Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> I'd like to call this meeting of the Robbinsdale Area Schools School Board to order. Today is Monday, April 6th, 2026 at 7:03 p.m. and we are in the board room of the Educational Service Center. And at this time, I would like to welcome you and I I want to read our land acknowledgement statement. We acknowledge Robbinsdale Area Schools is located on the homelands of the Dakota and Ojibwe people. We recognize the painful history of genocide and forced assimilation of the indigenous inhabitants of this land. We honor and respect the many indigenous peoples who live on and hold sacred these lands and we stand with members of these nations to fight injustice in all of its forms. We uphold the preservation of the Dakota and Ojibwe languages, land-based education and tribal sovereignty. At this time, I would like the clerk to call the roll. >> With pleasure. Director Bassett. >> Here. >> Uh Director Bowman marks herself here. Director Brett Brettenson. >> Here. >> Uh uh Chair Evans Becker. >> Director Hillenbrand. >> Here. >> Director Long. >> Here. >> Director Wuchow. >> Here. >> Dr. Stahle. >> Here. >> We have a quorum. >> We are ready for the meeting then. Next up is I would like a motion to approve the agenda. >> So moved. >> Moved by Director Brettenson. >> Second. >> Seconded by Director Hillenbrand. All in favor of approving the agenda, please say I. >> I. All opposed say nay. We have an agenda already. That moves us right to number four, article prior proud, Superintendent Stahle. >> Excellent. Good evening. We have an opportunity to learn more about both the process and where we are in terms of curriculum review. So this evening we have with us Becky Birdior, senior director of teaching and learning, and Dr. Megan Schmidt, who is our secondary math mathematics expert to share a little bit more about where we are in the process to give the board and the community just an opportunity to learn a little bit about how we do curriculum, especially as we encounter new standards and new curriculum. So with that I'm going to hand it over to you. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. >> Stahle, Chair Evans Becker, members of the board. Dr. Megan Schmidt is really the main part of the show tonight, so she's going to walk through what we've been up to with math as we prepare ourselves to be ready for the new math standards. I'll turn it over to you, Megan. >> Thank you. So my my goal tonight is to be informative about these new standards, but also to kind of begin challenging our conception of what K-12 mathematics can look like and kind of explore our math identity a little bit. So I'm inviting you just for a second, and those of you who are here and who are at home can play along if you want, I'm going to close your eyes just for a second. And imagine a land ruled by math. We're going to call it math land. Make sure you imagine the landscape. What plants and animals are there? What kinds of people? What are they talking about? What are they feeling? What would it be like if you lived there? You can go ahead and open your eyes. >> Oh. Amen. >> Some of us may have had a picture like this of confidence and joy and um and curiosity. But unfortunately for many of us, math is a space of fear, anxiety, and shame. Ruled by rules and procedures because of our own negative experiences with mathematics. I believe that we have the potential to create a different math land here in Robbinsdale for our students. A joyful, student-centered math land that can be a foundation to help kids develop their unique potential and possibly contribute to their community through mathematics. I believe that every adult in our system can engage students positively around mathematics. And we've started that in the office of teaching and learning. They're called the 2022 standards because they were written in 2022. But they will be fully implemented in 2027. Um this new set of standards is one of the boldest that we've seen in the United States because it changes what it means to do mathematics at school. It's based on what we call mathematical rigor, which is a three-part balance of equal intensity on real-world application, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency. This set of standards allows us to position our students as sense makers. And allows us to position our students as sense makers. Okay. Just looking at the language alone in these standards. Our old standards used things like use, solve, find, understand. Our new standards use verbs like interpret, investigate, explain, and describe. This is where it gets really fun. These content standards are based in five what we call contexts. Because math makes more sense when it's in context. Um in these contexts include within the historical and current contributions of the 11 sovereign tribal nations in Minnesota and Minnesota's urban indigenous communities. These math standards are also bolstered by eight mathematical practices. And personally, my favorite nine words in the entire document is math practice three. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. The most interesting thing that happens in a math classroom is student thinking. This positions students as the driver of learning and teachers as learners of student thinking. Lastly, we have content. There are seven anchor standards that balance algebra, geometry, and data science. This is a big shift in um more emphasis on data science than there ever has been before. Previously, we had students do procedures in the analyze data section. Now, we're going to have students formulating their own statistical questions, collecting their own data, and interpreting the results within their context and their lived experiences. So, you got all that? Seven anchor standards, five contexts, using eight mathematical practices, all on a foundation of mathematical rigor. Looks like that's right. Seriously though, as someone who believes that every human can flourish in math land, I know that we can build these kinds of experiences for our students, where their mathematical ideas are centered. But, we need to make space for the adults in our system to have these positive experiences, too. And those experiences are what we've been working on this year in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Julie Baumeister, my K-5 math counterpart, have started some of these conversations by engaging several groups around the district. Uh we have taken elementary leaders, instructional leaders in math. We've taken the math department leaders at the secondary level, and we've started engaging them in some of the work that is going to happen in the classroom. And so, they've been able to bring some of that back to their department. Uh building administrators, our A&I team, our DCAC committee, and student services, as well as our Q-Comp coaches, have all weighed in on several curriculum options that we've been looking at. And we've begun to partner with our American Indian education groups to talk about how we can build learning experiences based in Dakota and Ojibwe ways of knowing. Um Becky Berdeaux is going to go over the more logistical timeline of events that have happened and will happen over the next few years. >> I'll draw you to the bottom of this slide first. >> That's our backwards mapping to ensure that we're prepared for the 22 um math standards. As Megan indicated, they those were written in 2022 and they are to be implemented fully in the fall of 2027. So, our students will take the MCA 4 in mathematics in the spring of 2028. And to ensure that they are ready for that assessment, we need to really start preparing now, um earlier than now, to make sure that we're ready. So, our new standards must be fully in place in the fall of 2027. Um and our we will be implementing new math materials that support those standards at that same time. So, the work we've been engaged in so far this year is to do just a bit of what Megan did with you tonight to ensure that we are all clear about what those 2022 standards are and what those shifts mean for Robbinsdale area schools, along with then engaging with um our teachers and uh community around some potential curricular material options that support those state standards. So, the materials are what we purchase in order to support the new standards. So, we