I'd like to call to order the August 14th 2024 meeting of the Columbia height school board and we'll start with the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all all right we will start with the roll call Michelle do the roll call please yes granin here madas here Palmer here H here Mueller here pway here superintendent stini here thank you sh yep our mission statement is creating worlds of opportunity for each and every learner all belong all succeed our core values are Community Excellence collaboration Integrity respect courage and Innovation um next we have our approval of agenda uh can I get a motion to approve the agenda so moved Mary and a second second oh who is that Michelle um second by Michelle any discussion hearing none we'll proceed to vote all those in favor signify by saying I I I oppose abstain motion carries next we have our announcements August 20th at 5:30 p.m will be our work session here in the community room August 27th at 6: p.m. is a regular school board meeting here in the community room September 3rd is the first day of school very exciting September 10th at 5:00 p.m. um and actually that will be changed September 10th at 4:45 p.m. is the subcommittee on policy in the community room September 10th at 5:00 p.m is the subcommittee on community engagement in the training room and September 10th at 6 PM is a regular Schoolboard meeting next we will move um to close session in accordance with Minnesota statute 13 d03 the board will adjourn to a close session to discuss negotiation strategy can I get a motion to move to close session so moved Julie and a second second second by Laura any discussion hearing none we'll proceed to vote all those in favor signify by saying I I opposed abstain motion carries we'll move to close session um we are returning to open session um at 702 we were closed for the purpose of uh contract negotiation strategy um next is communication to the board um at this time any citizen or employee uh May briefly address the board good y okay since there's nobody but our directors in the room we're going to carry on as there's nobody here to address the board um next we have the consent agenda the consent agenda includes the Personnel report um from August 14th the Schoolboard minutes from the July 9th meeting and the treasure report for June 2024 and the read act memorandum of understanding can I get a motion to approve the consent agenda so moved Mary and a second second second by Michelle any discussion um can I make a motion you we this out of order you know I think it is out of order yeah there's a motion on the floor there's motion yeah we have a motion on okay FL is your motion J to the I was going to suggest we we pull that last item for separate consideration and vote we have to amend the agenda which we can do with a two-thirds vote so let me ask this question for Robert's Rules sake because we're on the consent agenda be if we we can I thought we could pull anything from the consent agenda and then it just gets voted on very the very next thing right it's its own item but normally you pull the item off the consent agenda when you're when we're doing the approval approval of the agenda okay so but we can yep is is Laura is your request to move that off the agenda off the consent agenda related to yes Jessica okay well maybe I can just make a public note about that in discussion if that's in discussion we're in discussion if that's amable amable to the group so um I will be abstaining from the consent agenda uh specifically uh because of item D the redou um as it is anou uh addendum to the 710 contract and my spouse is employment is covered by that contract thank you does that work for you Laura oh oh certainly I just I just figured if we pulled that out and voted on that separately then then obviously your vote would still and be U uh quite appropriate for the rest of those items thank you I just want to I I just I just know that this is out of order right now to do that so yeah no we're I think we're covered with the we have the motion to approve in a second for the consent agenda in discussion had that conversation we're not going to pull it out or make an an agenda Amendment so thank you both of you um so at this point um we are going to vote on the consent agenda as it appears on the agenda um all in favor signify by saying I I opposed abstain sorry I partially out of habit yes um could we start the vote over on that motion please thank you yes yes um all in favor signify by saying I I opposed abstains abstain Jessica abstains thank you motion passes is she abstaining from all of them then or I abstained from voting on the entirety of the consent agenda thank you like is there a partial upate I don't thank you all um next we have our acknowledgement of contributions and as soon as it loads I will read it okay our acknowledgement con contributions is a resolution um so I will read that and then we will move that forward acknowledgement of contributions resolution Minnesota statute 12302 permit School boards to receive for the benefit of the district bequests donations or gifts for any proper purpose and apply the same to the prop to the purpose designated on that behalf the board may act as a trustee of any trust created for the benefit of the district and for the benefit of the pupils thereof therefore the school board of Columbia Heights Public Schools Independent School District number 13 resolves to accept with appreciation the contributions detailed in the background of $757 the contributions include um donations to the follow uh by the following to the Columbia Heights High School scholarship fund um for the ranana tuck roll Memorial Scholarship Kathy scrip and Anne H hegland for $100 Kristen stunkle Ronda B uh basfield and Valley View Sunshine for $50 Regina Shai for $200 and Carrie Trin for $25 the Columbia Heights athletic boosters donated $3,500 to support the boys soccer program the Columbia Heights Basketball Association donated $3,500 for the Columbia Academy scoreboard um in kind donations Jim and Susan Conklin donated a framed team picture of the 1927 Columbia Heights boys basketball team the total fiscal year 2024 2025 monetary contributions to date $ 7,575 hang in