUT NOW THEY CAN HELP WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF SMALL GROUP ONE-ON-ONE. AND SO HAVING THAT SKILLED PERSON THERE, THAT'S MY TRADE OFF TO SAY. OKAY. YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD RATHER HAVE TWO READING SPECIALISTS INSTEAD OF THOSE SEVEN POSITIONS. YEAH, NO, I JUST, I THINK, UM, WHEN WE DO PRESENT THIS TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO SHOW, WE STARTED WITH 51. WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 23. WE'RE HOPING YOU'LL LET US KEEP THE 15, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT, WHAT CONCESSIONS WE'VE MADE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. ALL RIGHT. I'M GONNA TRY TO SPEED UP A LITTLE BIT. 'CAUSE I, I, I THINK I'VE, YEAH. UH, AND, AND AGAIN, JUST STOP ME IF, IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION. SO, AGAIN, TO REINSTATE THE POSITION, SO THESE ARE, THESE ARE JUSTIFICATIONS, REINSTATE THE POSITIONS TO HELP POSITIONS WHERE NEEDED TO REDUCE CLASS SIZES. MEET, MEET, UH, MANDATED, OH, SORRY, UH, MEET MANDATED REQUIREMENTS AND PROVIDE STUDENT SUPPORT. UH, THE HELP POSITIONS CAUSED LARGER CLASS SIZE, REDUCED OUR ABILITY, ABILITY TO PROVIDE PROGRAM OFFERINGS, AND REDUCED OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE SPECIFIC STUDENT SUPPORTS. UH, SOME HEALTH POSITIONS HAVE BEEN REPURPOSED OR TRANSFERRED TO MEET CURRENT NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION. POSITIONS INCLUDE SIX TEACHERS, UM, AT ELEMENTARY AND, AND SECONDARY, AND THREE [03:20:01] SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS. AGAIN, I LISTED WHERE THIS ALIGNS WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. I'M GONNA MOVE ON DOWN TO OUR STUDENT SUPPORT COACHES AND STUDENT SUPPORT COACH INTERVENTIONISTS. AND I THINK THIS IS KEY TO UNDERSTAND, IS THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT ONE-ON-ONE AND SMALL GROUP. AND JUST IN WITH OUR K THREE STUDENTS, WE HAD OVER 527 STUDENTS ON A READING PLAN. NEXT YEAR WE WILL IMPLEMENT FOUR THROUGH EIGHT. AND SO YOU'RE ADDING ADDITIONAL CLASSES AND YOU'RE GOING TO PROB YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS ON READING PLANS. AND WITH OUR CURRENT SETUP OF, OF, WITH STAFF, UNLESS WE HAVE OUR STUDENT SUPPORT COACHES AND THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT ONE-ON-ONE AND THOSE SMALL GROUPS, IT'S GONNA BE VERY, VERY TOUGH TO BE ABLE FOR TEACHERS TO MEET THOSE NEEDS AND TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THAT PROGRAMMING. AND THIS IS A, A SLIDE AS FAR AS WITH THE GRAPH DOWN HERE, LOOKING AT OUR DIVISION LEVEL, UM, HIGH RISK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, YOU CAN SEE THE FALL NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WERE ON A, A READING PLAN. LET'S JUST USE FIRST GRADE, FOR INSTANCE. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIVISION LEVEL, THAT MEANS ALL ELEMENTARY FIRST GRADERS, UM, THERE WERE 145 STUDENTS ON A READING PLAN. THEY WERE CONSIDERED HIGH RISK MIDYEAR. THAT DROPPED TO 114 IN THE MODERATE RISK. THERE WAS 103 STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AT IN THE FALL. NOW AT MIDYEAR, WE'RE DOWN TO 77. NOW THIS NUMBER YOU WANNA SEE GO UP. SO LOW RISK, THAT MEANS THEY DO NOT NEED A, A READING PLAN. AND THE FALL, THERE WERE 111 STUDENTS THAT DID NOT NEED IT. NOW WE'RE AT 168 STUDENTS THAT DO NOT NEED A READING PLAN. AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT. I DID WANNA PUT AN ASTERISK THERE. UH, BY K THREE, THEIR DATA IS NOT COMPLETE BECAUSE THERE WERE, UH, A COUPLE SCHOOLS WHEN THIS DATA WAS PULLED THAT HAD NOT, UM, COMPLETED THEIR, THEIR TESTING. AND SO I JUST PUT THAT ASTERISK OUT THERE JUST SO THAT, IN THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS. AS FAR AS K THREE, WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR READING SPECIALISTS, AGAIN, I JUST TALKED ABOUT READING SPECIALISTS AND WELL, LET ME GO, I'M GONNA GO BACK ONE SLIDE AGAIN, THE ALIGNMENT WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SECTION ONE OBJECT OBJECTIVE ONE, I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THAT, BUT I DO WANT TO, TO MAKE NOTE THAT WE ARE ALIGNING ALL OF OUR REQUESTS WITH OUR, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN READING SPECIALIST. I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT. WHY I WOULD, WHAT I WOULD, WHAT I FEEL OUR NEED IS WITH THE READING SPECIALIST, WHY I WOULD LIKE THAT, UM, AND, AND HOW IT WOULD HELP US. AND AGAIN, THAT DOES MEET OUR OBJECTIVE, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. UH, MOVING DOWN ON TO OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT BLUE RIDGE TECH. WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS ON AN IEP OVER AT BLUE RIDGE TECH. UM, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING THOSE SERVICES. UH, YOU HAVE, WE JUST NEED THE SUPPORT THERE FOR OUR STUDENTS. YOU KNOW, THIS IS A REQUEST THAT, THAT, UM, MR. GREG HAS BROUGHT TO ME THE LAST TWO YEARS. UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S, IF IF HE DOESN'T FEEL THIS IS IMPORTANT, THEN YOU KNOW, HE WOULD NOT BE BRINGING THIS TO ME. UH, AGAIN, THAT ALIGNS TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT SY JEFFRIES. UH, AGAIN, SY JEFFRIES IS OUR THIRD LARGEST SCHOOL. WE NEED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SPECIALS THAT WE HAVE THERE FOR OUR STUDENTS. I THINK RIGHT NOW STUDENTS AT RESCUES GET PE ONE TIME A WEEK. IS THAT CORRECT? IT ROTATES WITH SPECIALS. SO YES. SOMETIMES IT'S FOURTH TIME, IT'LL BE TWICE. MM-HMM . OKAY. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S, IT'S 1, 1 1 DAY A WEEK, UM, WHICH WE NEED TO GET OUR STUDENTS IN ADDITIONAL PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS SO THEY CAN BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE SO THAT WE CAN, IT'S JUST A NEED THAT WE HAVE THERE. AND WE ALSO PROBABLY HAVE A NEED FOR ANOTHER MUSIC TEACHER, YOU KNOW, THERE AS WELL. UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN ONLY OFFER SO MUCH WHEN YOUR, YOUR NUMBERS ARE LOW. AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE TRANSLATOR, ELL, I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT. AGAIN, THOSE ALL ALIGN TO OUR, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN. THE NURSING COORDINATOR, I, AGAIN, I TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER. UH, WHAT THE DEMANDS ARE ON SCHOOL NURSES ARE EVER CHANGING. THERE'S A NEED TO HAVE A POSITION THAT'S ABLE TO SUPPORT AND TRAIN NURSES ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS POSITION WILL HELP ENSURE CONSISTENT BEST PRACTICES AND EFFECTIVE OVERSIGHT OF OUR NURSING PROGRAM. IT DOES ALIGN TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. THE PIOI ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT AS WELL EARLIER, THAT ALIGNS TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. AND THEN THE PAY GRADE ADJUSTMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IS AGAIN, LOOKING AT THE ALIGNMENT WITH THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THE PERSON IS ACTUALLY DOING. AND ALSO TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY WITH STREAMLINING SERVICES. AGAIN, THAT ALIGNS TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. ALL RIGHT. WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR NON-LABOR, MR. VALENTINE, WOULD YOU MIND TALKING ABOUT NON-LABOR FOR A LITTLE BIT? [03:25:05] IS A, AS FAR AS THE NON-LABOR FOR THE SCHOOLS, AS WE'VE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY TONIGHT, UH, THAT HAS NOT INCREASED BY ANY SIGNIFICANT MEANS OVER THE PAST 10, 12, 15 YEARS, WHATEVER. WE HAD A TITLE ONE AUDIT, AND IT BASICALLY DIDN'T POINT OUT THAT WE HAD AN INCREASED FUNDING, BUT WE HAD TO PROVE THAT WE'RE FUNDING EQUALLY AMONG OUR SCHOOLS. WELL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT ON A PER PUPIL BASIS, WE WERE NOT. SO WE'VE COME UP WITH A FORMULA, UM, THAT WOULD BE ON A PER PUPIL BASIS AT THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS. WHEN WE APPLY THIS CURRENT MEMBERSHIP AT THE SCHOOLS. UM, THAT GIVES YOU THAT FAR RIGHT COLUMN THERE, WHICH IS WHAT WOULD BE THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. YOU'LL NOTE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT COLUMN, THAT'D BE $914,000 COMPARED TO THE 834,000 TODAY THAT'S BUDGETED. SO IT'S ABOUT AN $80,000 INCREASE TO, UM, FUND EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS EQUITABLY AT THE DIFFERENT LEVELS, ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL. AND ALSO, UM, PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE OF RESI, WHERE IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THEIRS POPULATION HAS GROWN, BUT THEIR BUDGET DIDN'T GROW, UM, WILL HELP TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS WHERE, UM, THEY, THEY HAD NOT BEEN COMPENSATED FOR THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THEY HAVE. SO THAT'S WHAT WE LOOKED AT FOR NON-LABOR FOR OUR, UH, SCHOOLS. THE NEXT PAGE, UNLESS THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT PAGE, THE NEXT PAGE BREAKS OUT OUR OTHER DEPARTMENTS BASICALLY, UM, INCLUDING BLUE RIDGE TECH AND OUR, UH, NON-TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS, AND THEN ALL THE OTHER DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. AND BASICALLY WHAT THE INCREASES ARE THERE. AND I'LL JUST POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THEM. UM, THE FIRST ONE COMING DOWN, THAT RIGHT COLUMN THERE WHERE YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCES, THE 117,000 1 79 FOR COST CENTER, 900, THAT'S THE ANTICIPATED 5% COST INCREASE IN OUR, UH, CUSTODIAL BUDGET. NOW THAT'S GOING OUT FOR BID, I THINK, UH, THAT WAS JUST SENT OUT TODAY MAYBE, OR IS GOING TO BE TOMORROW OR SOMETIME REAL SOON. YEAH. SO ONCE THAT COMES BACK, WE'LL HAVE A BETTER FEEL FOR THAT. BUT, UM, TO BE SAFE, WE BUDGETED THAT THE TECHNOLOGY BUDGET AS WE'VE TALKED MANY TIMES ABOUT THE NEED THERE, THAT WOULD BE INCREASED. $633,000 SUBSTITUTES. AGAIN, ANOTHER SUBJECT WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT OVER THE PAST MONTHS, UM, 112,000. AND THEN DOWN IN INSTRUCTION, UM, ABOUT, WELL, A LITTLE OVER HALFWAY DOWN THE PAGE, THE 192,000, UM, I BELIEVE THAT IS TO SPEND THE REST OF THE CARRYOVER MONEY FROM THAT ALL IN FUNDING THAT DR. BALLINGER TALKED ABOUT. WE USE MOST ALL OF IT TO FUND THOSE, UH, REMEDIATION TUTOR POSITIONS. BUT THERE IS A LITTLE BIT LEFTOVER THAT WILL BE USED FOR MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES. AND SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, THERE'S A, UH, A $545,000 INCREASE IN THE, UH, NON-LABOR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. THANK YOU, MR. VALENTINE. ALL RIGHT. AS FAR AS JUSTIFICATIONS COMING UP, UM, WE'RE GONNA PULL UP OUR DIRECTOR. SO MR. STEF NOKI, TALK ABOUT TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE YOU JUST SAW THE INCREASES IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING THERE. SO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, SO WE'LL JUST CONSIDER THIS A REFRESHER. LIKE MR. VALENTINE SAID, WE'RE ASKING FOR A $633,000 INCREASE FOR TECHNOLOGY, AND WE WOULD USE THAT FOR THESE, UH, MAIN CHUNKS HERE. ONE IS FOR THE E-RATE MATCH. SO THAT WOULD HELP US, UH, GET THOSE DISCOUNTED FUNDS FOR OUR INTERNET SERVICES. UM, THE DARK FIBER LEASE THAT WE, THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST. AND THEN IN THE CATEGORY TWO WOULD BE ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE COULD, UH, MAINTAIN, LIKE OUR ACCESS POINTS, LICENSES, OUR FIREWALL, AND, UM, ANY UPGRADING ANYTHING LIKE SWITCHES AND THINGS LIKE THAT WE HAVE THAT HELP SERVICE, UH, SERVE, LIKE BRING IN THE INTERNET FOR OUR SCHOOLS. UH, THE OTHER TWO BULLET POINTS DOWN THERE, I'D LIKE TO KIND OF THINK OF AS JUST BEING, YOU COULD IMAGINE IN THE FUTURE JUST CALLING THOSE, LIKE, HELP US FOR OUR REFRESH OF DIFFERENT DEVICES. BUT NEXT YEAR I'D LIKE TO USE A PORTION OF IT TO, UH, UPGRADE OUR PHONE [03:30:01] SYSTEM. SO THAT'S AN ESTIMATE IN THERE. WHAT WE NEED TO JUST MAKE SURE WE HAVE A PHONE SYSTEM THAT HAS, UM, IS SERVICEABLE, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, IT'S FUNCTIONING, BUT IF WE HAVE RUN INTO SOME PROBLEMS THAT WE CAN'T SOLVE, THEN WE MIGHT HAVE A PHONE SYSTEM THAT JUST DOESN'T WORK. I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE. AND THEN THE BOTTOM CATEGORY IS JUST KIND OF COVERING SOME OF THE RISING COSTS OF SERVICES AND TO CATCH ALL FOR ALL OF THE REQUESTS THAT PEOPLE ASK FOR. MAYBE WE COULD HELP KIND OF THE SCHOOLS WITH GETTING SOME CAMERAS OR INTERACTIVE DISPLAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MINDS, YOU KNOW WHERE I AM. . THANK YOU, MR. STEFANSKI. NOW WE'LL BRING UP MS. BRAGG TO TALK INSTRUCTION. GOOD EVENING. LIKE DOUG SAID, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, JUST A REFRESHER FROM OUR DISCUSSION AT THE WORK SESSION BACK IN FEBRUARY. UM, THE UNIVERSAL SCREENER WOULD BE FOR K EIGHT, ENGLISH AND MATH. THOSE UNIVERSAL SCREENERS AND PROGRESS MONITORING TOOLS GIVE US THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO TALK ACROSS THE DIVISION ABOUT WHERE OUR STUDENTS ARE WITH THEIR SKILLS IN ENGLISH AND MATH. RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE HAVE, UM, HAD HAPPEN WITH UNIVERSAL SCREENERS IS WE'VE ALLOWED THE SCHOOLS TO KIND OF DO PILOTS OF SOME DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THIS YEAR THROUGH SOME OTHER FUNDING SOURCES. UM, AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING THE WHOLE DIVISION UNDER A COMMON UNIVERSAL SCREENERS. SO WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS ACROSS SCHOOLS AND VERTICALLY THROUGH, THROUGH THE GRADE LEVELS ON THOSE MATH AND ENGLISH SKILLS IS THE, IS, IS, IS A, IS AN ASK. THE PROGRESS MONITORING PART OF THAT ALLOWS FOR THAT DIFFERENTIATED TARGETED INSTRUCTION TO FILL THE GAPS FOR OUR STUDENTS. UM, AND SO THAT IS A COMPONENT THAT COSTS MORE. THE UNIVERSAL SCREENER ALONE IS JUST A TEST. IT KIND OF GOES TO THE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF WEIGHING THE PIG SCENARIO. WE CAN KEEP PUTTING THE PIG ON THE, ON THE SCALES, BUT IF WE DON'T CHANGE WHAT WE'RE DOING, HIS WEIGHT DOESN'T CHANGE. SO THAT PROGRESS MONITORING PIECE IS KIND OF THE COMPANION PIECE TO JUST GET ANOTHER TEST FOR STUDENTS TO TAKE THAT TELLS US THERE MAY BE A DEFICIT, BUT HOW DO WE ADDRESS IT? SO THAT'S SORT OF, UM, LIKE AN ADDED COST WITH THE PROGRESS MONITORING, UM, FOR THAT DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION. BUT I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE SO THAT IT GIVES US SOMETHING TO DO WHEN WE GET THOSE RESULTS BACK ON THOSE TESTS. UM, I'M GONNA SKIP THE TEXTBOOKS FOR JUST A SECOND. WE DO SEE AN INCREASING COST OF SERVICE, JUST LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, INFLATION, WE'RE SEEING, UM, YOU KNOW, AN INCREASE IN OUR, UH, PROGRAMS AND SOFTWARE THAT WE HAVE TO PURCHASE FROM YEAR TO YEAR TO RUN OUR STUDENT ASSESSMENTS AND THAT SORT OF THING. SO TO COVER THAT, BLUE RIDGE TECH IS LOOKING TO REPLACE SOME AGING EQUIPMENT, ALSO, SOME, UM, THINGS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING INTO FOR SOME, UH, CURRICULUM AND, AND, AND PROGRAMS THAT THEY NEED TO BUY IN ORDER FOR THOSE COURSES TO BE SUCCESSFUL. UM, AND AS ROB HAD MENTIONED, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE MONEY IS CARRY OVER FROM ALL IN VIRGINIA MONEY THAT WAS PROVIDED. UM, THAT WE ARE ALLOTTED A PORTION OF THAT TO PAY FOR VLA MATERIALS. UM, WE WOULD NEED TO PURCHASE SUPPLEMENTARY AND INTERVENTION MATERIALS FOR, UH, GRADES FOUR THROUGH EIGHT AS THAT LAW GOES INTO EFFECT INTO THOSE GRADE LEVELS FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. UM, THE TEXTBOOKS, THOSE ARE IN A SEPARATE FUND. SO WHILE THEY'RE ON MY SLIDE FOR AN INCREASE, UM, IN FUNDING, IT'S NOT PART OF THE 190 THAT ROB MENTIONED, UM, UNDER THE INSTRUCTION BUDGET. BUT, UM, IT IS A NEED. IT, IT IS, UM, MATH AND SOCIAL STUDIES ARE THE TWO TEXTBOOKS THAT ARE UP FOR, UM, A PURCHASE. AND, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES TO OUR TEACHERS. ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO ADD TO THIS SLIDE? UM, JUST WHEN WE PRESENT IT TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THE, THE TOTAL, THE DOLLAR NUMBERS, LIKE THE 190,000 FOR INSTRUCTION, AND THEN WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE TEXTBOOKS, JUST SO IT'S EASY AND EASY TO SEE ON THE SLIDE? YEAH, YEAH. WE CAN, WE CAN ADD NUMBERS TO THIS SLIDE. MM-HMM . YEP. FOR THINGS LIKE THE UNIVERSAL SCREENER, UM, WE'VE GOTTEN SOME PRICE QUOTES. DO YOU WANT ME TO PUT LIKE A RANGE WHERE I DON'T HAVE AN EXACT NUMBER BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SELECTED SOMETHING? I MEAN, AND THAT RANGE CAN BE, YOU KNOW, FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL. SO, BUT I CAN PUT IT ON THERE. YEAH, I THINK WE NEED TO JUST GIVE THE RANGE WHEN, IF, AND WE NEED TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA, BECAUSE YOU'RE PROBABLY GETTING DIFFERENT ONES FOR EACH, RIGHT? OR ARE WE GONNA KIND OF DO A, A FOUR THROUGH EIGHT? WE'RE DOING A K, OR, YEAH, IT'S, [03:35:01] WE'RE LOOKING AT LIKE A, THAT'S FINE, K EIGHT. AND DEPENDING ON THE FINANCES, THERE'S SOME ADJUSTMENTS WE CAN MAKE. SO, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE VOWS TESTING, YOU KNOW, AT K TWO, EVERY KID PERHAPS THEY DON'T NEED AN ENGLISH, ANOTHER ENGLISH TEST. SO THERE'S SOME ADJUSTMENTS WE CAN MAKE DEPENDING ON HOW THE FUNDING PLAYS OUT. BUT I CAN PUT THE RANGE OF LIKE, WHAT, WHAT COMPANIES ARE TOSSING TO US IN, IN QUOTES. NOT A PROBLEM. YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GREAT. OKAY, THANKS. THANK YOU. AND NOW WE WILL DISCUSS, UH, HUMAN RESOURCES AND MS. DRAKE. GOOD EVENING. UM, SO HUMAN RESOURCES, I MEAN, I'M ALWAYS GONNA ADVOCATE FOR, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP US IN COMPLIANCE IN GENERAL, BUT REALLY, YOU KNOW, OUR PEOPLE ARE OUR GREATEST ASSET. UM, AND OUR MISSION IS HERE TO BE WITH OUR STUDENTS. AND SO I DO ALIGN WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WITH OUR RECRUITING AND RETENTION. SO, UM, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS LIKE THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, THAT MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE INTIMIDATING, BUT THAT YOU'RE BUYING A SYSTEM, YOU'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE COMPLIANT, THAT WE'RE UP TO DATE, UM, THAT WE HAVE GOOD FLOW AND USE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. SO WE USE POWERSCHOOL NOW. SO AS WE LOOK AT, UM, YOU KNOW, INVESTING IN PERFORM AND THEN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO IMPLEMENT AN ENTIRE NEW SYSTEM AND TO PAY THAT COST. AND, YOU KNOW, SO WE ARE WORKING WITH WHAT WE HAVE AND WE'RE MAKING IT WORK FOR US. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO INCREASE FUNDS FOR SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT AND THEN GO THROUGH TRAINING AND ADD DISRUPTION. SO, UH, WOULD LIKE TO STICK WITH THEM. UM, I DID SKIP OUR TIMEKEEPING SYSTEM. AGAIN, WE ARE USING PAPER. UM, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO GO ELECTRONIC. WE NEED TO BE DIGITAL. I CAN ADVOCATE FOR THIS ALL DAY. I'M HOPEFUL THAT YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME. UM, BUT WE DO NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, TRACKING OUR TIME APPROPRIATELY AND THEN BE REMAINING IT WITHIN COMPLIANCE WITH THOSE TIMESTAMPS, UH, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR PROTECTION OF, OF OUR WARREN, WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. UM, I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT POWERSCHOOL AND THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, UH, FOR OUR DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN THE EVALUATE SYSTEM, THE EVALUATE SYSTEM, LIKE I SAID LAST TIME, IS SPECIFIC TO THE STATE OF VIRGINIA AS FAR AS HOW WE EVALUATE OUR TEACHERS. UM, SO AS WE EVALUATE THEM TO WHERE THEY SHOULD BE LANDING, RIGHT, WE'RE ABLE TO GIVE THAT FEEDBACK, THAT CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK OR POSITIVE FEEDBACK, UM, WE CAN THEN HAVE THEM GO INTO THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT IF THERE'S AN AREA OF AN IMPROVEMENT OR MAYBE JUST, HEY, I WANT TO IMPROVE MYSELF, RIGHT? SO IT'S A GOOD INVESTMENT IN OUR EMPLOYEES AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. UM, AND THEN OUR BACKGROUND CHECKS. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL A LITTLE BAFFLED THAT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OUTSIDE OF CALLING YOU AND SAYING, HEY, WE CAN'T WAIT TO INTERVIEW YOU, COME INTO OUR SCHOOLS. UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO EXTEND YOU AN OFFER. AND THE FIRST IMPRESSION THEY GET OUT OF OUR OFFICE IS LIKE, I NEED A $27 CHECK AND OR CASH. SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENDURE, YOU KNOW, TAKE ON THE BURDEN OF THIS COST OUT OF THE HR DEPARTMENT AND NOT HAVE ANY OF OUR CANDIDATES THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO HIRE OR PAY FOR THEIR BACKGROUND. UM, I FEEL THAT THAT SHOULD JUST BE INCLUDED. SO I AM REQUESTING THAT, AND I KNOW THAT IS A BIGGER ASK, UM, BUT I THINK AGAIN, FOR JUST ATTRACTION AND RETENTION, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT. UM, AND THEN OUR SUB BUDGET. SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF TENURED EMPLOYEES AND THAT IS WONDERFUL, BUT THAT ALSO MEANS THAT THEY GET MORE TIME OFF. AND SO WE DO HAVE TO HAVE THAT COVERAGE, UM, FOR THEM. BUT THEN WE ARE ALSO WITHIN OUR POLICY OF GCBD DASH R AND GDBD DASH R, UM, AS FAR AS THAT INCENTIVE GOES, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES ON THAT AND, YOU KNOW, PAYOUT FOR THEM TO COME IN, UM, THAT'S THE SAME ITEM. SO IF WE'RE TAKING THE FUNDING OUT OF THAT AND NOT SEPARATING IT OUT, LIKE WE DO HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT AND WHAT WE WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT THIS YEAR. UM, AND IT'S COMING FROM THAT BUDGET. SO AS WE INCREASE THE SUB BUDGET, JUST KNOW IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE OFF. UM, AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE SHORT-TERM DISABILITY, WE HAVE LONG-TERM DISABILITY, AND WE HAVE FMLA. OUR EMPLOYEES NEED TO GET HEALTHY, THEY NEED TO GET WELL, THEY DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT COMING BACK IN. THEIR PRIORITY IS THEMSELVES. UM, AND I DEFINITELY STOLE THAT STRAIGHT LINE FROM MARIA, OUR BENEFITS SPECIALIST. I HEAR HER SAY IT ALL THE TIME TO OUR EMPLOYEES WHEN SHE'S TALKING TO THEM, BUT SHE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. AND WE DO NEED TO GET THAT SUB IN FOR THAT COVERAGE FOR OUR CLASSROOMS. 'CAUSE AGAIN, OUR, OUR STUDENTS ARE OUR PRIORITY. SO, UM, JUST AN INCREASE IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS BECAUSE OF THAT. BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MR. DRAKE. THEN WE'LL BRING UP DR. COSTNER, TALK ABOUT FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS, MADAM CHAIR BOARD MEMBERS. UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE TRANSPORTATION, WE WERE ASKING FOR AN INCREASE OF, UM, 9.19% THIS YEAR OR THIS UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR. AND, AND THE REASON FOR THE INCREASE IS, AND YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T GIVE SPECIFIC AMOUNTS BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW IF THE TRANSMISSION [03:40:01] OF A BUS MAY GO OUT OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. BUT THE, THE, AS YOU CAN SEE, PARTS HAVE INCREASED ALREADY SINCE 2022 BY 8.7%. YOU CAN ALSO SEE THAT WE, UM, ARE ROUTING SOFTWARE. WE NEED TO UPDATE THAT. AND THAT'S ALSO A POLICY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT TO MAKE SURE OUR SCHOOL BUSES HAVE ROUTE THE ROUTES ON THEM. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ACCURATE AND APPROPRIATE FOR WHAT WE HAVE ON OUR BUSES. AND WE ALSO NEED TO REPLACE ONE OF OUR BUS LIFTS SO WE CAN KEEP THEM IN, UM, MAINTAINING OUR RADIOS. NOW AND AGAIN, THIS TRANSPORTATION DOES FALL DIRECTLY ALONG WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH IS, UM, ACTUALLY THE SECTION, UM, SIX ON TRANSPORTATION, WHICH IT ALIGNS DIRECTLY WITH THAT. OUR OTHER, UM, FOOD SERVICES WE'RE ACTIVE ASKING FOR AN 8.53% INCREASE. AND AS YOU KNOW, THE COST OF FOOD IS GOING UP. BUT ALSO WITH THAT, WE NEED TO MAINTAIN OUR, UM, WHAT WE HAVE, LIKE WE NEED TO UPGRADE SOME OF OUR FREEZERS. WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR KITCHEN EQUIPMENT'S UPGRADED, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, ONCE WE GET THE FOOD IN, THERE'S A COST FOR ORDERING THE FOOD. THEN THERE'S A COST FOR STORING THE FOOD. SO IF WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER FREEZER IN, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ADJUST SOME OF THE COSTS THERE. UM, AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, AND IT IS, UM, MR. VALENTINE MENTIONED OUR CUSTODIAL SERVICES, WE DID PUT A 5% INCREASE ON THAT BECAUSE WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA BE YET. WE'VE PUT IT OUT FOR BIDS. WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU WITH THAT INFORMATION AS TIME AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. BUT ALL THIS TIES DIRECTLY INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, AS YOU KNOW, IT ENCOMPASSES EVERY STUDENT EVERY DAY. AND TRANSPORTATION, FOOD SERVICES AND MAINTENANCE TOUCH EVERY STUDENT EVERY DAY. WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS DO WELL ON THEIR SOL TEST SCORES. WELL, IF YOU'RE HUNGRY, HANGRY, YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO WELL ON A TEST. UM, WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO COME TO A SCHOOL THAT'S CLEAN, THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS STAY HEALTHY SO OUR ATTENDANCE STAYS UP. SO ALL THIS DOES TIE DIRECTLY INTO, UM, OUR, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN FOR OUR REQUESTS FOR, UM, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE. AND, AND YES, I THREW IT IN THERE. UM, WE TALK ABOUT FOOD PRICES HAVE INCREASED. UH, I HAD 37% ON THIS. I LOOKED AT IT TODAY. EGG PRICES HAVE GONE UP NOW 53%. I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S JUST A LITTLE CHUCKLE, BUT IT IS JUST A POINT TO SAY THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, PRICES ARE INCREASING. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO PROJECT THIS COST TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN FEED OUR STUDENTS A NUTRITIONAL MEAL. DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? I DO. UM, CAN THIS SLIDE ALSO HAVE DOLLAR FIGURES PUT IN TO THE, TO THE PLEASE? LIKE FOR INSTANCE, THE NEED TO REPLACE THE, UH, BUS LIFT. WHICH BUS LIFT LIFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND WHAT ARE WE REPLACING IT WITH? HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO TO BE? UM, I, I'M JUST, OKAY. THE BUS LIFT, THE ONE THAT WAS, THAT'S NOT WORKING PROPERLY. IT DOESN'T, IT WON'T HOLD UP. IT WAS BUILT AND WE GOT IT BACK IN, I THINK IN 2002. UM, I CAN LOOK AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY QUOTES. UM, POSSIBLY PRICE. YEAH, I THINK YOU SAID IT. IT'S ABOUT 80,000 FOR A BUS LIFT LIFTED. DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT. I MEAN, WE'LL GET, WE'LL PUT NUMBERS ON THERE. LIKE FOR THE BUS LIFTS WE CAN GET NUMBERS. AARON PROBABLY HAS SOMETHING. SO, OKAY. SOMETIMES WE WON'T BE SU SPECIFIC ABOUT BECAUSE THE COSTS ARE EVER CHANGING OR THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT, UH, IT IS. JUST HARD TO PREDICT WAS, AS I SAID, SOME OF THE PARTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WELL, YEAH, YEAH, THAT PART I, I GET. BUT UM, WE HAD JUST AS YOU KNOW, WE JUST DID THE WCPS 1 0 1 AND WE TOURED THE TRANSPORTATION AREA AND I WAS ACTUALLY COMPLIMENTING AND IMPRESSED WITH YOUR BUS LIFTS. YEAH. SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHICH ONE OF THEM WAS, WAS BROKEN. AND THEN FUEL COSTS, FUEL COSTS ARE COMING BACK DOWN, WE HOPE. FINGERS CROSSED. YES, MA'AM. YEAH. UM, AND THEN WITH THE, UH, THE WALK-IN FREEZERS, I THOUGHT WE HAD JUST, I MEAN, WE REMEMBER WE HAD WAY TOO MUCH MONEY IN OUR FOOD SERVICE ACCOUNT. AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO SPEND IT, WE, WE'VE GOT MORE MONEY THAN WE KNOW HOW TO SPEND AND WE'VE REPLACED TONS OF KITCHEN EQUIPMENT. UM, DIDN'T WE JUST UPGRADE THE WALK-IN FREEZERS? WE HAVE PURCHASED ONE. WE HAVE PURCHASED ONE NEW WALK-IN FREEZER FOR SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL. UM, BUT THAT ALSO DOESN'T INCLUDE THE OTHER SCHOOLS YET. SO, UM, THERE IS A SPEND DOWN PLAN YES, MA'AM. THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON. BUT IT, UM, IT'S THE, UM, JUST WITH, I GUESS KINDA LIKE WITH THE, THE CAFETERIA IMPROVEMENT PLAN DOWN THE ROAD OF THINGS THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY NEED TO WORK ON AND GET FIXED. AND WE DID ALL THE ONES AT LFK AS WELL. AND, AND THAT ONE SERVING LINES. YES MA'AM. WE, WE'VE UPDATED THE SERVICE LINE. MOST OF SERVICE LINES AT THE SCHOOLS, THE FREEZER AT LFK AS WELL. 'CAUSE WE DID THAT WHOLE OUTSIDE EDITION SECTION. SO YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE PRICES ON THIS. AND THEN I THOUGHT WITH THE FOOD PROGRAM THAT WE WERE IN, WHERE WE WERE GIVING FREE BREAKFASTS AND, AND LUNCHES AND WHATNOT. SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT WHAT WE'RE BEING RE AREN'T WE [03:45:01] REIMBURSED FOR ALL THAT? LIKE THIS IS A, ISN'T IT FEDERAL PROGRAM? SO IT IS, SO, SO LET ME CLARIFY THIS. WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT FOOD SERVICE AND WHAT WE'RE LISTING HERE, THAT'S NOT PART OF OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET THAT WILL BE COVERED OUT OF THE CHILD NUTRITION ACCOUNT. SO YES, YOU ARE CORRECT THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE REVENUE THAT FLOWS INTO THE CHILD NUTRITION ACCOUNT, THAT'S FEDERAL, THAT'S STATE. MM-HMM . IT IS BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE ALL, EVERY STUDENT NEEDS FREE BREAKFAST, FREE LUNCH. SO THIS DOES NOT HAVE ANY PLAY WITH AN INCREASE IN LOCAL DOLLARS. OKAY. SO THIS, THIS, WHEN HE'S TALKING ABOUT THAT FOOD SERVICE, THAT'S GONNA ACTUALLY BE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, THIS, UH, WELL IT'S ON DOWN. IT'S, IT'S LIKE FEW, FEW MORE SLIDES ON DOWN WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT FOOD SERVICE FOR 4 MILLION. UM, THAT'S WHAT, WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT THERE. NOW, TRANSPORTATION, THAT IS AN OPERATION THAT IS OKAY, BUT CHILD NUTRITION IS NOT. SO JUST, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, I DO THINK THAT'S GONNA BE IMPORTANT WHEN WE TALK TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE AS FAMILIAR WITH OUR CHILD NUTRITION ACCOUNT. I KNOW YOU'RE SAYING IT'S SEVERAL SLIDES DOWN, BUT JUST EVEN ON THE SLIDE, SEPARATING THAT OUT. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. I CAN DO THAT. WE'LL WORK ON THAT. ALRIGHT, GOOD. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU DR. COSTNER. ALL RIGHT, MR. VALENTINE. OKAY. THIS CHART IS JUST TO, UH, GIVE YOU A COMPARISON BETWEEN WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE BETWEEN OUR CURRENT YEAR BUDGET AND THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. UM, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A, A JUMP OF ABOUT 2.3 MILLION IN SALARIES. ADDITIONAL POSITIONS ARE ABOUT, UM, 45,000, 47,000 MORE THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR. WE HAVE $82,000 WORTH OF WHAT I'LL CALL POSITION ENHANCEMENTS. THAT'S NOT ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, BUT IT'S TAKING POSITIONS AND, UH, EN ENHANCING THEM IN SOME MEAN OR MEANS OR ANOTHER. AND THAT, UH, WE DID NOT HAVE ANY OF THAT LAST YEAR. AND THEN THE INCREASE, UH, IN THE, UH, NON-LABOR. SO THAT MEANS THE TOTAL INCREASE IN THE BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR'S PROPOSED WOULD BE $3.2 MILLION LATER ON. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT. I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER SLIDE HERE. UM, WE'RE GOING TO SAY, WELL, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, THE ASK TO THE COUNTY IS NOT THAT MUCH MONEY. HOW COME? AND WE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT THEN, OR, AND THAT'S THE VERY NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. OKAY. , WELL, THIS IS THE STATE REVENUE. AND, AND I DO HAVE, I, I HAVE IT BROKE DOWN INTO THREE SLIDES. SO I HAVE IT, YEAH, THIS SLIDE, THIS SLIDE AND THAT SLIDE. OKAY. LET GO. TELL ME, GO TO THE SECOND ONE 'CAUSE I DON'T GO TO THE SECOND ONE. IT'S TOTALED ON THE OTHER ONE. OKAY. SO WE HAVE BASICALLY ON THE LEFT HAND COLUMN THERE, THREE STATE BUDGETS. UM, THE GOVERNORS, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. NOW, THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WERE PASSED. THEY'RE FOR THE SAME AMOUNT. SO THEY'RE ABOUT A MILLION, WELL, NOT ABOUT, THEY'RE 1,000,050 $9,894 MORE THAN WHAT THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS WERE. AGAIN, THE STATE HAS NOT, UH, THE GOVERNOR HAS NOT SIGNED THE BUDGET BILL. SO, UH, WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GONNA LAND WITH THAT. SO THAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. BUT IF, UM, IT'S SIGNED AS A ADOPTED BY THE HOUSE, UH, BY THE, UH, GENERAL ASSEMBLY, WE WOULD GET 42,000,789. 5 0 5. SO WHEN YOU FLIP TO THE NEXT CHART, THAT AT THE VERY BOTTOM RIGHT IS PROBABLY WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON. UM, TOTAL REVENUE BY SOURCE STATE, YOU CAN SEE THE 42 789, 5 0 5 I JUST MENTIONED, WHICH IS 1,000,001 INCREASE, UM, OUR FEDERAL AT THIS POINT. AND UNTIL WE GET A FEDERAL BUDGET, UM, AWARD OF OUR DIFFERENT TITLE PROGRAMS LATER THIS YEAR, WE'VE JUST LEVEL FUNDED IT. IT'S NORMALLY SAFE TO DO THAT. UM, THE MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE THAT GOES DOWN $212,000 BECAUSE WE RECEIVED A REBATE ON THE QUALIFIED ENERGY CONSERVATION BOND THAT WE PAY. BUT THE COUNTY HAS SAID, UH, AT LEAST ASK US TO, TO, UH, MOVE THAT TO THEM TO PAY. SO WE'D HAVE TO MOVE THAT REVENUE TOO. WE WOULDN'T GET THAT TOO. THEY WOULD KEEP THAT. THAT'S WHY THAT [03:50:01] ONE WENT DOWN. THEN THE, UH, ALL IMPORTANT COUNTY OF WARREN, UM, THAT SHOWS A 4.2, ALMOST $4.3 MILLION INCREASE. AND THE REASON THAT'S MORE THAN THE 3.2 MILLION INCREASE IN THE STATE, UM, OR IN OUR TOTAL BUDGET, IS WE'RE LOSING CLOSE TO $2 MILLION IN WHAT I'LL CALL TRANSFERS. THAT WAS MONEY FROM THE ALL IN TUTORING THAT CAME IN LAST YEAR, BUT WE DIDN'T SPEND LAST YEAR AND IT WAS HELD AND IT'S BEING TRANSFERRED TO US THIS YEAR. PLUS WE'RE BUMPING UP AND TRANSFERRING 400 AND SOME THOUSAND, YEAH, FROM 4 26, OUR OPERATING BUDGET TO THE TEXTBOOK FUND, THAT IT'S STATE MONEY THAT COMES IN THAT'S DESIGNATED FOR TEXTBOOKS. WE'VE ALWAYS USED IT IN THE OP, NOT ALWAYS, BUT FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, USED IT IN THE OPERATING BUDGET TO COVER ITEMS THAT ARE, THAT DO QUALIFY FROM THE STATE FOR THAT. BUT THEY'RE NOT TEXTBOOKS AS SUCH. AND, UH, AS MRS. BRAGG, UM, MENTIONED, WE, WE DESPERATELY NEED TO REPLACE TEXTBOOKS AND WE SEE THIS AS A WAY OF STARTING AT LEAST TO CHANNEL SOME MONEY INTO THAT FUND SO THAT WE CAN START, START THE PROGRESSION OF REPLACING THE TEXTBOOKS. AND SO MR. VALENTINE JUST TOOK CARE OF THE NEXT SLIDE FOR ME WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THAT. SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS THERE, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE LOSING THAT 1.537 MILLION, UH, THAT WAS THE ALL IN TUTORING THAT WAS GOING TOWARDS THE STUDENT SUPPORT COACHES AND STUDENT SUPPORT COACH IAS. AND THEN THERE'S THAT 4 2 6 9 73 THAT HAS BEEN IN OUR REVENUE AND HAS BEEN IN THE NON-LABOR BUDGETS, BUT WE ARE PULLING THAT OUT TO PUT THAT WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO IN OUR TEXTBOOK FUND AND SO THAT WE CAN PURCHASE TEXTBOOKS. SO YOU ADD THAT UP, THAT'S A, UH, RIGHT AT A $2 MILLION DECREASE IN REVENUE, UH, COMING INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND THEN HERE'S WHERE WE SUM SUMMARIZE OUR CHILD NUTRITION. I TALKED ABOUT THAT EARLIER THAT WE WOULD SEE THAT ON ANOTHER SLIDE. SO THIS WOULD BE FOR THE CHILD NUTRITION ACCOUNT, THE 4.3 MILLION, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE'RE PUTTING THAT 426,000, UM, INTO THE TEXTBOOK FUND. SO THAT'S TAKING IT OUT OF THAT REVENUE LINE WHERE IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST, PUTTING IT INTO THE TEXTBOOK FUND. AND THEN AS FAR AS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT FIVE SCHOOLS THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE THE, UH, MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. UH, THEN WE HAVE THE ROOF AT HILL OF J BARBER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND THEN OUR TENNIS COURTS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HOPING TO AT LEAST GET ONE DONE AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL. UH, STARTING THERE, WE DID GET SOME QUOTES THAT WERE DEFINITELY, UH, CHEAPER THAN THE INITIAL QUOTES THAT WE HAD BY ABOUT $300,000, I BELIEVE. AND SO THE REQUEST THERE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT WOULD BE 875,000. AND THEN JUST, HERE'S ANOTHER PICTURE OF THAT, OF THE TENNIS COURTS. AND THAT IS IT, THAT IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS AND THEY WANNA COME BY MY OFFICE AND TALK ABOUT BUDGET, I'M MORE THAN WELCOME TO SET AND VISIT AND TALK BUDGET WITH SOMEBODY ALL DAY LONG IF THEY NEED TO. SO MY OFFICE IS OPEN, MR. BALLANTINE AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AVAILABLE IF THERE'S ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO COME IN AND HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THIS BUDGET. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? THIS IS MORE OF A COMMENT AGAIN, BUT I THINK YOU WERE ON PAGE 46. YOU WERE PRETTY CLEAR WITH EXPLAINING WHY THE, OUR ASK INCREASE TO THE COUNTY IS 4.2 MILLION, BUT OUR OVERALL BUDGET INCREASE IS 3.2. AND I THINK JUST MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S AS CLEAR AS IT CAN BE. I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK YOU WERE JUST NOW, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE ALL OF A SUDDEN WE JUST WRAPPED UP. YEAH, SO, SO WE'RE ALSO GONNA DO A, UM, AN INFOGRAPH THAT WILL OUTLINE SOME THINGS AND, AND SO WE'LL MAKE SURE TO PINPOINT THOSE. UH, SO KIND OF LIKE A ONE PAGER. SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH THE, UH, BUDGET COMMITTEE LAST NIGHT, HAVING A ONE PAGER TO OUTLINE SOME THINGS, AND THEN THEY CAN REFLECT BACK TO THE OVERALL BUDGET IF THEY NEED TO. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST DID NOT HAVE TIME TO GET THAT COMPLETED TODAY. SO WE, WE WILL WORK ON THAT AND HAVE THAT AVAILABLE. OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION ON THIS BUDGET? UH, MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S FY AT 26 PROPOSED BUDGET [03:55:01] AS PRESENTED. IS THERE A SECOND, A SECOND DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET? SO TONIGHT WHEN WE LISTENED TO ROTARY, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY, THEY TALKED ABOUT WAS, IS IT BENEFICIAL AND FAIR TO ALL PARTIES? AND THAT IS DEFINITELY THE, THE PERSPECTIVE THAT I HAVE. WHEN I LOOK AT THIS BUDGET, I LOOK AT WHAT OUR SCHOOLS NEED, I LOOK AT WHAT OUR COUNTY NEEDS, AND I LOOK AT WHAT OUR TAXPAYERS NEED AND IF WE PASS THIS BUDGET AS IT SITS. AND, AND THAT'S THE DIFFICULT PART OF THIS, IS THAT THIS IS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET. IT'S NOT, UM, WE CAN'T ASK TO AMEND IT. WE CAN'T ASK TO, AS WE WENT THROUGH THE SLIDES, WE COULDN'T ASK TO, AS A BOARD SAY, HEY, CAN YOU CUT THAT? HEY, CAN YOU CUT THIS? IT'S, IT'S ALL OR NOTHING. AND, UM, THIS WOULD BE AN 11% INCREASE TO OUR, TO OUR TAXPAYERS WITH WHAT WE'RE ASKING EXTRA AND TO EXPLAIN THE, THE TAX PROCESS BECAUSE IT WAS EXPLAINED A LITTLE INCORRECTLY EARLIER TONIGHT. YES, OUR, OUR VALUES OF OUR HOMES HAVE GONE UP, HOWEVER, THE PROCESS ISN'T FINISHED YET. SO NO, THAT DID NOT RAISE THE REVENUE NECESSARILY. THAT'S, THAT'S COMING IN BECAUSE THERE IS THE EQUALIZATION PROCESS. THE COUNTY CANNOT BRING IN MORE THAN A 1% INCREASE WITHOUT ADVERTISING IT AS A TAX INCREASE. SO YES, WE, WE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OWNING THIS AS A TAX INCREASE TO OUR CITIZENS. AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS IN THIS BUDGET THAT I CAN SUPPORT. THERE ARE THINGS IN THIS BUDGET THAT I CANNOT SUPPORT. UM, I THINK THERE ARE STILL AREAS THAT, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TRIMMED DOWN. AND MY CONCERN, AND THIS IS MY FOURTH BUDGET SEASON, MY CONCERN IS WHEN YOU GO IN TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WITH AN ASK THAT IS TOO LARGE AND STILL HAS AREAS THAT COULD BE CUT, WE RUN THE RISK OF THEM JUST SAYING NO. AND I KNOW THAT MY WARNING WITH THAT WAS NOT HEATED LAST YEAR AND, AND WE WERE FLAT FUNDED. UM, I THINK THERE ARE STILL SOME, SOME WANTS IN THIS BUDGET AND NOT NECESSARILY ALL NEEDS. I, I REALLY AM NERVOUS ABOUT RISKING US LOSING THINGS THAT ARE OUR NEEDS BY GOING IN WITH TOO HIGH OF AN ASK. UM, I, I GET THE IDEA, I GUESS IS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, GO IN HIGH AND LET THEM HAGGLE US DOWN LOW. BUT I, I DON'T THINK THAT, THAT, THAT'S NOT, I LISTENED VERY CAREFULLY TO WHAT THE INSTRUCTIONS WERE THAT DR. JAMISON GAVE LAST YEAR, AND HE SPECIFICALLY SAID THAT OUR BOARD IS IN CHARGE OF COMING UP WITH A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BUDGET, AND DO NOT JUST COME IN WITH THIS HUGE ASK AND MAKE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BE THE BAD GUYS. SO THOSE ARE MY FEELINGS ON IT. AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL, I GUESS I HATE THAT AUTOMATICALLY JUST BECAUSE WE ARE ADVOCATING FOR WHAT THE SCHOOLS FOR NEED. FOR SOME REASON, WE FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD MAKE THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS JUST IMMEDIATELY SAY, WELL, YOU ADVOCATED TOO HARD, YOU ASKED FOR TOO MUCH, SO YOU GET NOTHING. I, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S HOW THE SUPERVISORS WOULD SEE THAT. AND I WOULD SURE HOPE NOT BECAUSE I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE IN THE POSITION TO DO EITHER. UM, LAST YEAR, I, WE GOT ALL THE WAY THROUGH WHEN THE SUPERVISORS HAD SET THEIR TAX RATE ALREADY. AND THE COMMENT THAT I GOT BACK WAS, WELL, IF I HAD KNOWN THAT YOU GUYS NEEDED THIS, WE COULD HAVE MAYBE HAD DIFFERENT DISCUSSIONS. AND SO THIS YEAR I FEEL LIKE WE'VE, WE'RE EARLY, WE'RE SAYING WHAT WE NEED. WE'VE ALREADY HEARD IN THIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT THAT THIS WASN'T THE HIGH, THIS WASN'T THE ASKING FOR THE MOON BUDGET. I THINK IF WE WERE, IF WE'RE BEING REALISTIC AND WE TOOK EVERYBODY'S WISHLISTS AND WANTS AND WHAT THEY TRULY THOUGHT THEY NEEDED, WE'D PROBABLY BE ASKING FOR $10 MILLION. WE KNOW AT LEAST WE'D BE ASKING FOR PROBABLY 8 MILLION. UM, SO I GUESS I JUST SEE IT DIFFERENTLY, UM, BECAUSE AS A SCHOOL BOARD AND SITTING HERE, I FEEL STRONGLY THAT OUR JOB IS TO ASK FOR WHAT WE NEED. AND I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE IN A DIFFICULT POSITION AND RIGHT THERE IS A FINITE AMOUNT OF MONEY. AND WE MAY NOT GET THAT. WE PROBABLY WON'T GET THAT. [04:00:01] UM, BUT I THINK IT IS OUR JOB TO ASK AND PUT FORTH A BUDGET THAT WE BELIEVE IN. I ALSO HAVE HEARD, AND I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, WE'RE NOT AMENDING THIS BUDGET TONIGHT. UM, BUT I ALSO HAVEN'T HEARD ANYONE DURING ANY OF THESE DISCUSSIONS SAY WHERE WE WOULD CUT THIS. I MEAN, DURING YOUR BUDGET, DR. FUNK, MR. MCFADDEN, YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN MEETING SINCE DECEMBER. YOU'VE BEEN MEETING SINCE BEFORE THEN. UM, WHAT, WHAT HAS COME UP IN THOSE MEETINGS AS THIS IS STILL TOO MUCH OF A WANT BUDGET? LIKE WHERE ARE WE TRYING TO CUT? I GUESS I JUST WANT SOME SUGGESTIONS. WELL, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR, WE, WE WENT IN HARD AND ASKED FOR, ASKED FOR $2,469,701 AND WE GOT ZERO. AND WE CAME BACK TO THE BOARD AND, AND DR. BALLINGER LED US IN DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE CAN HOLD AND WHAT WE CAN HOLD OFF AND WHAT WE CAN DO. AND WE ALL OF A SUDDEN FIGURED OUT A WAY TO, TO MAKE THE YEAR GO WITHOUT HAVING THE EXTRA 2 MILLION, 2.5 MILLION. I BROUGHT THIS UP AS MS. MEADOWS MENTIONED TONIGHT, HAVING THE SORT OF THE LUXURY PLAN. AND THEN THERE'S THE, THE FLAT FUNDING PLAN AND THERE'S WHERE, WHERE'S THAT PRIORITY PLAN, THE MIDDLE THAT, THAT'S AN IDEA I BROUGHT UP AS WELL BECAUSE I CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA FLAT FUND, I MEAN, IT, IT'S A, IT'S A THING WE DON'T EVEN WANNA TALK ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S HORRIBLE. AND WE, WE, WE DISCUSSED IT LAST NIGHT AT OUR MEETING, BUT THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME SORT OF IN BETWEEN PLACE. SO IF IT'S A MATTER OF SAYING, WHAT COULD WE CUT? I TOLD DR. BEJO YESTERDAY THAT I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH. I'M NOT BOOTS IN THE GROUND OF WHAT WE SHOULD CUT. I, THAT'S NOT EVEN OUR, I I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DECISION IS AS MY BOSS IS MY JOB TO SAY, YOU NEED TO CUT BY 10%. YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, YOU NEED TO, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT KNOWS WHERE YOU CAN CUT IT, WHERE YOU CAN'T CUT IT. SO I DON'T, I I, TO GO THROUGH THE LIST AND LOOK AT THE LINE ITEMS, IT WOULD BE JUST WRONG OF ME TO SAY, WELL, THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE TO CUT IT, BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE AND BE DISRESPECTFUL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO, WHO ARE ON THE, ON THE GROUND EVERY DAY. BUT THE ONE THING I CAN SAY IS, THERE IS SOME, A BUDGET IS NOT A BUDGET IN A VACUUM. WE'RE IN A BUDGET IN A, IN A TIME AND A PLACE IN A, JUST A COUNTY WHERE WE ARE. YOU CAN'T JUST SAY, WELL, THESE ARE OUR NEEDS. IT HAS TO BE NEEDS IN RELATION TO HOW WE GET THEM AND WHERE IT COMES FROM AND WHAT THE, WHAT THE, THE, WHAT'S GOING ON IN TODAY'S WORLD AND WHAT'S GOING ON. EVEN IN THE COUNTY, WE, THEY RAISED THE BUDGET LAST YEAR. WE'RE FEELING THE EFFECTS OF IT. THE, THE HOUSING COSTS HAVE GONE UP A LITTLE BIT. SO THERE'S JUST A, IT'S, IT, IT CAN'T JUST BE, THIS IS OUR WANTS. THIS IS OUR NEEDS. THIS IS WHAT IT IS. AND SO PEOPLE SHOULD, WE SHOULD JUST BE ABLE TO SAY IT. I JUST DON'T, I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT THEORY. I THINK THE THEORY IS YOU HAVE TO SAY, THIS IS ALWAYS A SALES PITCH. I KNOW WE HAVE A SUPERVISOR BACK THERE. DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT WE'RE SAYING. THIS IS OUR, OUR TACTIC. UM, IT'S A, IT'S A SALES PITCH OF SOME SORT. EVERYTHING FROM THE PRESENTATION TO HOW YOU EXPLAIN IT. I, I, BEING ON THIS BOARD, I'VE LEARNED A LOT OF WHAT A ABBREVIATIONS ARE IN, IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL WORLD THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IT BEFORE, AND I'M STILL LEARNING THEM. THE PEOPLE WE'RE SELLING TO ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DON'T KNOW ALL THIS STUFF INSIDE OUT. AND IT'S A MATTER OF BEING ABLE TO EXPLAIN IN SOME RATIONAL FORMAT, IN A SHORT, SWEET VERSION IN PLAIN ENGLISH, AS WE SAID EARLIER, TO, TO BE ABLE TO SAY, HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT IT IS. HERE'S, I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST NIGHT, IS, IS, IS THE NUMBER OF 5 0 4 STUDENTS. THAT INCREASES AN AMAZING THING OF, IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A 5 0 4 STUDENT NEEDS OR HOW, HOW IT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T, THEY, THEY, YOU CAN'T JUST THROW 20 OF THEM IN A CLASSROOM. THEY NEED TO HAVE EXTRA TIME. THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE MORE ENGLISH LEARNERS THAT NEED MORE TIME, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE ON A READING, UH, LIST OR ON A READING PLAN, THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I, WE COULD EXPLAIN TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IN A, IN, I THINK IN A MORE SALES WAY TO EXPLAIN WHAT, WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE THAT AREN'T GOING TO 4.2 MILLION AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING FLAT FUNDED. SO A LOT OF TIMES TONIGHT THERE'S A DISCUSSION OF, WELL, IT'S EITHER FLAT FUNDING OR THE WHOLE THING. I'VE NEVER, I, I, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T, I MEAN, I LIKE TO HAVE THE WHOLE THING, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA GET THE WHOLE THING IN, IN WHERE WE ARE TODAY. AND THEY CERTAINLY DON'T WANT THE FLAT BUDGET. SO TO HAVE THAT MIDDLE GROUND TO SAY, WELL, HERE, HERE ARE THE THINGS WE NEED. AND AGAIN, WE'VE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, AND I TOLD DR. BALLINGER, THIS IS HIS, THIS IS IT. THIS IS SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET. I DON'T WANT HIM TO CHANGE HIS BUDGET IF HE DOESN'T FIELD'S BUDGET. BUT WE AS THE BOARD HAVE TO GO TO AND SAY AT THE END, IT'S OUR BUDGET. SO OUR BUDGET, WE, WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO IT IF, IF THAT'S THE VOTE OR NOT. SO I GET IT. I, I, I THINK IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DETAILS IN THIS BUDGET. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD EXPLANATIONS THAT WERE A WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET THOUGHT OF DETAILS THAT I, THAT HAVE CONVINCED ME THAT WE CERTAINLY NEED MORE MONEY THAN WHAT WE HAVE. BUT THE QUESTION IS, DO WE NEED AS MUCH AS WE HAVE AND IS IT EVEN A GOOD WILL WILL SO, AND BUY OUR, OUR SALES PITCH? AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO VERY WELL AT. SO I WOULD NOT BE, I WOULD NOT BE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THIS BUDGET AS IT IS. AND I'M IN NO WAY SAYING THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS GONNA BE SPITEFUL OR ANYTHING IN, IN FLAT FUNDING. BUT IF WE CAN'T PRIORITIZE, IF WE CAN'T LOOK AT THIS AND [04:05:01] SAY, THIS IS, THESE ARE OUR NEEDS. LIKE WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE, LIKE THERE ARE, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WHEN I LOOK THROUGH THIS BUDGET, I THINK, YEAH, WE, WE ABSOLUTELY NEED THAT. WE ABSOLUTELY NEED THAT. WE ABSOLUTELY NEED THAT. AND THEN I GET TO THE ONES LIKE THE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, AND I'M LIKE, OH, NO, WE DEFINITELY, THAT, THAT'S AN AREA WE WE COULD CUT. SO WHEN THE SUPERVISORS WILL SEE THAT, THAT LIKE THEY, IT'S NOT THEIR JOB TO LOOK AT THIS AND BE ABLE TO BREAK THIS DOWN INTO WHAT WE WANT AND WHAT WE NEED. LIKE WE JUST, WE HAVE TO BE MORE HONEST ABOUT, ABOUT TRULY PRIORITIZING THIS. AND I, I LOVE THE IDEA THAT MS. MEADOWS HAD ABOUT HOW TO PRESENT THE OPTIONS. UM, I AGREE WITH THAT AS WELL. I THINK WHEN WE MEET WITH THE SUPERVISORS, IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO SHOW THEM WHAT A FLAT BUDGET LOOKS LIKE, BECAUSE I REALIZE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE OPERATING ON THIS YEAR. AND I REALIZE IN THE END, THAT'S WHAT WE HAD TO ADJUST THE BUDGET TO DO. I WOULD ARGUE FROM THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GET FROM OUR TEACHERS, STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS, THEY'RE MAKING IT WORK, BUT IT'S NOT WORKING. I MEAN, IT'S NOT SUCCESSFUL AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN AND THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO KEEP HIGHLY QUALIFIED EDUCATORS IN OUR COUNTY, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA PROVIDE THE THINGS THAT OUR STUDENTS NEED BY DOING THE SAME THING THAT WE'RE DOING. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT WE'RE HEARING, WE HEARD TONIGHT SOME OF THE IMPACTS OF THOSE CUTS THAT WE HAD TO MAKE IN THIS CURRENT BUDGET. UM, JUST ONE EXAMPLE IS THE, THE FFA POSITION THAT WE HAD WANTED TO HIRE, AND NOW WE'RE HEARING ABOUT STUDENTS ON A WAIT LIST. THEY CAN'T ACCESS THAT CURRICULUM BECAUSE OF THOSE CUTS THAT WE HAD TO MADE. AND I MEAN, I GUESS YOU COULD CALL THAT A WANT IN THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM EXISTS WITHOUT IT, BUT IS IT REALLY THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO? I DON'T KNOW. WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PURCHASE TEXTBOOKS IN HISTORY AND APPARENTLY 10 YEARS OR 12 YEARS, WHATEVER IT WAS. I MEAN, SURE, WE'LL LIMP ALONG WITH WHATEVER IT GETS, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE WE CAN OPERATE ON A FLAT FUNDED BUDGET MEANS THAT WE DIDN'T NEED THOSE THINGS THAT WE SAID WE NEEDED. I THINK WE DID NEED THEM, AND I THINK WE'RE HURTING THAT WE DON'T HAVE THEM. WELL, AND TO BE CLEAR, I NEVER SAID THAT AN AG TEACHER WAS A WANT. I WOULD'VE CONSIDERED THAT TO BE A NEED. AND I NEVER SAID THAT TEXTBOOKS WERE A WANT. I WOULD CONSIDER THOSE TO BE A NEED. SO WHERE I LOOK AT THINGS WHEN I, WHEN I THINK OF THIS OR THAT OUR, OUR SUB BUDGET IS CONTINUING TO KILL US, AND WE DO HAVE TO, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, MAKE OUR STAFF AWARE THAT AS LONG AS THAT SUB BUDGET STAYS THROUGH THE ROOF, THE LIKELIHOOD OF OF BEING ABLE TO AFFORD FOR US TO EAT THE ENTIRE INSURANCE INCREASE AND GIVE THE RAISE AND GIVE THE STEP, IT GETS HARDER. AND BECAUSE IT COSTS OUR TAXPAYERS MORE MONEY. UM, I MEAN, WE ARE, WE AS AS CITIZENS, NOT IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE'RE ALL ABSORBING OUR HEALTH. I MEAN, I KNOW OUR INSURANCE WENT UP AND THE SERVICES WENT DOWN YET AGAIN. UM, SO YOU'RE ASKING TAXPAYERS TO FOOT THE FULL INCREASE WHEN THEY DIDN'T GET THAT SAME BENEFIT. SO I KNOW THAT WAS AN AREA WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE PLAN B BUDGET LAST YEAR WHERE WE SHARED THE INCREASE IN THE HEALTH INSURANCE WITH OUR STAFF. I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE THAT OPTION IN, IN THIS CURRENT BUDGET AS WELL. UM, ANYTHING TO GET THE ASK DOWN LOWER THAN THIS? I THINK THAT'S ALREADY INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET, ISN'T THAT IT'S SHARED. IT IS. WE ARE, ARE WE DOING A 50 50? WELL, I, AS FAR AS, NO, NOT 50 50, BUT IT WOULD MEAN THAT THE EMPLOYEE'S PREMIUM GOES UP 10.1%. THE EMPLOYER'S GOES UP 10.1% BECAUSE THE EMPLOYER'S SHARE IN EVERY CASE IS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER THAN THE EMPLOYEES, THE EMPLOYER'S SHARE WOULD GO UP IN DOLLARS MORE OKAY. THAN THE EMPLOYEE SIDE OF IT. OKAY. SO IF THAT MAKES SENSE. YEAH. SO THEN I THINK WE SHOULD EXPLAIN THAT IN THE BUDGET TOO, BECAUSE AS IT WAS PRESENTED WITH THE 10.1% INCREASE, IT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE WE WERE JUST EATING THAT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UM, I, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING ADDITIONAL TO ADD, UM, OTHER THAN TO SAY, UM, I'M COMFORTABLE BECAUSE THIS REFLECTS THE NEEDS OF WHAT OUR STAFF, OUR STUDENTS NEED. UM, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS, MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN VERY, UM, GOOD DISCUSSIONS. I THINK THIS PRESENTATION HAS BEEN VERY [04:10:01] WELL PLANNED OUT AND I, UM, I WILL SUPPORT THIS. AND WHILE WE'RE ON, WHILE WE'RE JUST ON THE SUBJECT, ONE OTHER THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS JUST BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE IN HAVING A FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BUDGET AND CONSIDERING THE NEEDS OF THE TAXPAYERS, DOES NOT IN ANY WAY MEAN THAT I WANT TO DEFUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I FIND THOSE COMMENTS TO BE ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. I MEAN, I HEARD IN YOUR CONVERSATION THAT THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER IS A STICKING POINT FOR YOU. LIKE, I MEAN, I WOULD CERTAINLY PUBLICLY SAY I'M TOTALLY FINE WITH THAT GETTING REMOVED FROM THE BUDGET, IF THAT MAKES US OTHERWISE HAPPY WITH THIS BUDGET. BUT, UM, IT, WE'VE GONE THIS LONG WITHOUT IT, I THINK IT, IT WILL BE A GREAT BENEFIT TO OUR COUNTY ONE DAY. I REALIZE THAT IS, THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT A PRIORITY AT THIS TIME. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? MR. VALENTINE? CAN YOU DO ROLL CALL PLEASE? MR. SALAND? NO. MR. MCFADDEN? NO. MADAM CHAIR. AYE. DR. FUNK? AYE. MRS. LOWE? AYE. THANK YOU. [6.B. Acceptance of Donation - Ms. Sperling ] NEXT UP THIS EVENING, WE HAVE THE ACCEPTANCE OF A DONATION. I DON'T SEE MS. SPERLING HERE. OKAY. DR. COSTNER . I'M NOT MR. LING, BUT THANK YOU. I KNOW I THOSE GET LATE, BUT I'M NOT HER. BUT I DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU ALL. UM, AND WHAT I BRING IN FRONT OF YOU, UM, MADAM CHAIR BOARD MEMBERS IS A, UM, A MOTION THAT, UM, WE ACCEPT DONATIONS, UM, BECAUSE THEN THE DONATIONS ARE FOR THE MCKINNEY-VENTO HOMELESS ASSISTANCE ACT, WHICH GUARANTEES ENROLLMENT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS', MCKINNEY-VENTO LIAISON, MS. JOANNE MCHUGH. MARTIN SUPPORTS FAMILIES WITH ENROLLMENT, TRANSPORTATION, FREE SCHOOL MEALS, AND OTHER RESOURCES. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE DEVELOPED A PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO SUPPORT STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSECURITY WHEN WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK THE FOLLOWING GENEROUS DONORS. DURING THE MONTHS OF JANUARY AND FEBRUARY, 2025, WE'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO DIANA CARPENTER AND CAMMIE ROBINSONS FOR DONATIONS OF DRESSES TO THE GLASS SLIPPER, THE THEHY KIDS FOUNDATION FOR THEIR DONATIONS OF VARIOUS SUPPLIES TO THE GLASS SLIPPERS TO MAKE IT LOOK BEAUTIFUL, ORGANIZED, AND FULL OF THINGS TO MAKE A PROM SPECIAL. WE'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK TO THEHY KIDS FOUNDATION, FIRST BANK AND STONE BRANCH CENTER FOR ART FOR THE ARTS, FOR THEIR DONATIONS OF HYGIENE AND ART TOTES, AND FOR, UM, KATY PRIEST AND THE ELEMENTS STUDENTS FOR THEIR WORK PUTTING TOGETHER THE TOTES AND WORKING IN THE NOURISHED NEST. SO I MOVE THAT THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, EXCEPT THE DONATIONS AS PRESENTED TO THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL'S MCKINNEY-VENTO LIAISONS WITH GRATITUDE. ANY QUESTIONS FOR DR. COSTNER? CAN I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE? I MOVE THAT THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD ACCEPT THE DONATIONS AS PRESENTED TO THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MCKINNEY-VENTO LIAISON WITH GRATITUDE. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NO. THANK YOU DR. COSTNER. [6.C. Third Reading - DLB Salary Deductions, DLC Expense Reimbursements, DM Cash in School Buildings, DO Nonlocally Funded Programs, EA Support Services, EBAA Reporting of Hazards, EBBA Emergency First Aid CPR AED Certified Personnel, EBCBA Electronic Room Partitions, EBCD School Closings, ECA Inventory and Reporting of Loss or Damag ] AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE OUR THIRD READING. OH, WE DON'T DO IT HERE. THEY COULD. OH, I'M SORRY. THAT'S JUST AT THE WORK SESSION. . OKAY. THANK YOU. I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS JUST, YOU CONDITIONED ME. WELL, WE DO THE WHOLE PUBLIC. OKAY. ALRIGHT. I APOLOGIZE MADAM CHAIR FOR, UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL BOARD, UM, POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE HAS BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF REVISING AND VIEWING THE WARREN COUNTY BOARD POLICIES. AND I BRING TO YOU THE THIRD READING FOR APPROVAL OF POLICIES. D-L-B-D-L-C-D-M-D, EEA, EBAA, EB, B-A-E-B-C, B-A-E-B-C-D, AND ECA AS PRESENTED. FIRST READING WAS IN FEBRUARY 5TH AND SECOND READING WAS ON FEBRUARY THE 19TH. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DR. COSTNER? UM, I HAVE ONE, DR. COSTNER, WAS THERE ONE THAT WE DID THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE A CORRECTION TO? IS IT THIS GROUP OR THE NEXT GROUP WHERE THERE YOU RECEIVED A DUPLICATE? IT WAS ECA FROM THE, WHICH ONE WAS IT ECA, THE BOTTOM ONE. EECA DID, THERE WAS A DUPLICATE [04:15:01] ONE AND THE ONE THAT IS PRESENTED HAS THE, UM, THE, THE DUPLICATE ONE THAT CAME IN AND LET ME GET TO ECA. IT HAD TECHNOLOGY, IT HAD THE WORD TECHNOLOGY THAT, WHERE IT SAYS IDENTIFY SYSTEMS OF INVENTORY SCHOOL, IT'S NOT IN THE CURRENT, THE ONE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND VOTING ON. NOW, THE TECHNOLOGY PART IS NOT IN THAT ONE. THAT WAS, THAT CAME IN ON THE, UM, SECOND ONE I BELIEVE. SO IF WE DO NEED, DO WE NEED THE ONE, DO YOU ACCEPT IT AS THE WORD TECHNOLOGY? I WOULD, I WOULD MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO ADD TECHNOLOGY TO THAT. I MEAN, WE ALREADY HAVE IT. DOUG DOES, HAS THAT, ALL THAT STUFF ALREADY INVENTORIED, SO I MEAN, IT'S NOT GONNA BE ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA CHANGE. SO, UM, YEAH, I WOULD RECOMMEND ADDING THAT WORD. AND WAS THERE ANY OTHER CHANGE BESIDES TECHNOLOGY? DR. COSTNER? NO, SIR. THAT'S THE ONLY IT AND IT, WHAT IT WOULD, WHAT IT WOULD READ IS IT WOULD BE WITHIN THE, THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, THE INVENTORY SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, BUILDINGS, MOVABLE EQUIPMENT, VEHICLES, TECHNOLOGY, AND ALL OTHER SIGNIFICANT VALUE. ALL OF THE ITEMS OF SIGNIFICANT VALUE. EXCUSE ME, IF WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT FOR THE THIRD RATING. YEAH. CAN I HAVE A MOTION ON THESE? I MOVE THAT THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD APPROVE THE FOLLOWING POLICIES. D-L-B-D-L-C-D-M-D-O-E-A, E-B-A-A-E-B, B-A-E-B-C, B-A-E-B-C-D AS PRESENTED AND MODIFY POLICY ECA TO ADD THE WORD TECHNOLOGY TO THE SECOND PARAGRAPH AS ONE OF THE INVENTORIES THAT WILL BE INCLUDED. IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT. ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NO. THANK YOU DR. COSTNER. [6.D. Frist Reading - JOB Administration of Surveys and Questionnaires, JFHAB Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students in Warren County Public Schools, EEAB School Bus Scheduling and Routing, EI Insurance Management, ECAB Vandalism, FE Playground Equipment, FEA Educational Facilities Specifications, CN Flag, Decor, and Displays (A), CN Flag, Decor, and Displays (B) ] NEXT UP WE HAVE, UM, FIRST READING ON A NEW SECTION OF POLICIES BOTH FROM THE SBMA AND THEN A NEW POLICY INCLUDED AND SOME, UM, ADDITIONAL CORRECTIONS. THAT'S CORRECT. MM-HMM . THERE ARE, UM, POLICIES THAT ARE PRESENTED FROM THE, UM, SBMA AND UM, THE, UM, SCHOOL BOARD POLICY COMMITTEE. AND ALSO, UM, WHAT WE HAVE HERE FOR THE FIRST READING WOULD BE J-O-B-J-F H-A-B-E-E-A-B-E-I-E-C-A-B-F-E-F-E-A. AND AS YOU NOTICE IN CN, THERE'S A CN FLAG DECOR AND DISPLAYS, A AND A CN FLAG AND DECOR AND DISPLAYS B. UM, BOTH, UM, POLICY BEING SUBMITTED TO REVIEW TO DETERMINE WHICH POLICY WOULD BE PREFERRED OR A COMBINATION, WHATEVER THE BOARD WISHES. BUT THIS IS THE FIRST READING FOR THE CNA AND CNB. UM, YOU KNOW, EITHER ONE OF THEM IS, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, WE DON'T HAVE A POLICY ABOUT EITHER. SO THERE, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A POLICY. I WOULD SAY THE ONE OF AN A VERSUS B FROM MY READING OF IT IS THAT IN B IT HAS SOME MORE, UH, IT HAS MORE OPTIONS FOR SORT OF WIGGLE ROOM, I GUESS. I MEAN, LIKE WHEN, WHEN YOU DO POLICIES, YOU WANT TO BE AS TIGHT AS YOU CAN, SO YOU, SO THAT, THAT PEOPLE AREN'T CONFUSED SO THEY HAVE CLARITY AS TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING. I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE ASPECTS IN B LET'S SAY FOR EXAMPLE, IN, IN PART TWO AND PART THREE WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT NOTHING IN THIS POLICY SHOULD BE INTERPRETED TO PRECLUDE EMPLOYEES FROM WEARING SYMBOLS ON DISCRETE PERSONAL JEWELRY OR HAVING SMALL PERSONAL ITEMS THAT ARE MEANT TO BE VIEWED BY THE EMPLOYEE RATHER THAN BY STUDENTS THAT CAN COME UP. PEOPLE COULD BE WEARING THEIR LITTLE CONFEDERATE JEWELRY FLAG AROUND THEIR NECK OR SOMETHING AND SAY, HEY, I JUST WORE IT FOR ME AND I DIDN'T KNOW ANYONE WAS GONNA SEE IT. AND, AND SO I DON'T KNOW, IT JUST THE OTHER ONE DOESN'T, DOESN'T HAVE THOSE LOOPHOLES. AND I SAY, SO I THINK THIS TWO AND THE THREE COULD BE ALSO TO PRECLUDE DISPLAYS THAT ARE SOLELY INTENDED TO BE DECORATIVE RATHER THAN TO BE EXPRESSIONS OF PERSONAL VIEWPOINTS. THAT'S GONNA BE A PERSONAL OPINION OF SOMEONE SAYING, WELL, NO, IT WASN'T MEANT TO BE A SHOWING A VIEWPOINT, IT'S JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION. I THINK THAT'S GONNA GET US IN TROUBLE. I THINK IT'S, IT'S NOT VERY CLEAR AND PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE CONFUSED BY THOSE TWO ASPECTS. WHEREAS IN THE CN A, IT'S SORT OF MORE TO THE POINT AND, UM, DOESN'T ALLOW THOSE THINGS TO BE, I MEAN, HE TALKS ABOUT YOU'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE YOUR FREEDOM IN, IN FIRST, FIRST AMENDMENT AND ALL, BUT DOESN'T GO INTO THOSE, THOSE DETAILS. SO I, OTHER THAN THAT, I, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FINE BY ME. BUT THAT THOSE TWO ASPECTS I THOUGHT WERE SITTING AND UP FOR SOME SORT OF CONFRONTATION OR A PROBLEM WHERE WE'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND REVISE THEM. SO I HAVE A CHAIR, IF I MAY. I'M SORRY. YEP. UM, SO THE ONE THING I HAVE WITH, UM, CNA, UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT UNDER FLAGS WHERE IT SAYS SUBJECT TO THE SECTION B OFFICIAL FLAGS OF COUNTRIES OFFICIALLY [04:20:01] RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES MAY BE DISPLAYED ON A TEMPORARY BASIS IN CONNECTION WITH AN AUTHORIZED SCHOOL EVENT. SO IN OUR WORLD HISTORY CLASS, THEY TYPICALLY HAVE FLAGS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, UM, HUNG IN THERE. UM, ALSO IF YOU LOOK AT SPANISH AND, AND THAT, THAT IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CURRICULUM, UH, BECAUSE IT IS WORLD HISTORY. SO THE WAY THIS READS IS THAT YOU COULD ONLY SPEAK OR MAYBE POSSIBLY HANG A FLAG OF A COUNTRY THAT IS RECOGNIZED DURING THE LESSON THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT. SO IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ANCIENT ROME, UM, IN ITALY, UH, THEN AT THAT POINT YOU COULD HANG A FLAG UP, BUT THEN AFTER THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT DOWN THE WAY I INTERPRET THIS POLICY TO, TO READ. SO I, I THINK WHEN YOU ALSO LOOK AT, AT OUR, AT OUR SPANISH CLASSES OR OUR FRENCH CLASSES, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE THOSE FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT IS PART OF THE CURRICULUM OF THE, THE HISTORY OF WHERE THAT LANGUAGE COMES FROM. AND SO I THINK BY LIMITING OR LIMITING THAT IN THE CLASSROOM, 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S RELEVANT. THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT CNA AS WELL. UM, AND MAYBE IT'S FOR BOTH OF THEM. I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE. BUT, UM, WHAT DO WE THINK ABOUT LIKE CLUBS OR OTHER AFTER SCHOOL OR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES? BECAUSE WHEN I'M READING, UM, I MEAN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NO CLASSROOM ANDRE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHALL, SHALL USE OR ALLOW ANY DECOR DISPLAYS THAT REPRESENT A POLITICAL VIEWPOINT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO. AND IT GOES ON. BUT I DON'T KNOW ALL THE CLUBS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE, BUT I MEAN, ARE THERE SOME KIND OF CLUBS WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE A POLITICAL FLAG OR THAT'S A CLUB AND IT'S AN EXTRACURRICULAR AND THAT'S, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THEY'RE MEETING. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW. I JUST, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING MR. MCFADDEN ABOUT LIKE TRYING TO MAKE THE POLICY AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE, BUT I ALSO DON'T WANT TO CREATE IT SO THAT NOW WE'RE JUST RIGHT. LIMITING EVERYTHING. UM, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW ALL OF OUR CLUBS. AND I WAS GONNA SAY JUST, UM, THAT MAYBE LOOKING AT THAT SECTION THAT YOU WERE LOOKING AT, MR. MCFADDEN, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT TWO AND THREE, MAYBE WE DON'T INCLUDE THOSE, BUT MAYBE 1, 4, 5, AND SIX WE INCLUDE, UM, YEAH. ARE YOU ON B? YES OF B? SO LIKE TAKE THOSE AND, AND PLOP 'EM INTO A, UM, BUT, BUT I AGREE THAT THE ONE ABOUT THE PERSONAL JEWELRY THAT'S LIKE A, A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO ENFORCE OR INTERPRET LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A WIGGLE ROOM THERE. BUT, BUT I THINK THE OTHER FOUR MAYBE WOULD BE HELPFUL. AND I DO WANNA MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, LIKE DR. BALLINGER IS SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, WE'RE NOT PASSING A POLICY THAT WOULD STEP ON LEGITIMATE CURRICULUM CHOICES THAT OUR TEACHERS MAY BE MAKING. I DON'T THINK THAT'S ANY OF OUR INTENTION. WELL, IT SAYS FOR LIKE IN THE A ONE, IT SAYS, FOR EXAMPLE, FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES OR ESL CLASSROOMS MAY DISPLAY FLAGS, DECOR DISPLAYS THAT CORRESPOND TO THE PLACE OF ORIGIN OF THE STUDENTS IN INSIDE CLASSROOM. I MEAN IT, SO IF, IF YOU'RE DOING A WORLD, I MEAN, YOU COULD BE ADDED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS IT'S, BECAUSE EVEN EVEN IN LINE, ONE LINE AT THE TOP, IT SAYS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE APPROVED CURRICULUM INSTRUCTIONAL GOALS OF THE COURSE. SO IF SOMEONE CAN SAY, WELL, NO, THAT WE'RE DOING WORLD HISTORY AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO THE WHOLE YEAR, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY PART OF THE CURRICULUM. SO YOU DON'T WANNA LIMIT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE BENEFICIAL TO THEM IN THEIR CURRICULUM. BUT YEAH, I MEAN THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE WITH CNBB WAS THAT THERE WAS TWO AND THREE, AT LEAST I COULD TELL I THINK THAT CNB ALSO DOESN'T INCLUDE THE LINE ABOUT STUDENTS BEING INCLUDED UNLESS, I'M JUST MISSING IT BECAUSE IT'S 11 O'CLOCK. BUT I HAD THAT UNDERLINED THAT IN A, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EMPLOYEE STUDENTS OR AGENTS TO DISPLAY AND AM I JUST MISSING IT IN B BECAUSE I THINK IT SHOULD INCLUDE, IT SHOULD INCLUDE, UM, IT SHOULD INCLUDE STUDENTS AS WELL WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS POLICY. YEAH. UM, SO THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER CHANGE I WOULD SUGGEST TO C AND B. YEAH, I AGREE. I THINK B IS IS ONLY TALKING ABOUT EMPLOYEES AND I THINK MM-HMM . IT WOULD PROBABLY BE BETTER TO INCLUDE EVERYONE. MM-HMM . AND THEN I GUESS I WOULD JUST LIKE, FOR, I KNOW THIS IS JUST THE FIRST READING, I WOULD JUST LIKE SOME MORE CLARIFICATION OR WHAT OUR INTENTION IS FOR JUST EXTRACURRICULAR AND CLUB ACTIVITIES. I MEAN, I CAN'T, YEAH. WHAT ARE, MAYBE SOMEONE CAN LOOK INTO WHAT, WHAT THEY ARE, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS? I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY THINGS COULD BE NEW, BUT WHAT ARE THEY, I MEAN, YOU KNEW IF SOMEONE HAS A, UH, YOU KNOW, A POLITICAL GROUP. I MEAN, IF THEY'RE NOT MEANT TO BE ONE POLITICAL, I MEAN, BUT THEY'RE LIKE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE DISCUSS POLITICAL THINGS. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE AMERICAN FLAG FLY , RIGHT? AND, AND THE ONE THING THAT [04:25:01] THE BOARD NEEDS TO BE, UM, AWARE OF, BECAUSE IN, IN THAT ONE, ON THAT OTHER SECTION, IT SAYS, UM, AND THIS IS IN A, UH, SUBJECT TO SECTION B AND SCHOOL BOARD APPROVAL, ANY FLAG TO BE DISPLAYED ON A TEMPORARY BASIS IN CONNECTION WITH AN AUTHORIZED SCHOOL EVENT. SO THE THING I DON'T WANT THE, I WANT YOU TO BE COGNIZANT OF IS THAT IF YOU APPROVE A FLAG FOR ONE GROUP AND THEN YOU DON'T APPROVE A FLAG FOR ANOTHER GROUP, THEN YOU'VE JUST GOTTEN INTO THE REALM OF DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN GROUPS THAT ARE USING THE SCHOOLS. SO I, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONE THING I WOULD ALSO BE COGNIZANT OF AND KIND OF TIGHTEN THAT UP. UH, AS FAR AS, WE DON'T WANNA PUT OURSELVES SAYING, YES, THIS GROUP CAN USE IT, BUT NO, YOU CAN'T DO YOURS. BUT YES, BUT NO. SO I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. AND MAYBE IF WE ARE LOOKING AT A, MAYBE WE, MAYBE WE STRIKE THOSE LAST TWO BULLET POINTS FROM THAT ONE FROM A YEAH, WELL, I MEAN, WELL THE GOOD PART ABOUT ALL THIS IS THAT WE, WE SEE THERE'S TWO TOGETHER AND WE SEEM TO HAVE SAME IDEAS ON IT, WHICH IS GREAT. SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF FINDING THE, THE GREAT MESHING OF THE ALL AND PUTTING 'EM ALL TOGETHER AND MAKING SURE, I THINK WE'RE BASICALLY ON THE SAME PAGE. WE JUST HAVE TO SORT OF YES. SMUSH THEM TOGETHER A LITTLE BIT. YOU GOT THAT DR. CROSS, YOU'RE MOSH THEM TOGETHER, PLEASE. YOU, YOU'RE SUSHING IT. SMUSHING IT. YES MA'AM. SMUSHING IT. SMUSHING IT. SO WHAT I'VE HEARD, I'LL BRING THE CEM SMUSH TO THE NEXT MEETING, THE WORK SESSION. SO, SO WHAT I'VE HEARD SO FAR IS THAT WE, I I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MOVING, WHAT WAS IT? 1, 4, 5, REMOVING TWO AND THREE FROM C AND B, REMOVING THEM, UM, INCLUDING STUDENTS. YEAH. AND THEN, UM, THERE WAS ALSO A REQUEST TO KNOW THE NUMBER OF, OF, OF EXTRACURRICULAR OF EXTRACURRICULAR GROUPS POSSIBLY THAT MAY USE FLAGS, BANNERS, OR WHATEVER THEY MAY HAVE IN THEIR PROCESS, SUCH AS THERE MAY BE FOR LIKE ROTARY HAS THEIR FLAG, UM, YOU KNOW, SO THOSE KIND OF THINGS. WE PUT ONE UP AT EARLY X. SO LIKE, DOES THAT INCLUDE THAT? YEAH. AND THEN I THINK THE LAST WAS, I, I THINK IF YOU REMOVE THOSE LAST TWO BULLETS ON, ON A, I THINK YOU NEED TO ADD BACK IN THAT THEY CAN ONLY DISPLAY A FLAG OF A RECOGNIZED COUNTRY BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT 'EM DISPLAYING ANY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT IT TO BE PART OF THE CURRICULUM. SO I THINK YOU WOULD ADD THAT BACK IN FROM B. ALL RIGHT, WELL THAT'S A GOOD FIRST READING. THAT'S SOME EXTENTS GOOD FOR FIRST ONE ON THAT. AND THEN, UM, I THINK THE OTHER ONE THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT WITH SOME RED LINED ITEMS IS POLICY, JOB. AND THIS ONE IS HOPING TO JUST CLARIFY, MAKE IT MORE STRAIGHTFORWARD WHAT SORT OF PARENT, UM, NOTIFICATION AND OPTING IN WE NEED FOR, UM, OR OPTING OUT FOR SURVEYS GIVEN IN OUR SCHOOLS AND THAT WHOLE FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAM ASPECT. MM-HMM . THAT WE TOOK THAT OUT. SO THAT WAS, THAT. THIS ALL CAME ABOUT FROM JUST THE CONVERSATION FROM THE LAST TIME. MM-HMM . I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT. DOES ANYBODY ELSE? SO WE DO HAVE THAT GENERALIZED OPT OUT FORM, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, MY VISION WAS THAT IT WOULD BE YOU, WE WOULD JUST USE THAT GENERALIZED OPTOUT FORM THAT STAFF WOULD JUST SEND HOME TO THE PARENT WITH ACCESS TO WHATEVER THEY'RE GOING TO DO. AND THEN THAT WOULD BE THE FORM THAT THEY SEND HOME, RIGHT? LIKE WITH THE SURVEY INFORMATION THAT FORM WAS WHATEVER INFORMATION OR THE, OR THE CURRICULUM OR WHATEVER. YEAH. MM-HMM . SOUNDS PERFECT SENSE. AND THAT OPTOUT FORM IS ALSO, I BELIEVE IN THE, UH, STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT TOO. YEAH, IT IS. IT COMES HOME AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, THERE'S A GENERAL, RIGHT? THEY STILL HAVE TO BE NOTIFIED 30 DAYS BEFORE THAT IT'S HAPPENED, RIGHT? YEAH. MM-HMM . ANYTHING ELSE IMPORTANT FROM THE POLICY GROUP ON THE NEXT CHUNK THAT YOU GUYS WANT US TO BE AWARE OF? I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANYTHING, UH, PARTICULARLY