had um materials we we put out an all-call for materials from publishers. They sent us what they had for us to review, and we took feedback from teachers and from community members were invited to come and I think even some of our board members were able to review those as well. And three materials really rose to the top for us to pilot. So, our next step is actually tomorrow. Megan and Julie are meeting with those vendors to finalize what materials will be brought forward for piloting. As you note in the in the slide before you, those materials will be set to be piloted in the fall. So, what that looks like is teachers that are interested and excited about the potential of piloting new materials will be part of that pilot process where they basically try out the materials and see how they match for Robin Stellair schools in alignment with the state standards. At that time then we'll gather even more input from teachers, from students, from families in the community about which of those three curriculum materials they feel like are best fit for for us in our district, and then we'll bring that forward to you next spring for approval for purchase to be ready to be implemented in the fall of 2027. So, the things that we're most excited about if you can't get about excited about math after listening to Dr. Schmitke, I don't know how who could be more prepared to do that for us, but the community engagement and involvement and interest in these curriculum materials has just been really impressive. So, we've been really thankful for that. And there's been clear consensus about which three we want to move forward for for consideration for pilot. And so, I'm confident that we will have some consensus around which final material we should bring forward for you all for approval. So, we're here for questions if you have any. Thanks. >> Um, Director Bowman. >> I'm sure quivering parents everywhere are interested in the following question. Does this come with a little like overview booklet for parents? I mean, I've what I I I've seen math come through a lot of you know, different phases and I watched my daughter and son-in-law with their kids and thankfully the oldest one is really brilliant and is because it it seems so foreign to them. So, how do we make this user-friendly for parents? or caregivers. >> That's actually one of the higher priority items when we were looking at materials was do the materials provide usable supports for parents? Not just here's a parent guide, but here is a parent guide that's usable, that's translated into multiple languages, that is accessible online and on paper, that that was something that we looked at extensively and we'll continue to look at and use as we pilot these. >> Thank you very much. That's exciting to me. >> Victor Bruntisyn. >> Two super easy questions. I know the answers to them, but I don't think everyone knows the answers, so I want to ask them. The one thing I've heard a bunch is why do we have to switch? Why can't we just keep our current math books? >> Well, the current program that we have isn't necessarily aligned to these new standards, but also making sure that we have a coherent K-12, which doesn't necessarily mean that they're the same, but something that aligns K-12, while also making sure it's something that teachers are going to find usable. >> Cool. And then the second one, just so I better understand and I guess everyone. So, we pick this new curriculum, I mean, how does it normally like we don't just fling it at all the teachers and say good luck, you know, start teaching. Like what does that normal process look like that? >> The nice thing about adopting an elementary literacy curriculum is as I've been given a really nice model from my colleague um Laura Sugarman who has been uh doing a lot of that work at the elementary level. And so, I'm going to learn a lot from her about what that looks like. Um but it does involve a lot of teacher training. Um and then when you pilot, you now have a set of teachers that are trained so that when you implement, you now have your early adopters who can you're going to eventually train everyone, but you have those who've already been trained who can help support the other teachers. >> Fantastic. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Um Director Hildenbrand? >> Okay, I have three questions. One, I have a feeling this it was really difficult, so I'm just curious, were you able to find curricula that had native content or is that something you're going to have to layer on? >> Yeah, that that was part of the work that we've done um we've started to do with our American Indian Ed is there are specific standards that are written to include um indigenous perspectives. And so, we will work with teachers, work with that group on on creating what that will look like most likely. >> It's a lot of work and I appreciate you guys doing that because um >> It is, but like those that kind of way of doing math is so valuable. I mean, because >> Um lots of reasons. Yeah. >> Yeah, 100% and I just I just want to say that. Uh you guys said it so like, "Oh, and we'll have native content." But really, I just want to put out there that that's a lot of work and a heavy lift. And so, thank you for doing it. Um curious how about two things. One, how how this would change the math progression in middle and high school? Um just curious. And then also, thinking a lot about data analysis and AI and how how would AI just And maybe you don't have an answer right now, but just thinking about how that factors into how students learn and understand math and their use of math. You know, I just have one who's graduating from high school who wants to go into data analysis and he's like, maybe I should do something else because AI has taken over all that. Maybe I should go into engineering, right? He still loves math, but just curious how um so the progression and how AI would factor into all this and the the learning or or maybe not. >> We at our department leader math at the secondary level, we've been having conversations about what the middle to high school progression and we have the state has rec- recommended a few options. Um some which require more change than others. Uh but we've been talking about it at the department leader level and we'll probably have a recommendation sometime next year. Um so it definitely is something that we're talking about because it's going to impact what teachers teach, which is part of our identity. >> So before Megan answers the second part, I think the part I want to highlight in that is the collaboration um between Megan and the department leaders and then them gathering input back from their from the buildings. And also, you know, we've presented a couple times at our uh district curriculum advisory committee meeting continuing to get family feedback because it is going to be a change likely in that progression. We don't know what that is yet. This As she said, the state of has given us some options, but it's really important to both of us that we get and I think to to the system at large that we gather that feedback before we make a decision. So some change will happen. We just don't know exactly what that will look like yet. Sorry, I forgot the second question. >> What was your second question? >> piece. Just curious about it. >> an answer? >> So if because the the short answer is data science is still going to be a a growing field because you because it's so interactive with context, you need a human to do that. Like the AI can tell you the the things, but they can't interpret it in the context. And that's what makes data analysis different from data science is you have you need that human. So like where I really think the opportunities are going to be is when we implement like visual design into the data science, that's something that an AI can can do, but not very well. >> Thank you. Sorry, I know those are kind of especially AI questions a little out there, but I'm just thinking about how we integrate those new technologies into the curriculum while still I know there's a lot of talk about how screens aren't good for kids. So like >> Well, if if you're >> both and, right? >> If you're taking what you're doing with kids and you are branching it out from here's the answer to here's the answer and here's how I would generalize it