a motion to approve this resolution so moved Jessica in a second second second by Julie any discussion Mary I think just as always um every time we get to this part I'm just simply amazed at how how generous our community continues to be and um you know thank you all so much yeah I agree and I love seeing that um the donation of the 1927 Columbia Heights boys basketball team picture that's pretty cool where is that going to be located um I I'll have to remember it'll be over at the high school Highland Cent school it was fun as you know I was able to meet with them and ask them to write down as much information as they could so we could you know keep it with the photo awesome it's coming up on its 100 year anniversary here pretty quick yeah we're we'll we'll talk about that what we're going to do for our Centennial yeah awesome great um any other discussion all right since this is a resolution we'll do a roll call Michelle do you do the roll call vote please yep uh granin I who I I mad I Mueller I Palmer I Petway I resolution passes thank you next we have our discussion reports and information items starting with the reports from members of the board and we will start with Jessica sure I don't have much to report we had a little bit of a break uh since our last meeting um but I did uh attend the um uh title n webinar that msba uh hosted uh back in July so that was some good information um and then just additionally I wanted to note that um my own kids have been participating in a lot of the uh programming that uh the city is doing and through Parks and Recreation and partnership with the school district and some new things this year um and um they've really been enjoying it and the other families and um kids that I've talked to uh over at meran Hall and other places in the city have been really enjoying that so um well I know we had extensive conversation here at the board table about um our summer programming and what we are aren't able to accomplish um I am really proud of the partnership that we have um between the city and our district in being able to um make uh opportunities available and promote those opportunities um that we that we can offer through the city so that's all my report you Julie um I also attended the MS ba Title 9 discussion um which I found very interesting um in July and then just this last Monday I attended the Fridley city council meeting and gave them a little update on just kind of where we are with sea you know our our strategic plan um I started out with just thanking them for you know passing our Levy and how that is going to impact our students and and being able to recruit and retain great teachers um I also thank them for the scholarships that our students got from like the Lions Club and Fridley the rotary Etc so that they you know to to let them know that we do see that that they're participating in that and providing um assistance to our students um I did mention that we had the one student that receive the um the can't cook um award um of 55,000 a year up to 55,000 a year um and that he was the only one in Minnesota out of 60 in the nation that received that scholarship and so I wanted to give that positive reinforcement to our to our friendly residents to let them know you know our school district is doing good things um so I I did that and gave them a little um kind of the summary of our strategic plan and that our next steps is to implement that so that's where that's what I'm done excellent thank you Julie Laura uh I I really don't have a whole lot to um to report on um I attended the uh subcommittee on community engagement uh prior to this meeting I did attend um the um the 916 meeting last week um that's pretty much it and I will defer any anything else until another meeting because it's already seems like it's been a long one thank you thanks Michelle um yeah I will keep it as short as I can although I've been doing a lot um so I went to The Little Shop of hes with the Adult Enrichment program that was a a lot of fun so much fun that I bought tickets and took my family um so that my little one could see it which it was all worth it she enjoyed it and um someone came and they gave us we were walking out and someone walked in with a baggie full of like bracelets that they like handmade and so we walked out with like these like free little uh gifts from it so that was fun um and then I went to the Grand uh the golden nuts grand opening um that was like mid July um um just a new business in the area um and it's um it's very very nice very big I didn't think there was that much space there but um yeah stop by if you get a chance I went to metronic to volunteer with some bike building with uh principal keman and other um District um members and board members um and that was a a great um moment to be able to volunteer with uh people and to go inside metronic because um I've never been in there and it was nice to just be inside a place I always drive by I attended the um the Columbia Heights Police Department hosted a eat and greet at McKenna Park um I attended the lead conference um at the UFM and participated on the panel for Blackman teach which is over at North Park which is where my daughter attends school and she was also on the panel um as well as two other um teachers from the school so that was a really good opportunity for her to be in a space and have someone from the UFM to tell her to pay attention to them when she's filling out college application so you know we're ahead of our time here um I also attended the icna which is the um Islamic circle of North America they had hosted a um book bag and Supply uh giveaway at um at Keys Park um and they had some produce there there was um a police officer there with his car so the kids could go in and just look at the car Red Cross was there um lots of resources and things like that um which I got some business cards so I can give them to some of our families at North Park um during our um bipac Family advisory meetings um so that they can have some resources as well I attended the msba summer seminar um where governance was like a big part of that big theme there um learned a lot I attended the title one meeting at North Park um which was great Anita