DIFFERENT IN THOSE. IT WAS MAINLY, AGAIN, JUST, UH, ADDING THE CITATIONS. MAYBE A FEW WORDS CHANGED, BUT THE MEANING DIDN'T CHANGE IN MY RECOLLECTION. RIGHT. AND THEN J-F-H-A-B IS THE NEW POLICY THAT WE DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST WORK SESSION. NOTHING CHANGED FOR THAT, BUT WE JUST BROUGHT IT FORWARD RIGHT. FOR OUR, UM, FIRST READING. SO YES, I THINK THAT SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU, DR. COSTNER. [6.E. 15th Street Health & Human Services Bleachers/Step Project - Dr. Costner ] NEXT UP WE HAVE THE 15TH STREET HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BLEACHERS STEP PROJECT. DR. COSTNER? YES. I'M MADAM CHAIR AND SAID THAT, [04:30:01] OH, HERE, YOU NEED THE, OH, YOU HAVE THE CLICKER. OKAY. I WAS LOOKING FOR THE CLICKER. UM, SIR, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION, UM, THIS IS IN REFERENCEING TO THE, UM, 15TH STREET. UM, IN, UM, THE, UM, ON OCTOBER 18TH IN 2011, THE SCHOOL BOARD DID AGREE TO LEASE THE FACILITIES OF THE FORMER 15TH STREET MIDDLE SCHOOL TO THE COUNTY FOR A DURATION OF 30 YEARS. UM, AND THEN THE COUNTY HAS REQUESTED THE APPROVAL TO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING PROJECT. AND THE FOLLOWING PROJECT IS TO, UM, TO ADDRESS THE SAFETY CONCERNS OF THE CURRENT STAIRS AND BLEACHERS, ENSURING THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS A SAFE PLACE TO SIT AND WATCH THE FIELD ACTIVITIES. CURRENTLY, THE RAILING AND MASONRY, UM, ARE DISINTEGRATING AND ARE NEED REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENT ONE SECTION OF BLEACHERS OR REMOVE TO ALLOW THE TEAM TO MAKE THESE REPAIRS. THE INTENTION IS TO RE REMOVE, IS TO REMOVE THE UNSAFE RAILINGS AND THE WALLS IN ORDER TO GRADE THE GROUND TO ALLOW THE BLANKETS AND CHAIRS BY THE SPECTATORS. UM, UH, REMAIN FOR SECTION OF THE BLEACHERS BESIDE THE, THE, THERE WILL REMAIN FOUR SECTIONS OF BLEACHERS BESIDE THE PRESS BOX NOW IN ACCORDANCE TO THE LEASE. UM, ALL SUCH RENOVATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS SHALL BE DONE IN GOOD AND WORKMANLIKE MANNER WITH THE PLANS APPROVED IN ADVANCE IN WRITING BY THE SCHOOL BOARD. UM, WHICH APPROVE SHALL NOT BE, SHALL NOT UNNEC UNREASONABLY, EXCUSE ME, BE WITHHELD AND SHALL BE DONE IN COMPLIANCE WITH, UM, APPLICABLE BUILDING CODES AND ALL OTHER APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS. I DO HAVE, UM, THE DIRECTOR OF WARREN COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATIONS HERE TONIGHT TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS TIFFANY WALKER TO, OH, YOU'RE OVER HERE. OKAY. I'M SORRY I DIDN'T IN THE BACK. SO, UM, IN PART OF IT, THEY DID SEND OVER SOME PICTURES AND SOME INFORMATION AND SO, UM, IF YOU'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT AND THERE'S THE CLICKER. YEAH. THANK YOU. HI. YES. UM, FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE. I DID JUST GET THE NEW DIRECTOR POSITION AND I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE LEASE THAT WAS BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS AND PARKS AND REC. I WAS GOING OFF THE MOU THAT WE HAD, THAT IF WE HAVE A FACILITY, WE MAINTAIN IT TO ADEQUATE SAFETY STANDARDS. I KNOW BETTER NOW. SO IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD BE BRINGING THINGS TO YOU THAT WE NEED TO RENOVATE. UM, AND TALKING WITH OUR PUBLICS WORK DEPARTMENT, THEY DID REMOVE A SECTION OF THE BLEACHERS. THEY'RE AT OUR MAINTENANCE SHOP. THEY'RE NOT DESTROYED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. SO WE CAN GET THOSE BACK TO YOU. THEY ARE YOURS TO DO WITH AS YOU SEE FIT. UM, WE REMOVED A SECTION. PUBLIC WORKS CAME OUT AND LOOKED. THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE RAILINGS WERE DETERIORATING AND THE CONCRETE THAT THE RAILINGS WERE SITTING ON AT THE TOP WERE DETERIORATING ON THE FAR SIDE. THE LEFT HAND SIDE IS NOT AS BAD. THEY CAN REPAIR THOSE. UM, WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU ALLOW US TO REMOVE THE RIGHT HAND WALLS AND GRADE SO THAT WE CAN USE IT FOR PEOPLE TO SIT CHAIRS ON AND BLANKETS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, THE LEFT HAND SIDE, WE WILL REPAIR THE, UM, DAMAGE PORTIONS THAT CAN BE REPAIRED AND REPLACE THEM. THE STEPS ACTUALLY HAVE A SEVEN TO AND A HALF INCH TO 10 INCH GAP FROM WHERE THE CONCRETE HAS SETTLED. SO IT IS A TRIPPING AND SAFETY HAZARD. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO CUT THOSE OUT AND THEN PUT NEW CONCRETE DOWN TO MAKE THE STAIRS LEVEL AND FLUSH WITH THE GRADE. UM, WE DO HAVE THAT WHOLE SECTION LEFT, RIGHT HERE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE THAT YOU CAN SEE. AND ACROSS THE WAY THAT WE DO HAVE, UM, SORRY, THESE ARE THE STEPS WITH THE SEVEN AND A HALF TO 10 INCH, UM, STEP UP DIFFERENCE, WHICH IS OF COURSE A TRIPPING HAZARD. AND IF THERE IS AN ELDERLY PERSON OR A DISABLED PERSON, THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MANAGE THOSE. UM, THIS SECTION IS WHAT HAS BEEN PULLED OUT. AGAIN, THE BLEACHERS ARE AT THE MAINTENANCE SHOP. UM, THEY ARE YOURS. SO WE CAN GET THEM TO YOU FOR YOU TO DISPERSE HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE. IF IT'S OKAY FOR US NOT TO PUT THEM BACK IN. UM, THE WALLS HERE, I'M SORRY, I DUNNO IF YOU CAN SEE IN THE YELLOW, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE THESE RAILS IN THESE WALLS. THEY HAVE DETERIORATED BEYOND REPAIR. UM, THIS ONE IS NOT AS BAD, SO WE'RE ASKING IF WE CAN KEEP THAT TO LEVEL THIS AREA FOR CHAIRS AND BLANKETS. AND THEN WE'LL GRADE THE REST OF THIS SLOPE. UM, SO THERE'S NOT A DROP OFF FROM THIS SECTION OF BLEACHERS THAT WILL REMAIN. AND WE DO HAVE, UM, WE'LL LEVEL AND GRADE THIS AREA. SO WE'LL PULL THESE BLEACHERS TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE ONCE WE FIX THAT LEVEL AND GRADE, AND THEN PUT THESE BLEACHERS BACK. AND THEN ACROSS, WE DO HAVE FOUR MORE SECTIONS OF BLEACHERS. UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY ACTIVITIES THAT WE HOST GAMES ON THE FIELD ARE LACROSSE AND MIDGET FOOTBALL. MIDGET FOOTBALL RUNS SATURDAYS, UM, ALL DAY LONG. THEY DO NOT EVER REACH MAX CAPACITY WITH THE BLEACHERS THAT WE HAVE. AND EVEN WHEN WE REMOVE THAT SECTION, THEY STILL WOULDN'T REACH MAX MAX CAPACITY [04:35:01] DURING A FULL GAME. SO DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? MORE OF A COMMENT? I APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND EXPLAINING SORT OF HOW THIS ALL UNFOLDED. 'CAUSE I ADMIT I FELT A LITTLE BIT WOUND UP ABOUT IT. YES, MA'AM. AT FIRST, AND I APOLOGIZE, I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD ASKED AND NOBODY REALLY KNEW. AND THEN I HAD JUST TAKEN OVER FOR DAN AND DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS AN ACTUAL LEASE, SO I WAS GOING OFF THE MOU THAT WE HAD. SO I DO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. AND I KNOW MOVING FORWARD WE WANNA BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, NOT TEAR THEM DOWN, THAT'S FOR SURE. YOU TEARED ON THE BLEACHERS, NOT THE . UM, THE, THE STORED BLEACHERS. YES, SIR. I, I DON'T THINK ARE, DO YOU GUYS WANT TO HAVE TO BE THE ONES? I DON'T. SO THEN CAN DO WE HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE TO SAY, HEY, YOU GUYS TOOK THEM OUT, YOU DEAL WITH 'EM. OKAY. BUT I, ARE THEY STANDALONE BLEACH? CAN THEY STAND BY THEMSELVES OR THEY HAVE TO BE HOOKED UP TO THE, SO THEY ARE TECHNICALLY STANDALONE, BUT THEY'RE SO OLD THAT THEY'RE NOT UP TO CODE. UM, THEY'D HAVE TO EITHER BE FILED DOWN AND YOU COULDN'T SELL THEM OR REALLY REPURPOSE THEM FOR ANY NEEDS TO BE SAFETY STANDARD. SO REALLY IF YOU, YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THEY'RE ABOUT WORTH WHAT YOU CAN GET AT THE SCRAP YARD? PRETTY MUCH. YES, SIR. IT'S SCRAP YARD. YES. YEAH. OKAY. NOT OUR, NOT OUR PROBLEM. I DON'T THINK WE , I MEAN, BIOLOGY, I MEAN, THE THING IS SO, SO EVEN TO, EVEN TO SCRAP THEM OR WHATEVER, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, DOES THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO TAKE ACTION TO, UM, TO SURPLUS THOSE ITEMS. SO, UM, WHY I DO HAVE YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS PROPER ETIQUETTE, BUT THERE IS, UM, AS YOU SEE THE PRESS BOX, THERE IS A STORAGE SHED TO THE RIGHT OR TO THE LEFT HAND SIDE THAT YOU GUYS DO OWN. IT HAS BEEN THERE SINCE I WENT TO MIDDLE SCHOOL THERE. THE FLOOR HAS ROTTED OUT AND THE SIDING NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. SO I WAS WONDERING WHY I HAD YOU, IF YOU COULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ALLOWING US TO FIX THAT TOO. I, I FEEL LIKE OKAY, WITH THAT , YOU COULD FIX WHATEVER EQUIPMENT OF OURS YOU WANT. , DO YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST IN FIXING OUR TENNIS COURTS? ? I, I, I'M TRYING TO FIX MINE TOO. . OKAY. UM, SO IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, IF I COULD HAVE A MOTION ON THIS, I MOVE THAT THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED THE COUNTY'S 15TH STREET HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BLEACHER SLASH STEP REMOVAL PROCESS AND THE REPAIR SLASH RENOVATION OF THE SMALL SHED. IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND. ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NO. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR STAYING SO LATE FOR US. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE IT. [6.F. Acceptance of New Scholarship - Ms. Bragg ] NEXT UP WE HAVE THE ACCEPTANCE OF A NEW SCHOLARSHIP, MS. BRAGG, UH, THE FOLLOWING NEW SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY, BEGINNING WITH THE CLASS OF 2025, IS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL. THE BILLY VAUGHN MEMORIAL SPORTS SCHOLARSHIP WILL WARD UP TO TWO SCHOLARSHIPS ANNUALLY, TOTALING A MAXIMUM OF $5,000 TO BE AWARDED AT, UH, EACH SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL AND WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL. THE SCHOLARSHIP IS FOR A GRADU, IS FOR GRADUATING SENIOR ATHLETES. UM, AND THE SCHOLARSHIP BENEFACTOR IS THE VAUGHN FAMILY IN MEMORIAM OF THEIR SON. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE FAMILY FOR THEIR KIND CONTRIBUTION AND SUPPORT OF WARREN COUNTY'S GRADUATES. IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT THE BILLY VAUGHN MEMORIAL SPORTS SCHOLARSHIP BE ACCEPTED WITH GRATITUDE? IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND IT. ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NO, THANK YOU. [6.G. Instructional Expectations - Ms. Bragg ] INSTRUCTIONAL EXPECTATIONS, MS. BRAGG. ALRIGHT. SO, UM, IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN IS THE WCPS INSTRUCTIONAL EXPECTATIONS. WE DISCUSSED THESE EXPECTATIONS AT OUR WORK SESSION IN, UH, FEBRUARY. AND, UH, THE ADDITIONS TO THE DOCUMENT, UM, WE HAVE INCLUDED THE SCHOOL YEAR AT THE TOP. AND THEN, UM, I PUT THE APPROVED DATE AT THE BOTTOM. UM, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT HOW THE BOARD WOULD APPROVE THE INSTRUCTIONAL EXPECTATIONS ON A YEARLY BASIS, TYPICALLY TO BE DONE AT THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, NOT CLOSER TOWARDS THE END OF IT, BUT SINCE IT WAS A NEW DOCUMENT, UM, WE WOULD PROCEED WITH IT FOR THIS YEAR. UM, UNDER THE CURRENT TIMELINE. ALSO, YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE LAST PAGE, UM, I HAD ADDED, AS WE DISCUSSED AT THE FEBRUARY WORK SESSION, UH, THE SCHOOL BOARD TO THE DOCUMENT. AND THOSE BULLETS INCLUDE APPROVING THE INSTRUCTIONAL EXPECTATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SCHOOL YEAR IN COORDINATION WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO PURCHASE APPROVED TEXTBOOKS DURING, UH, THE SCHEDULED ADOPTION CYCLE, [04:40:01] AND RECEIVE QUARTERLY PRESENTATIONS ON DIVISION ASSESSMENT DATA AND PROGRESS TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ON STATE ACCOUNTABILITY WHEN APPROPRIATE. UM, AS PART OF THAT LAST ONE, I ADDED A BULLET UNDER THE INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCE TEAM, UM, AT CENTRAL OFFICE TO PREPARE AND DELIVER THOSE QUARTERLY REPORTS SO THAT IT ALL MATCHES UP. THOSE ARE THE ONLY CHANGES TO THE DOCUMENT. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. BRAGG? I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT SECOND BULLET POINT IN LIGHT OF OUR CONVERSATION EARLIER. UM, I JUST, IT'S THE ONE THAT SAYS, IN COORDINATION WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO PURCHASE APPROVED TEXTBOOKS DURING THE SCHEDULED ADOPTION CYCLE. I MEAN, I DO THINK THAT IS ALL OF OUR INTENTION, BUT IN REALITY, THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED EVERY YEAR. SO IS THIS BINDING OR IS THIS LIKE, WHAT IF, WHAT IF WE FELT THERE WASN'T FUNDS TO DO THAT IN A PARTICULAR YEAR? ARE WE IN VIOLATION OF THIS DOCUMENT WE'RE ABOUT TO APPROVE IF WE DIDN'T? WELL, I, I THINK WHAT, WHAT THE, THE INTENT OF THIS IS, IS, IS REALLY TO SAY IF THE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE, THEN WE SUPPORT THE INSTRUCTIONAL FUND. UM, IF WE DON'T HAVE, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, IF WE ARE, IF WE MOVE THE 426,000 INTO THE TEXTBOOK FUND, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA STILL BE A LITTLE BIT SHORT BECAUSE YOU MAY WIND UP, TEXTBOOKS MAY RUN 600, $700,000. SO IF WE'RE SHORT AND UNDER $300,000, IF IT'S NOT THERE, YOU CAN'T APPROPRIATE PURCHASE IT. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S HOLDING YOU ACCOUNTABLE TO SAY THAT YOU'RE, THAT NATURE THAT YOU GUYS ARE SAYING, IF IT'S THERE, WE KNOW NEW TEXTBOOK, WE KNOW WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT WHENEVER WE CAN, WE'RE GONNA DO THAT. THAT'S HOW I READ THAT. I'LL JUST SAY FROM MY TIME WITH WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WHICH, UM, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, COMING UP ON THE END OF MY EIGHTH YEAR AND THAT I'VE BEEN AT CENTRAL OFFICE AND TEXTBOOKS HAVE BEEN A CONTINUOUS DISCUSSION, UM, THE ENTIRE TIME THAT, THAT I'VE BEEN HERE. SO THAT EVEN GOES BACK TO PRE COVID. I, UM, THE EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MONEY HAS TO BE REPLENISHED TO SOME DEGREE EVEN IN YEARS WHEN WE DON'T BUY TEXTBOOKS. THAT'S WHAT'S GOTTEN US IN THIS SITUATION. AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE WITH THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LIST OF NEEDS AND SO YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE JUGGLING THE MONEY IN DIFFERENT POTS. BUT THAT IS, I DO THINK JUST KIND OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO PURCHASE TEXTBOOK TEXTBOOKS ON A CONSISTENT BASIS. I MEAN THE, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A SURPRISE, YOU KNOW, AND I SAY THAT KNOWING THAT WE DID ADOPT NEW STANDARDS IN MATH A YEAR EARLY THIS YEAR, BUT TYPICALLY IT'S NOT A SURPRISE. IT ROTATES ON A SEVEN YEAR BASIS. YOU KNOW, WE KNOW IT'S COMING. UM, AND THERE ARE LIGHT YEARS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DO AN ENGLISH PURCHASE, IT COSTS EASILY $800,000 TO DO A K 12 ENGLISH PURCHASE. AND THAT WAS IN 20 20, 20 21. SO NOW IT'S PROBABLY A MILLION. UM, ENGLISH IS TYPICALLY THE MOST EXPENSIVE PURCHASE, HAS A LOT OF ANCILLARY MATERIALS AND LI YOU KNOW, CLASSROOM LIBRARIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT GO WITH IT. UM, YOU KNOW, BUT THERE ARE LIGHTER YEARS WHEN YOU'RE NOT ADOPTING A CORE CONTENT. BUT YOU COULD USE THAT MONEY IN THOSE YEARS, A LOT LESS MONEY TO FILL IN SOME GAPS WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, UPPER LEVEL CLASSES. DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES NEED TEXTBOOKS. YOU KNOW, THE NEED FOR THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IS CONSISTENT EVERY YEAR. IT'S JUST THE PRICE OF THEM IS GOING TO FLUCTUATE BASED ON A BIG CORE ADOPTION LIKE ENGLISH AND MATH AND SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT AS EXPENSIVE LIKE WORLD LANGUAGES. YEAH, I I PERSONALLY LIKE THAT WE HAVE THAT BULLET POINT IN THERE FOR EXACTLY THAT REASON. BECAUSE IT, IT IS A REMINDER TO US THAT THIS HAS TO HAPPEN. THIS IS A NEED AND IT'S HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE. IS THERE A MOTION ON THIS? I MOVE THAT THE WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED THE WCPS INSTRUCTIONAL EXPECTATIONS AS PRESENTED. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND. ANY ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NO. THANK YOU MS. BRAGG. AND THEN WE HAVE [6.H. Approval of 2025-2026 Program of Studies - Ms. Bragg ] THE APPROVAL OF THE 25 26 PROGRAM OF STUDIES, UM, ALRIGHT. PROGRAM OF STUDIES FOR THE 20 25 20 26 [04:45:02] SCHOOL YEAR. UM, EVERY YEAR WE PRESENT, UH, THE, UH, CHANGES, ADDITIONS, DELETIONS OF, UH, POTENTIAL COURSE OFFERINGS FOR THE, UH, UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR IN GRADES SIX THROUGH 12. UM, THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES IS UPDATED ON OUR WEBSITE. UH, ONE OF THE, UH, PIECES OF THE UPDATE YOU'LL SEE IS THAT, THAT THERE WILL BE A, UM, COMPLETE 25 26 PROGRAM OF STUDIES AVAILABLE IN SPANISH. UM, AND THAT'S, SO, UH, WE HAVE THAT AVAIL AVAILABLE, UM, IN, IN THE ENTIRETY. THERE'S A SEVERAL SECTIONS TO THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES, INCLUDING SORT OF LIKE A BASE START THAT KIND OF GOES THROUGH GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS AND JUST SORT OF HAS GENERAL INFORMATION. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO OUR COURSE, UM, UH, OFFERING SECTION, UH, AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. UM, WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL IS LOOKING TO ADD A PE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING CLASS AT GRADE EIGHT. UM, IT DOES NOT REPLACE GRADE EIGHT PE IT WOULD BE AN ELECTIVE FOR STUDENTS WHO WANTED TO TAKE IT INSTEAD OF GRADE EIGHT PE. SO THEY WOULD OFFER BOTH. NOT EVERY KID IS GONNA TAKE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING FOR THEIR GRADE EIGHT PE COURSE. UM, BUT FOR THOSE THAT DO, THEY COULD RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THEIR GRADE EIGHT PE SO THEY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE DOUBLING UP ON GYM. UM, STUDENTS WOULD HAVE TO PASS A WEIGHT ROOM SAFETY TEST IN ORDER TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. UM, IN THAT COURSE, YOU KNOW, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, UM, IN A WEIGHT ROOM IS SOMETHING THAT GIVES ME A LITTLE BIT OF RESERVATION. AND SO, UM, THE, UH, PE TEACHERS STRESS THAT THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, ENSURE THAT THOSE STUDENTS UNDERSTOOD, UH, THE SAFETY THAT NEEDED TO BE VERY DILIGENT ABOUT IN A CLASS THAT HAS, UM, EIGHTH GRADERS IN THAT WEIGHT ROOM. AND THEN ALSO, UM, LOOKING AT AN ART AT GRADE EIGHT AND A FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES EXPLORATORY THREE, WHICH IS THE GRADE EIGHT FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES COURSE. THAT INCLUDES A 36 WEEK OPTION FOR THE ELECTIVE COURSES. AND AGAIN, THAT GOES BACK TO, UM, WARREN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL. THEIR ELECTIVES RUN ON A AB SCHEDULE. SO STUDENTS, WHEN THEY HAVE A COURSE FOR ONLY A SEMESTER ON A AB SCHEDULE, THEY'RE REALLY ONLY GETTING NINE WEEKS OF INSTRUCTION EVEN THOUGH THIS OPTION HERE GIVES THEM THE ABILITY TO GET, UM, ESSENTIALLY A FULL SEMESTER OF INSTRUCTION IN THOSE ELECTIVES. UM, AT SKYLINE MIDDLE SCHOOL, REMOVING THE THEATER COURSE THAT HAS PRIMARILY TO DO WITH, UM, HOW THE TEACHER THAT IS IN THAT COURSE IS ENDORSED OR NOT ENDORSED TO TEACH THEATER. UM, AND REPLACING IT WITH A GENERAL MUSIC CLASS, UM, AT HIGH SCHOOL LOOKING AT TO OFFER TWO ADDITIONAL CTE COURSES, TRAVEL AND TOURISM MARKETING AND SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT MANAGEMENT. UM, WE WILL ADD THE FUTURE EDUCATORS ACADEMY THAT, UM, IS BEING OFFERED AT LAUREL RIDGE. UM, I BELIEVE THE LAST I SAW THE LIST, WE HAVE THREE STUDENTS THAT HAVE APPLIED TO BE PART OF THAT PROGRAM, AND THAT IS THE, UM, PROGRAM WHERE THEY REGISTER OR THEY APPLY IN THE 10TH GRADE AND THEN THEIR 11TH AND 12TH GRADE YEARS ARE SPENT PRIMARILY IN THAT FUTURES EDUCATOR ACADEMY AT LAUREL RIDGE, UM, AND LOOKING TO DELETE THE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY DUAL ENROLLED COURSE. WE CURRENTLY DON'T HAVE A CERTIFIED DE TEACHER FOR THAT COURSE. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM OF STUDIES? IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE THAT THE CHANGES FOR THE 20 25, 20 26 PROGRAM OF STUDIES BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NO. THANK YOU MS. GREG. THANK YOU ALL. WE HAVE, [7.A. Board Member Requests] UM, BOARD MEMBER REQUESTS. WE'LL START WITH MS. LOWE. I DON'T HAVE ANY AT THIS TIME, MS. SALEM. UM, MY ONLY REQUEST WAS JUST THAT WHEN WE HAVE THE, UM, STUDENT PRESENTATIONS, IF WE COULD JUST LIST THEM ON THE AGENDA IN ADVANCE. I I YOU MEAN THE SCHOOL REPORTS OR JUST EVERY RIGHT, RIGHT. OR THE PRESENTATIONS. RIGHT? YEAH, LIKE, JUST SO, SO WE KNOW AND SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS WHO ALL IS COMING, YOU KNOW, IF PEOPLE WANTED TO COME SUPPORT THE WRESTLING TEAM OR SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, THE EARLY ACT OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU. AND SO WE KNOW AS A BOARD WHAT TO EXPECT ALSO. UM, MR. MCFADDEN, NO REQUESTS. THANK YOU. UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF THINGS. UM, THE FIRST ONE I KNOW WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE, WELL, WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA REVIEW ALL OF THE SICK LEAVE PAYOUT. I'M SURE WE ARE WHEN WE SEE WHAT THAT ENDED UP COSTING, IF THAT ENDED UP BEING EFFECTIVE, HOW THAT ALL WASHED OUT. UM, I GUESS MY ONLY REQUEST ABOUT THAT IS WHEN WE HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, [04:50:01] IF WE COULD BE THINKING ABOUT, UM, WHO IS ACTUALLY ELIGIBLE FOR THAT. BECAUSE I KNOW ORIGINALLY WE TALKED ABOUT ONLY, ONLY POSITIONS THAT WOULD BE REPLACED WITH A SUBSTITUTE, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE ARE OVERLOOKING A POPULATION THAT IS IMPORTANT, UM, TO OUR SCHOOLS EACH DAY AND THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THAT. UM, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR A SUB BECAUSE THEY HAVE A POSITION THAT, IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY DON'T HAVE A POSITION THAT DOESN'T NEED A SUB. IT'S MAYBE THERE'S A COUNSELOR, FOR EXAMPLE. WE DON'T HAVE SUBSTITUTE COUNSELORS THAT CAN JUST SLIDE INTO THOSE POSITIONS, BUT, UM, IT DOESN'T MAKE THEIR POSITION AND THEIR ABSENCE LESS VALUABLE. UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO CIRCLE BACK TO OUR WORK SESSION LAST MONTH. THERE WAS A REQUEST ABOUT MOVING THE DISCIPLINE REPORT FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA DOWN TO WHERE THE SRO REPORT IS. AND SO, UM, WHEN WE ORIGINALLY STARTED PUTTING THAT DISCIPLINE REPORT UP IN THAT, WE DID ASK FOR IT TO GO UP INTO THE CONSENT AGENDA. AND SO OBVIOUSLY I DON'T NEED TO KNOW THAT ANSWER NOW, BUT I JUST WANNA KNOW MOVING FORWARD SO THAT I CAN APPROPRIATELY SLATE THAT AGENDA FOR THE WORK SESSIONS PROPERLY SO PEOPLE CAN INDIVIDUALLY EMAIL ME SORT OF WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS FOR WHAT THAT REPORT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND IF WE WANT IT OUT OF THE CONSENT AGENDA DOWN, UM, WITH THAT SRO REPORT. I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT MOVING FORWARD. UM, AND THEN I DID RECEIVE A LOT OF EMAILS, UM, QUESTIONING IF WE HAVE A SOCIAL NETWORKING POLICY THAT'S SIMILAR TO THE GAB DASH R TWO THAT OUR EMPLOYEES FOLLOW. UM, AND WE DON'T, I, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CODES OF CONDUCT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT POLICIES OF PROFESSIONALISM. I WOULD LIKE US TO THE VERY LEAST CONSIDER SOME SORT OF AMENDMENT TO OUR CURRENT POLICY BAA BOARD MEMBER AUTHORITY AND JUST UPDATE THAT IN SOME WAY TO INCLUDE THAT OUR SOCIAL, OUR PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS ARE OUR OWN. AND SO, BECAUSE I HAD A SPECIFIC QUESTION ASKING ME IF OUR BOARD HAS A SPOKESPERSON ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THE ANSWER IS NO. AND I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE NICE TO HAVE THAT IN POLICY THAT WHEN I'M SHARING SOMETHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I'M NOT SHARING IT FOR MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THEM. AND I PERSONALLY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ME THAT THAT'S CLEAR THAT NO ONE ELSE ON THE BOARD IS SPEAKING FOR ME ON THEIR PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS EITHER. YEAH, THAT'S FINE. SO I WOULD JUST LIKE EVERYONE TO CONSIDER THAT, UM, THAT CLARIFICATION WHEN WE'RE USING SOCIAL MEDIA IN SOME WAY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THIS EVENING. [8. Approval of Closed Meeting Item(s) ] I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR APPROVAL ON THE ITEMS FROM OUR CLOSED SESSION ON THE PERSONNEL REPORT AND THE PERSONNEL REPORT ADDENDUM. I MOVE THAT THE MARCH 5TH PERSONNEL REPORT AND THE MARCH 5TH PERSONNEL REPORT ADDENDUM BE APPROVED AS PRESENTED. IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND. IT ALL IS IN FAVOR. AYE. AYE. AYE. OPPOSED? NO, THANK YOU. AND YOUR ADJOURN. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.