and here's how I got it and here's how I might do it a different way. Like those are things that you can check your answer with an AI, but like and here's how I explain it to someone else. Like all those things are I wouldn't say AI proof, but they're more that the AI is a thinking partner rather than they're just doing the math for the kids. >> Thank you. This is really great work. >> Thank you. Dr. Bassett. >> Yeah, hi. Thanks for being here. So a couple of people have touched on some of the questions I had. So I'm going to try not to go to the same question. But one of the things that early on I thought is if this these standards were adopted in 2022 and here we are at 2026 then that four year delta has been if I'm reading this right some missed opportunities. So So that's an assumption I'm making, but you're going to get to tell me as right or wrong. So but because my question then kind of goes a little bit deeper or a little different. And so, as I think about it and you also said this is K through 12 the pathway. So, as I think about it, I'm thinking about the scope and sequence. I'm really thinking about the highway. Which is going to get all of these things coming together in the highway to get to the end point. And so, from this presentation, I see that some of the ideas are that they will, but I don't really kind of see how it will. And so, so I don't know if that's a real question in there, but I'm kind of trying to understand that because if we all are trying to get to 2027. And if I look at this correctly, I see that our staff is going to have to be trained during 2027. It's like it just all converges or it gets to that point. So, those are all my assumptions based on this presentation, this material. Tell me where I'm wrong or tell me what I'm missing. >> So, I'll start with staff. Um, trained staff. I think um I'm going to start with the first question. The about the 2022, there are things in the standards that are already obsolete. There's three mentions of the penny in the standard and we no longer have a penny. Um >> So, the standards themselves are somewhat obsolete. Is that what you're telling me? >> I wouldn't say the standards themselves are obsolete, but there is a part of the standards process that the state has has adopted is that there is a lag. And these standards weren't actually even approved until 2025, like last spring. So, there was a there was a three-year lag before they were even approved. And so, yes, there especially in a world where where change happens more rapidly than it has, um looking at a different kind of timeline for standards is something that we can't do locally, but but the state might consider. >> That's right. >> Um, the second >> but let me just say that even knowing that because we put a lot of energy into our legislative platform, or many people do. So, are we always talking about the right thing or something that's going to make a difference? That's just a kind of a, you know, a rhetorical question. The other ones I'm more interested in, but but it's also something to contemplate. >> There are elements in the standards that are have been like this is what math learning, robust math learning should look like, and that's been true since, you know, the '90s. And so, those elements reverberate every set of standards. I think we have a more explicit uh but in a more explicit, I don't want to say list, but a more explicit outline of that than we ever have. >> Well, that's a good thing. >> Yeah. >> Scope and sequence for us in Robbinsdale. >> Um, I was asked to come here and talk for for 10 to 15 minutes. I would love to come back and >> Yeah, let me roll that back. But but but basically, I I do think that if there is a way for us to understand that better as you move along, that would really be good because, you know, we want you to hit your target. >> Right. And and and teachers want, you know, that time to learn. >> Absolutely. Okay, thank you. >> Thank you. Director Long. >> Um, so my question is around kind of tier two and tier three materials. So, what kind of companion materials have are you thinking of might go with some of these curriculum um instead of just throwing this curriculum at those tier one and tier two teachers and saying fix it however you need. >> Um, that was actually really high on our priority list when we reached out to companies was having an intervention um options that would meet our students that that isn't that is aligned with the curriculum that is lesson to lesson this is what intervention looks like rather than like just a holistic um here are some skills that kids need. It's not skill based it's it's uh it's more conceptual based um where you're actually engaging the kids in different ways of of understanding and so that was that is something that we will be piloting along with um these curricular programs. So the ones that we chose have their own intervention tier two and three pieces to them. >> Yeah. Um I was also wondering about the piloting um if you could talk more about like what that procedure is like how is it going to work? How is the training going to go for the teachers? What's going to be the time commitment for teachers around this piloting and will there be any compensation or pay for any extra time put in for this pilot? >> Um that is something that we are still in the process of of figuring out. Um we're going to actually talk to these uh companies in the next couple of days to get an idea of what their requirements are for pilot but I would say simply we just don't know but those are things that we definitely will need to know and will know before we're asking teachers to undergo this work. >> I will add that piloting new curricular materials is part of a normal normal curriculum adoption process but I don't know that it's been part of the process in Robbinsdale's recent history. So it is more work um for teachers and so that's why it would be voluntary um if teachers are you know we want teachers that are choosing to do it. However, there will be additional training and and additional time and and um we would work with them to provide compensation for that. Whatever that might look like. It probably in all likelihood it would be additional time in the summer that we would pay them to come in and do that work. >> Okay, and then coaching along with that, too? >> Yes, and I I think we know that that is the most effective professional learning is job embedded coaching and so how we build that into this curricular adoption um, process it will be essential, for sure. >> And then will there be special education staff involved in some of this piloting of this math curriculum? >> talk about that? I'm sorry, I'm >> Um, we hope so. Uh, I I my vision and I know Julie Balmester's vision is to have special ed staff that want to be involved in piloting to pilot. Cuz their um, perspective is really really important. We'd love to have a curriculum that works for our um, special ed students and our mainstream students. >> Okay. I don't see any more hands up. Thank you very much, very informative. And did you >> I'm just going to close before a picture. Um, so normally our Ardmore proud has featured schools and schools that are celebrating the great things that staff and kids are doing and that's really always amazing. Um, I thought we thought it was really important that the board and the public also get a chance to see Ardmore proud in terms of what this unbelievable teaching and learning team has done this year. Um, you know the work that they've done around literacy, um, supporting our teachers in the uh, implementation of a new curriculum and now on the heels of that to already be thinking about planning for and um, helping us transform our math expertise is also really appreciated. So, thanks for being here tonight. I loved the importance of student thinking and that teachers are experts of students thinking. I love the way you've engaged families and parents and empowered teachers already. So, thanks. Let's get a quick picture. All right, as soon as our superintendent gets back here, uh we're going to move on to our district system of continuous improvement um theme A and I'll hand it right back to you. >> Excellent. Thank you very much. We've got a couple more uh great presentations tonight. Um as part of the board members' uh role in operational oversight, um