attended that as well um and so we got to really see um what the process is uh going into school and what it takes to really organize the students day like each class's day in the grades and how they do things so that that was great insight and we got to give um some input to there so that was an awesome experience I attended National Night Out popped around to some different neighborhoods spoke to some people and met different community members um which was a great experience um I attended the League of Women Voters uh so summer social uh which was a great opportunity as well to uh meet some people representative uh Sandra feice was there and um had a a great uh in-depth look at what she does for work which is um and um and I'm going to space on it immigration immigration lawyer thank you so much I tried to beat you to it I was going to get there um I attended the Monarch Festival which I think was last week um which was a lot of fun as well and then I attended the uh subcommittee on community engagement meeting before this I'm G to breathe now very busy thank you Mary oh similar um so unfortunately I did not make the chair meeting uh with the shift to Wednesday over Tuesday um but I was able to make the uh subcommittee meeting uh shout out to Stephanie with my Panic text messages today about scheduling so thank you so much for that um I've had a lot of meetings and conversations with community members um representative Omar and her staff um representative Feist U Mayors Marquez simila and mayor Wiggins from Hilltop um and various city council members uh between hiltop and also Columbia Heights I also joined the bike building at medronic um somewhere somebody has video of us dancing and I have no shame it was amazing so much fun to be able to um to volunteer with our um with our community for the kiddos um let's see I also attended the blooming Sunshine um end of the year uh sort of picnic that they have um so that included Heights next yep and remember pway was also there uh that included Heights next the rotary and Kus clubs um it was really wonderfully attended there were so many people there that um shared food that they made from the Food Forest that's there um so was really wonderful and then um also just being able to connect with people um I also attended the National Night Out and one thing that really was pretty fantastic was that so many of the things that people end up evaluating our school district on are very far behind it's a year behind right so we're talking about things now that happened last year and it was really great to be able to sort of across all of these community events talk about the things that we're doing really well here the fact that we we we don't have a deficit um like so many of our surrounding districts and the fact that we have um for the first time we were able to retain staff um instead of cut them for Budget reasons and that you know to be able to look at my son and know that that hasn't really happened in his lifetime before and so um people were really pleasantly surprised to hear that and it was just really joyful to be able to to point out all the ways which we know we're doing good things and that we won't you know from the conversations we had with our community before um while we made the Strategic plan to be able to share those things um and the fact that we were listening and we've been we've been doing the work um so that was really fantastic um I also came to the farmers market last week which was great um a lot of fun and um student the student Le Farmers Market yes the student Le Farmers Market yes sorry just a question yep yep from um from blooming Heights here it was adorable uh they did a really great job um next year if people can make it they should try and come it's pretty fantastic um and what a great thing to do and what a great way to support our students in our the program we have here oh and then lots of phone calls with superintendent stenvik with um member members pway and maderas and I'm sure I left something out but really at this point it's a lot so thank you thank you um going back to not the long list here so um I did um enjoy our little bit of a break um so I got to kind of reconnect and ready to jump back into it um it did attend the chair meeting this evening um on also the subcommittee on policy with member H and member madas were quickly we forget as well left that off their report they were there greatly appreciated it was an hour meeting yeah so um very good meeting um on policy um also had conversations with superintendent stenvik and with member Palmer um that and yes and um we just we just make sure we just fill each other in on all the things that we did together right ified board yeah exactly so um yeah and that is it for me um so we will move on to the superintendent report and correspondent superintendent zic thank you uh there's just a buzz about the district this week so many staff have returned and many Student Activities and programs have started and so there's just a different energy this week in the district so it's it's really exciting um earlier this week assistant superintendent Bondo nambo and I testified at the legislative study group on absenteeism um we have also met with other districts named in the statute for the Statewide attendance pilot um we're really grateful for that pilot project because it's we will be funded for that project over the next three years um so a great Statewide collaboration on um attacking chronic absenteeism and supporting um more attendance um because it really does impact student growth right and that's what it's all about uh District 916 is also working on the issue of chronic absenteeism and last week we met with various County attorneys um the commissioner of education and superintendents within the 916 organization and that was really a great discussion talking about how the different organizations and agencies how we can have inter agency collaboration for kids who um are unenrolled and are out there and you know and so we're we brainstormed lots of ways that where we we could make sure that our students are enrolled um and attending school um additionally as the board knows our district team has been meeting with