we've been able to have an opportunity for you to get a progress update on many of our strategic themes along the way. Uh we've got some folks with Mr. Matt Pletcher who is going to provide an update on the work that his team has done in challenge A3, which is deepening preparation for college, life, and career. So, with that, ma'am, I'm going to hand it over to you and your esteemed colleagues. Thanks for being here, everyone. >> Thank you, Dr. Travis Becker, members of the board. Thanks for having us tonight. We are going to be talking about strategic plan theme A3, which is deepening preparation for life, college, and career. You are all intimately familiar with our strategic plan. You have seen this layout many times before and we will continue to use it to quote Dr. Solo, "competitively dull." Is that Is that the phrase? We like it. Um And we I do want to point out that our work is grounded in equity. We say that, we mean that, we're trying to live it. It's a really important feature of what we're doing and I think that this strategic priority will show exactly that. It is a system of continuous improvement. We are in the strategic themes area, but it's really the entire wraparound service and this is a cycle that we have been going through for a couple of years that's iterative and we will continue to refine and improve. So, we are looking at academic achievement, which is strategic theme A, and we are specifically looking at deepening preparation for life, college, and career. And this is a photo of three students of ours who were presenting at the NASA HUNCH event about a month or so ago downtown at Hennepin County Medical Center. I do believe that they their project was chosen to advance to nationals, which is pretty cool. With me, I have principal at Cooper High School, Shanae Smith. I have counselor at Armstrong High School, Mr. Jamie Dukowitz. Ms. Lanie Hugh, counselor at Cooper High School. And Joel Mering, our director of technology. Uh with that our team, we have Crystal Range, Alex Wynn, Andrelle Hudson, and Charles Johnson-Nixon who were unable to attend this evening. I want to point out that these two are not a part of our actual team, but they are the most vital part of our unofficial team. Our counselors, without them, we cannot do this work. And so, when I put out a call, "Please come and help." Here they are. So, I'm really appreciative of both of you. Thank you. We had two priorities within this theme this year. One was to increase opportunities for applied career experiences, and two, which was integrated career exploration within the pre-K 12 curriculum, focusing very specifically this year on secondary students, grades 6 through 12. Our vision is to create an inclusive high-quality career pathways, connecting Robinson students to meaningful college, career, and community opportunities. You'll see pictures throughout of our students doing just that. These students were building after they had designed a super high mileage car, which is unbelievable. So, within our options, we have many. There are a lot of different ways that students can engage in career and college preparation. One is by taking concurrent courses, which we offer at both of our large high schools, where students are taking college courses taught by a high school staff member who is accredited, and they earn transferable credits. Another is through our CTE program. Nearly all of our CTE courses have an articulation agreement, where students can earn college credits at those community colleges in those areas of study. You're intimately familiar with advanced placement. We offer an array of courses and more to come at Cooper High School in the fall. We have industry certifications, which are really clever way for students to both build the resume and build their skills in an array of different topics of their choosing. Um and we'll show you some statistics in a little bit. We have internships, where our students, both paid and unpaid, where students can actually focus in on areas that they may want to explore. It may be a career that they go into later in life, it may not be. Both are valuable experiences. Uh I do want to note that internships in 2026 are very hard to come by. Uh, the market isn't kind right now to businesses in many fields, and so it is a bit of a struggle to place our interns. We have a large demand on the student side and a smaller uh, supply. So, a call out to any listening businesses who wish to engage, we will happily uh, have a conversation with you. We have a lot of students who take PSEO or post-secondary enrollment options courses. Uh, many of them go to the college to take those. Many more actually take them virtually, and they do that in the media centers of both high schools. And lastly, we offer a robust work-based learning program where students are taught real-life job skills in a classroom lab environment, and then take those skills into their job. They earn credits for that. So, I briefly talked about internships. Here's a list of some of the companies with whom our students are interning. This list is growing and changing. Uh, we have about 25 students who are currently uh, in the process of preparing to be interviewed for internships, and they will uh, build a resume with them, and then they will be unleashed into this, and hopefully they will get placed. So, when we look at our scorecard data, um, the call for 24-25 is one I want to note that a lot of these data sets either we did not track them last year or we aggregated the data differently. And so, those of you who remember our hacker presentation, our civic comprehensive achievement and civic readiness. Uh, there it is. Pull that one out. Uh, our goals, we had aggregated a a of that data together, and so, while we don't show data here, that's the reason why we don't. We do have a track but in a slightly different way. But, I will say this, overall, we are trending in the right direction. We have over 300 total enrollments across these areas, more than we did a year ago, and we are on track to double the amount of students earning industry certifications this year versus last year. We'll switch into our second priority, which is integrate career exploration with the pre-K 12 curriculum. Our purpose this year is to implement Zello to support our students in developing self-knowledge, exploring careers, and planning post-secondary pathways. And so, our vision is that by the end of the school year, all of our secondary students will use Zello to complete personalized career exploration lessons, and begin begin to build academic and career plans. So, what is Zello? It is a comprehensive college, career, and future readiness platform for students in grades 6 through 12. Some of you may have heard of a different product called Naviance, a program that we used for many years in Robbinsdale. We switched to Zello because it has a more robust college and career element to it than what Naviance had. So, what it does, it helps our students explore unique careers based on their interest, skills, and personality. It will build from there a personalized academic and career plan, and it will also track their goals, the experiences that they have, and the achievements that they accomplish. So, our objectives this year were to train all of our counselors, uh which we did at the November professional learning day. Launch Zello lessons, which has begun. Um we're doing that by integrating into our advisory classes, career seminars, and counseling time. We are monitoring in real time student completion data and gathering feedback from the kids. And at the end of the school year, we will revisit this and make sure that we're on the right track and make any adjustments if we need to. So, when we built out this lesson sequence, we, much like what Dr. Schmidt talked about and Becky Broder talked about, we backwards mapped it. What's our end game for our seniors, which is post-secondary planning, faster completion, uh resume building? What do we need to do to get to that spot? And so, we focus on these big bucket domains, and then we've identified lessons um within each grade band that are distinct yet tied together so that we get to that end spot by 12th grade. We phased this out. We are currently in phase four, which is the student implementation. As And as I said, we'll do some reflection to make sure that we're on the right track. And to uh follow Dr. McDowell uh in his Gantt charts, I thought I would put a Gantt chart in there as well. Something that you see a lot of when we're talking about uh Robinson Elementary Vision planning. So, here it is. Just a different way of looking at it. And what does success look like? Right? We need to be able to define, are we on the right track? So, we want to make sure that all of our counselors are trained, which they were. That at least 80% of our students are engaging with Zello this year. We are on track for that. Uh we want to make sure that our counselors are providing good feedback and that they're comfortable doing this, which they're reporting that they are. Um we also will be engaging at the end of the school year with our students to make sure that they are actually gaining an improved career awareness. And then, last but not least, have we implemented this, which we will do. I I to show you a couple of visuals of what this looks like. And this is from a student who's been anonymized where they when they engage with this first couple times, they will take a personality style quiz as it were and a learning style task. From there, it will start pushing out their different career clusters where they might be good fits, different careers, different jobs. It may not be the right fit, but based on that algorithm, here's something to at least look at. So, if you have a student who has no idea what do they want to do beyond high school, this gives them a jumping off point. And then maybe more importantly is that they've our counselors have integrated this into their course planning. So, if you want to be in health care, here are different courses that you could take to get yourself there. And it's unique to every student. So, we're actually creating a path for students to get where they want to go. At least where they're thinking. There's always room flexibility. There's always room for change if it's needed, but we at least have it there for them. Our next steps, we are forming a pathway advisory committee which meets for the first time next week. We have a half dozen businesses who have committed to come. We're also inviting teachers and students to attend this. And this will be a quarterly meeting that will be going on. So, we got to build up our communities and I'll be working with Anthony Williams to make sure that we have our community partners lined up and honored. Um and then continue to deliver our career exploration lessons to all of our secondary students. With that, we are here for questions for you. >> Do I see any hands? Our director Brinderson. >> Um thank you everyone for coming. Uh just out of curiosity, when I look at the number of the our pathways, right? AP classes are great. The numbers are really huge. What do we see as the greatest barriers to the other options that are in the our our pathways? You mentioned the internships, there's not enough opportunities. I'm just curious, what's holding the kids back? >> I would say, so internships, that's absolutely. Advanced placement is very strong and very consistent. I think that for concurrent classes, which a lot of students really like, it's credentialing. Many of the disciplines you have to have 18 masters level credits in a specific discipline, not in teaching, not an easy credential to hold. And then CTE licensure is very tricky. And it's hard to find talent with the proper licensure. >> We just don't have a lot of teachers then who have those specific >> There are just not a lot of teachers in the marketplace available even to hire. >> Yes, please. >> with CIS, which is a concurrent through the U of M, they have limited opportunities for us to take. >> Okay. >> So, there's we have teachers that could qualify and want to do it, but they don't have an cuz you need like a mentor through the U and they don't have availability for that. >> Interesting. Thank you. >> Um Director Wutoh and then Director Long and then Director Bessette. >> Just to piggyback off that question, does the district currently provide funding to train teachers for the CTE programs if they are interested? >> There is an MOU on the books that allows for student for teachers to take additional masters level coursework paid for by Robbinsdale Area Schools. So, yes. >> Thank you. >> Director Long. >> Um so, my question was just I don't know, I I couldn't remember this information, so I thought I'd just ask it as I was going through the materials and then today I still couldn't remember. So, why why is it a requirement to have our students do Zello, do Naviance, do you know, it's been called other things. Why is that a requirement for them? >> I don't know if it's a requirement necessarily, but we believe that exposing our students to career exploration and personality styles is really beneficial. A lot of our kids are constrained by the world that they know and the idea is to broaden out what that could be, to open up opportunities. So, it isn't a requirement per se, it's an internal requirement. We are This is something we believe in and we are having our students do it. It's not a requirement from the state of Minnesota. In Minnesota, most of the surrounding states though, that is actually state statute that students engage in career exploration lessons. We don't have that currently. I could see a day where that would happen. >> Yeah, cuz I do know a lot of districts do it and use Zello and have used Naviance before. So, curious as to why. >> Is it part of Sorry to interrupt you long. Is it part of um helping to monitor for your plans for students? Is that part of it as well? I'm seeing a head shake over there. >> I mean and students are their next phase after they get out of high school, you don't want the first time they think about a career to be they're applying to college and well, what do I want to do? Oh, I want to go into this. Um hopefully they make better decisions for post high school um options if they if they've explored it a little bit more. So. >> And what's nice about Zello is there's so like we have so many students that come to us and ask or are some very stressed out about not wanting to not knowing what they want to do after high school. Uh so, to give them some resources to figure out what might work best for them. Um Naviance is so uh robust and has so many options. There's so many careers that pop up for students that you don't even know was an option for them. They get some really interesting results and make them every day or on TV or whatever. >> Okay, Chuck Bassett. >> Yeah, uh first of all, thank you uh for uh coming with this presentation. Um you I'm sure some of you know that we had this big robust dream about a career exploration in technology and even actually made some movements into facilities that didn't work out the way we wanted. So, there's been a lot of focus on career in technical. Uh and so uh thank you for coming and and kind of bringing us up to date about uh this uh broader and robust effort that you're engaged in and trying how you're trying to I won't say pick up the pieces. I'll say move the dream forward. How about How about that? So, um but the one thing a couple things I thought of wondered about and one was about um uh in terms of just um internship placements about the um extent to which we're able to really mine that uh those opportunities and I know that they're limited by how many how how you can develop the relationships and it takes staff time to do that and a company that has that interest. So, that's that's that's not no easy I mean that has take work takes work. It's a relationship. So, I know that that takes work and so I'm I'm sensing that that's something you're moving toward and trying to get done. So, that's a good thing. And the only other question that I had uh other than just saying thank you for kind of trying to harness this rope and move it forward uh is that um I wasn't really quite sure about in the articulated agreement courses um the extent to which the PSCO uh relationship is formalized. >> It's a little bit different. It is an individual Each course has an articulation or a contract with a given community college. And we have like 15 different community colleges across the state with whom we're partners. I would say that it's more like a concurrent enrollment course than