the non-licensed Union groups um for contract negotiations over the summer um I've also been able to attend local conferences this summer including the lead conference where um member pway and the North Park team uh did an amazing job as panelists um I also attended the mde back to school conference which was really really exciting to connect and hear all of the you know there was presentations on compliance and what's new in legislature and then also react I mean which is also compliance and legislation but um I was able to have conversations with member pway member H Vice chair granin and chair Mueller thank you thank you very much um next we'll move on to action items um we have one action item this evening um and that is uh building capacity at Valley View um superintendent syic thanks so as the board members know um we review enrollment numbers on a weekly basis um this is a kind of a tricky time of year because staff are just returning the staff who who's in charge of processing the drops so drops meaning anyone who's moved away over the summer and then also vigorously processing the steady August enrollment that we're seeing um as you recall we've been watching the Valley View numbers based on what we knew the enrollment was going to be um and we knew this last spring um when we closed some of the Highland grades last spring so we've been watching those numbers um the principal's worked very closely with his his staff at Valley View and the placement center um so they've completed all of the drops they've only had six students drop over the summer which is remarkable and we've gotten you know an increase additionally um you know some of the kindergarten families are new and so phone calls have been made to to some of the families just like just confirming are you are you coming so we feel good about the numbers um in requesting that that the board close to open enrollment um Valley View kindergarten and Valley View second grade um um you know there's already I think 27 26 students second graders in the four different sections so as you as you know we need to reserve room and space for Resident students um and the kindergarten classrooms are at about 23 um so um we also need to reserve room for Resident students and looking at those enrollment Trends so um I think the spec the exact wording is um um seeking approval to close valy viiew Elementary grades kindergart Garden in SE in grade two during the 2024 25 school year or until those grades are no longer Beyond capacity um so um the board will continue to receive weekly enrollment updates and we'll connect on on and watch that and you know if if on the one hand it's amazing to be able to close because that means we have robust enrollment and on the other hand we want you know we don't want to close and have our enrollment drop so we just keep an eye on it so that's what I'm here seeking approval for this evening great thank you um may I please have a motion to approve the closure of Valley View Elementary grade kindergarten and grade two during the 2024 2025 school year or until those grades are no longer Beyond capacity so moved Laura and a second second second by Julie any discussion very this is actually one of the things that I was able to share and that delighted people the most is you know first of all that open enrollment has its own set of rules and laws that we have to follow but also that um when families are finding out that we've closed to open enrollment we have more families moving into the community and this closing it for kindergarten is really massively unheard of um and so the fact that that's where we're at I think is should be an indicator to the community that our school district is doing a fantastic job and also drawing people to move within the boundaries so um that's amazing keep up the great work just a question so we um I know for generally that if there is a student who's enrolled through open enrollment um and we close open enrollment um they're allowed to stay open enrolled I'm wondering if the same thing is true for any students who may have been uh like prek students at Valley VI that we're then going into kindergarten we have spaces for any of those students yes so um and we uh the school staff does a you know connects with the families and really works to in the you know in the spring to enroll the prek4 students into kindergarten so those families have already all been contacted if they were already in the school yes thank you great question Mary similarly actually um siblings if we have somebody who's open enrolled um and say they're going into the second grade or something and they have a younger sibling coming do are they allowed to come in under this or so the district has the right of assignment to a school for um open enrolled students so what would happen if a family came in with multiple grade levels the folks at the placement center would say here's where the openings are for your whole family wonderful thank you oh I'm sorry so you your example though is a student who is already enrolled in Valley View well yes so say a student say we have somebody that is going into a different grade but they've got a younger sibling that's going into kindergarten would we support them to open enroll to the same school oh not that there's no openings there yeah that's so like are do we grandfather you know to use a term that's very old do we do we let people join in because of already I'd have to double check the statute but I don't recall a a sibling um preference in statute um so if if one sibling is already enrolled and another has been enrolled elsewhere um I don't recall a sibling statute um I think with anything though we do case by case basis exactly y y for sure I was G to say when when I I I've had kids in school for like ever okay I mean my last one's going to be a senior this year so I'll be finally done um but I remember there was about a three years between siblings if it was more than three years you know then then they would be just aign because we were when we moved we stayed in one but we stayed still in in the same district so the the Gap in them you know my my child was uh was assigned to a different School in the actual Zone that I was in so