it is PSE because it is taught directly by one of our high school teachers who have the license, the CTE license, which grants them the accreditation to award that credit at that community college. >> Well, you also make sure we keep the enrollment dollar. That's a good thing. Okay, thank you. Um Director Bowman. >> Thank you. I really appreciated in this presentation uh being told what success looks like to the experts. That was an important thing to cover, so thank you for that. Um and my next question is the Pathways Advisory Committee. I know you're trying to throw a shout-out. Should Is there one contact person if people are interested? Should it be a Dr. Stahlo or somebody if you want people to apply? >> Send them my way, please. >> Send them to Matt. >> Matt_Plucher@ardeal.org. I'd love to hear from anyone. >> I just want to make sure that we get it to the one right person who that information is valuable. You can do something with it. So, thank you. Thank you. >> Assistant Superintendent McDowell. >> No, I I you know, I I heard the question and >> Is uh Director Hillenbrand and then Director Long and then Director Bassett, I think. >> I asked my question. So, and I >> Are you okay? Okay. Uh Director Hillenbrand. >> I was doing some back-of-the-envelope math and uh it looks like about 2,500 students are in semester two are involved in some sort of either AP or or CTE or you know, just adding up your semester two numbers, which is more than half of our high school students, significantly, right? I mean >> It's I want to caution that if I may. >> Some kids may be right, double counted, but still you're talking >> It's a large percentage. >> A large percentage of our kids and I just want to say that's tremendous. And um I know a few years ago it was hard to find um uh at least at Armstrong uh some of the CTE classes and um and we know my son wanted to go into um technical career and he there weren't a lot of options to try stuff out and I just want to say this is tremendous and thank you. Um because it makes a big difference um to try out and figure out what you want in high school so you know where you're going just like you said Mr. Diggs, um I think it was you who said that or it was one of you counselors. I'll give you both credit. Um but just want to say thank you because this makes a tremendous difference for kids to to have a little bit of a uh at least a general direction, you know, instead of having the whole world to look at, at least a a portion to to to head towards as they as they leave school. So thank you so much um and this is a great presentation. >> Thank you. >> Director Long? >> Oh, my question was around the internships. Like how does that look within a student's day? >> So Here's where I talk about that. >> Uh typically or often times I should say, um like one of our programs is it's called Genesis Works. We have a few students. They have connections to different corporations around the Twin Cities. Um students are in They're seniors. Um students are in school for the first half of the day and then their internship might start at 1:00 or you know, 12:30 or something. So they're in school for um most of the day earning the credits that they need um and then they have a flexible schedule to go >> And then do we help with transportation or is that something that they Okay. But they are good with their credit, so they can allow that within their schedule. >> Yeah. >> I just have a kind of a general question cuz I just don't don't know. Um, we used to in our partnership with 287, they actually had a mentorship program. So, I wonder about our formal internships, which are great, but are we still or I don't know if 287 even still offers it. >> The mentor connection >> The mentor connection because we >> have it it shrunk and shrunk and then I think it just completely went away. So, it was That was a really good program. We had a lot of students who did that, but it it got small and then it just it we no longer have that as an option. >> Thank you. Just I want to clarify just one thing cuz I the question around mandatory planning, I think was with the Zello piece, but I I think what we're meet the requirement we're meeting is the personalized learning plan requirement that's under state through using Zello. So, if Do you want to just speak to that just a little bit because there I just want people to be confused about what those two differences are. >> have misunderstood the question. Thank you for the clarification. We are required statutorily to have an individualized learning plan for every high school student, which we do. Um, that lives outside of Zello in terms of a requirement. We use Zello as a tool to help us accomplish that. And so, it's a great tool and an an actual product to get us there. But yes, you are correct. We are required to have an individualized learning plan for all of our students. >> Okay. Thank you very much for your presentation and answers. Thank you everybody. Thank you for coming. We have another continuous improvement presentation tonight. >> Yes, as they as this esteemed group of colleagues is stepping away. We've got a few others that are making their way to the front in the theme B student engagement wellness charter B2 works on strengthening the practices around student staff and school safety safety and Haley Heidelberg and Bo Powell are going to be here this evening to represent their team and to give us just a progress update on this important work. So thanks for being here. Thank you. Good evening everyone. Thank you for your time this evening. Strategic plan. Mission vision nothing has changed here since the last presentation. Same with the strategic themes and and the priority outcomes grounded in equity. I just kind of want to touch you quick. We are part of the the B priority there with student engagement and wellness and that's focusing on safety and Bo works with a lot of the groups and schools and does these student summits and student safety groups and so there's a lot of engagement there. Even though that's not part of the work that we're focused on with this. I just think it's worth mentioning. There's a lot of helpers in the world and we've seen that a lot this winter and that I think some of the students and young people sort of rise to the top with their willingness to step forward and help and engage in some of these safety summit and safety teams. So I just want to point that it kind of weaves into a lot of these themes. And certainly the continuous improvement safety never ends. We're always working on it. We're always looking to improve it work on best practices. There's a lot of projects and things that uh ebb and flow, so. With the um, B2 theme, it falls under the student engagement wellness priorities and it speaks to district practices and protocols that will improve student staff and school safety. Um, the priority work addresses safety from a procedural and preparedness as well as response standpoint rather than a physical site security standpoint. Uh, we do have a lot of physical security projects and things underway, but again, this focuses on that programmatic work. Our team is championed by Marine Mullen, director of facilities and operations, uh, Bo Powell, director of security and myself, I'm director of risk management. And then our team members are Noel Nelson from RMS, Nan Nelson from Cooper, Michelle Azuar from Meadow Lake, Jennifer Holt Gruley from Fair Crystal, and Jay Hancock from Sandburg Middle School. Their perspectives are incredibly valuable. Um, I don't come from a teaching background as far as K-12 education goes, so having the principal's perspective, um, in the room when we're talking about emergency preparedness is absolutely essential and I really value all of their experience in all of this over the years. These are the school year 25-26 uh, B2 priorities. The first priority is clearly defined physical safety protocols and emergency response steps for immediate and sustained safety. Priority two is to develop and embed consistent written protocols including hazard specific response guidelines, incident command procedures, and after action reviews to ensure trust, accountability, and preparedness. Priority four is to develop and implement a school year 26-27 communication and roll out plan for the new emergency management plan. And priority