I imagine it would probably be something that or a case by case yeah I mean I I would say yeah if anybody's watching um um and maybe if you get that information you put it in our packet but um for anybody watching if you you know have a child who's attending Valley View and you're open enrolled and you have a kindergart coming contact the placement office so there you go thank you yes any other discussion all right here none we will proceed to vote all those in favor are signify by saying I I I opposed abstain motion carries thank you yes thank you next we have board topics does anybody have any board topics M I do thank you um so just wanted to uh give people a quick update about the subcommittee for um Family engagement um we are hoping to be able to have a bilingual listening session um available sometime uh in mid October so uh prior to that superintendent stenvik we were hoping that we can schedule a meeting with you um and the sub committee so that we can talk about what maybe that looks like and um sort of make a plan um and I think the so that piece because we really want to still have those listening sessions and be available and also we want to make sure that they are useful for families and meeting them where they're at instead of necessarily you know just assuming people are going to come in and and ask for what they need or tell us what their concerns are um so hopefully we can schedule something with you to have a meeting to plan what that can look like we're hoping for about sixish weeks into the school year because that's a really good time frame for people to sort of settle into a routine and start to see um how things are shaking out or where they may need more support or any concerns come up so um and then you know hopeful to get the dates and times for open houses because we know historically that's been a lot of um really great questions and with the you know families coming in um and hopefully the with the idea that we would all be able to to um Join one of those uh to be able to be present for those and to be um again meet our students and families where they're at instead of expecting them to come to us here in the district Center all the time so um and I believe that is about where we were yeah did mind missing anything my co I mean um National Night Out we went to Legends that's it yes thank you um um home or apartments I'm not sure it's an assisted living home okay thanks um and so there was this um the activ for like having um children there to you know sing if they're in choir we do like a a show or something she had she had hinted around like Christmas time or holiday time so um but but also just anytime um to come over and paint nails color pictures um do crafts or something like that um I'm not sure of where that would start and so I just want to start the conversation here and say that we do have someone who wants to partner with the schools to get um you know that that kind of interaction um they wouldn't be coming to us um and they also some of them don't have you know um smaller kids and you know grandkids or you know a lot of people coming to see them and it would be really nice to you know show up for them sometime this year and do something there if not create some sort of schedule so um that was something I really was like oh okay that's a great idea um and so I have a contact over there and um we can like hopefully get a ball rolling with that it reminds me I'm not sure if any those of you who have had children at Highland Highland has a connection with Crestfield I heard yeah that came up too yeah so at least we have a good reference point too so that we can have some structure around it um and you know and have a plan thank it's always a fabulous event it's one of the most enjoyable few prom prom and then they do singing over there too yeah um Michelle yeah I want to let the best go last um um so there's actually a couple of um movie in the park um events coming up so if you want to do a double feature and drive like down the street um Fridley is having one at Fridley Commons park they're going to be showing um Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I believe and that's going to be at 6:30 this Friday and then at 8:30 um Columbia Heights is going to have um a movie in the park and that's going to be back to the future and that's going to be at houet Park so I don't know something to do on a Friday night with the kiddos or family um might be a good idea good perfect um I have two items one is um just letting you guys know I will not be at the work session next week um so Mary will be cheering that I have an out of town work commit um and then the other one is after this meeting superintendent sik and the rest of the team have presents for you that I got advanced in advance but if you would like your head heart hands t-shirt I love our Highlanders begging for this I know if we're back to school week um you can get that after the meeting wooo thank you your visual aid of per are we invited to wear those to convocation to wear those to convocation yes or the you know new staff lunch next week or you know every day between now and September 3rd would be wonderful 10th right yeah but basically blue and gold is required at convocation thank you I was going to say that I'm like dying yeah blue blue and gold is required the gold shoes remember my yeah break them out any excuse to break them out yeah perfect any other board topics um who are we supposed to contact UM Stephanie for um confirmation of our attendance to yes please those okay I will do that yeah so we've got two things really coming up one is the um New staff luncheon which is on Tuesday the 20th um and the other is um convocation and the all staff picnic which is 28 28th 28th um the one on the 20th is at noon just so know and then one 28th is 9:30 arrival 9:45 um to start except for you and I yes yes Mary and I will be yes touring of the new staff around the city of Columbia Heights in the bus in a bus yeah I mean for the first time we have two buses so many we have so many staff that we're bringing on that we have two buses kind of robust and rolling yes doing good work any any other board topics all right then we will adjourn at 7:37