four is to develop and implement staff trainings to use um, on use of the emergency management plan. These priorities build on work um that was done in the school year '24-'25, and many of the team members that we're working with um today also did a lot of work on this last year, so they've carried over. There has been some changes, um but the work continues consistently. And like any priority work um this isn't a one-and-done deal. We continue to do this year after year and work with the best practices that we can. I'll speak to what we're working on this year and then give a little projection for next year as well. So, here's where we're currently um at. We're engaged in work of strategic theme priorities one and two. Reviewing and revising our safety and response measures, uh ensuring that our response protocols align with the I Love You Guys Foundation Standard Response Protocols. We often use alphabet soup, and we call that SRP. Ensuring that our hazard-specific responses are appropriate and reflect the best practices. Working within our administrative leadership team to ensure their preparedness for incident response and to put in place a consistent practice of incident documentation, review, and sharing of lessons learned. This is I hit both buttons, I guess. There you go. Sorry about that. This is an overview of the documents that we're reviewing and revisioning. Uh the emergency management plan, which has uh hazard-specific response guidelines, administrator guide to responding to incidents, school-specific emergency procedures, and standardized use district-wide with monthly review by the district emergency management team for the emergency management plan, after-action reports, and debriefing protocols. First on the list is that emergency management plan, which is the center of our response planning. It's a document for all staff to have access to and be able to use. All other documents throughout the district, procedures, practices, they all need to align with this plan. The emergency management plan that contains 28 separate hazard-specific response guides, incident command guidance for building emergency management teams, and our family reunification and student release plan, as well as crisis prevention and intervention guidelines and protocols. Next under review is the administrator guide to responding to incidents. Um this document is being worked on in conjunction with student services. Uh it is set It is a set of documents designed for administrators giving them specific guidance for responding to and following up on incidents at their sites. Um And I want to be clear that this is focused on emergency response, crisis response. Um It doesn't touch on um student discipline here, but there is another place for that. Um just not with this uh focus group. The last group of documents being reviewed and updated are the site-specific documents. These are the documents that have standard template uh across the district and follow district protocols, but the details vary by site. Um basic example is each building has different uh evacuation locations or evacuation assembly areas um within their uh school grounds. They may need to evacuate offsite and go to a different facility or building that we have an agreement with to get to a safe location. Um student staff accountability might look different depending on elementary versus high school and the technology that we can use to acquire accountability. Um communications, even emergency procedures for medicals and things might look a little bit different. We want to ensure that each school and building has their own unique plan as it is required. Uh the B2 team has four implementation metrics for the 25-26 school year. The first metric tracks the schools' required emergency response drills using the Raptor emergency management system. And we're on track to meet our 26 uh excuse me, 25-26 goal. Our 26-27 school year goals expand to include completing a fire drill within the first 10 days of the first day of school, which is a state requirement. And to use the drill guidelines from the new district emergency management plan for planning and completing all safety drills. The drill guidelines include procedures to account for staff and students, measures that are very important to all emergency response, and we want to take advantage of the required drills to um achieve those accountability practices. >> Before you move on, can I say something? So, before we move on, I just wanted to to acknowledge that uh last year, 24-25 school year, that we were in 100% compliance with all our drills in all our buildings. So, uh staff, administrators, students did an absolute great job of making sure that we were in compliance. They they did their drills. Uh they they talked about drills afterwards, so we were uh in a 100% compliance, and we're on track to be at 100% compliance again this year. >> For this metric, the is it it's about working with our district admin leadership team to ensure district preparedness in the event of the crisis, um as well as focusing on incident prevention and response. Monthly district emergency management team meetings are where the district leadership can gain a shared understanding of current issues and concerns, review recent incidents for follow-up needs and lessons learned, identify current safety and security supports at sites, identify and provide building emergency management teams with meeting agendas, topics, and resources to ensure consistency and continuous improvement. And to put in place a consistent practice of incident documentation review, sharing, and lessons learned. A recent example of this work was at our February District Emergency Management Team meeting. We had the police captain from Plymouth Police Department join us and review the collaborative work that we do regarding family reunification and student release should it be needed. Plymouth Police has a comprehensive plan and a playbook specific for our school district and it's the entire school district. It is not just those schools that are in Plymouth so that they are prepared to help us and receive us in a facility should we need to reunify at a different location from one of our buildings. The building emergency management team metric tracks the frequency of building level team meetings. Uh the metric will be expanded in school year 2026-2027 to include District Emergency Management Team direction to hold monthly meetings. Um which will be supported by District Emergency Management Team provided agenda topics, resources, tabletop scenarios, etc. Uh this year Mr. Powell and I um either or attended uh several building emergency management team meetings uh to review protocols, uh incidents that they had, discussed debriefing um uh proceedings, and any drill questions that they might have had for planning and preparedness. Here's where you can see a graphic representation of all the metrics. Uh measure one's goal is that all required building drills are tracked and documented in the Raptor system and we are on a very good upswing with that. I do want to point out there in quarter three um where we it looks like a little bit of a dip from 20 of 20 schools to 18 of 20 schools. Um we're required to do 11 uh safety drills throughout the year and they aren't required to be at any specific time necessarily, so they do get spread throughout. Most of the fire drills happen in the fall and the spring. Um, lockdown drills sort of occurred depending on scheduling and things like that. Occasionally a fire drill is a real fire alarm and gets to be counted as a drill, so the scheduling of things do alter a bit and so I wouldn't look at that as a as a negative that we dipped a little bit in quarter three because by the end of quarter four everybody will be in compliance as Bo was saying. >> And then I think the other one of the other factors to that is too is that sometimes they schedule a drill but some some happens that they can't run that drill. So, they can't reschedule that drill. So, sometimes it's just not that they didn't schedule it but they couldn't do it because something else happened that day and they had to reschedule. >> Measure two is the perception data, which is a staff survey that will document staff's current knowledge and understanding of the district safety and security practices and protocols. It's scheduled to be issued on early May and will be issued again next year. Measure three tracks the frequency of district emergency management team meetings. Our goal is to conduct these meetings on a monthly basis and we're on track to meet that goal in quarter four. And then measure four tracks the building level emergency management team meetings with a goal for school year 25-26 of holding at least one meeting quarterly. Uh, since the fall we've seen a great increase in the number of meetings that have been held. Um, some are already doing them monthly, some are every other month. Um, some are every month and then as needed um for debriefings. Um, our goal for next school year 26-27 is for every school to do them at least monthly and again the district emergency management team providing providing them some direction around that so that they have topics to review and discuss. We hope they don't have a lot to talk about but there's always something to prepare for. This is how our work will continue into school year 26-27. Priority three is implementing training and rollout plan for the updated emergency management plan. Priority four update and implement staff trainings on use of emergency management plan. The metrics for priority three will include providing workshop week safety training for all staff including an all staff presentation and on-site trainings at each school. Um and we plan to do this before students are in school so that we can focus on just some staff um emergency preparedness and and answering questions in real time um following uh on-site drills with just staff. And to provide them with preparedness resources. Metrics for priority four will include providing direction and support for the building the monthly building emergency management teams. Um and to ensure access to and training on the emergency management plan for all staff which they do currently have access to. Um we just need to improve on their awareness of where to find it and how to use it. Our next steps are to complete and review revision and publication of the updated district emergency management plan and associated documents. Complete the school year 26-27 communication and rollout planning for the new emergency management plan. Develop and conduct school year 26-27 staff trainings and provide continuing support of the building emergency management team and district emergency management team monthly meetings. I think our team has been pretty eager to get after this work um continue doing it though principals that are on the team have done a lot of work in the past long before I joined uh this district last May. Um so I've been learning a lot from them and really grateful for their commitment to this work alongside Bo Powell and and Marine Mullen as well. So thank you for your time and we're here if you have some questions regarding this work. Thank you. Does anyone have a Director Hillenbrand? >> First of all, this is really great work and I know how hard it is because I've done a lot of this work and um there's so many details and so many moving parts. So, tremendous kudos to you, first of all. How about Now I'm going to throw a monkey wrench and say, as you know, people are in our buildings from 6:00 a.m. till like 10:00 at night, and we have practices and games that are offsite, events that are offsite. What is the plan for those kinds of things? So, you have, you know, all sorts of out-of-school time events. Um how do those fit into this? Maybe that's the next iteration. So, I I don't expect you to have plans for every single thing right this second, but I know that that's got to be on your mind. So, what is the plan for that? >> a section of the um emergency management plan that includes um community education activities and athletics, and that just that isn't just before and after school, it is offsite as well. Um so, at the very least communications plan if something is to occur um at a property that we don't own, we consider all places we bring our students our property, um but ensuring that there is some kind of plan or communication um or knowing what who they can reach out to within those other districts if they're visiting and and things like that. So, um one of the later steps of this plan is to dig more into that with the appropriate team members outside of this team, and we'll reach out to uh community education and and athletics. >> Okay, I think it's Printz-Ausin, Bassett, and then Long. >> Uh >> Oh, sorry. I >> You just want to go second? >> Okay, can we put the one on the list? >> Uh First question answered down there, awesome. Second one, uh I was asked from a parent for this and I actually don't know the answer. Do we notify parents and families when we do drills and stuff like that in the buildings? Is that normal practice or >> It depends. We do inform at the beginning of the school year that this amount of drills need to be done and they will happen at this time. We don't do any type of active threat drills where they have you know actors or anything like that with our lockdown drills. We work with the elementary, middle school, and high school levels on what appropriate communications are. There have been follow-ups certainly the same day that hey we did do our first lockdown drill today. Like it went well or or >> So it's typically reactive though. Like the parents don't know hey there's going to be a drill next Tuesday. >> guess I can't answer that. It may depend on the principal. But we will provide some guidance on how we perceive that should be communicated. The superintendents and the principals and communications department it it falls to them. >> Okay. I I just I would share the feedback what I've heard. Parents would love to know when these things are happening just so that they could >> Yeah. >> warn their kids about it potentially. >> Dr. Bassett and then Long and then Bowman. >> Okay. Thank you. So well thanks for that. You know recently within the last 3 months or so we had our own little drill that you took us through as the board. So thank you for that thinking of us. But my question kind of had goes to I did hear you mention that there's a separation between this and then the physical plant stuff and the other things we're doing with regard to hardware and some other kinds of things. I I did hear you say that, right? >> This plan focuses on the programmatic emergency preparedness and response and then there's the work that's just part of our everyday job which is the physical site security. >> Exactly. So I just making sure that's what I thought I heard you say. So and in that I guess the thing I'm wondering about is and and this may be more question for the superintendent and our um finance not even in this environment, but just but you may have an answer. And so that is in the um assessment in the as you probably know, we had a referendum, a tech a one that really talked about safety and some other kinds of things. One of the things that we hear regularly or from time to time is that this is not working or that's not working or whatever's not working. So that's its own separate thing. However, we track repairs on things that may need to have that. I assume that that's in the physical portion of the planning and would not be found here, but it's something we're aware of and we have a cycle for. >> Mhm. >> Um I well, yeah. So I'm assuming that. But having some kind of an indicator or some kind of an idea at some interval as to um how closely that's tracking and aligned into terms of how what where we're investing would be good to know so we know how we invested those dollars. I mean, I'd be interested in understanding that a little bit more. And um and so those are really kind of my questions, making sure that the hardware stuff that we're doing as it's being tracked and what is the I don't want to use the word fidelity, but what is the relationship between our ask to the community and then how we're dedicating those resources. And um I always kind of feel like when people say this isn't working or that's broken, I always kind of feel like that that's in a cycle. So uh but I don't I didn't know that. So I'm I'm proposing that as a question right now. So there is a routine way we're looking at things that might need to be repaired and we're addressing those things. >> Certainly, yeah, there are some items um that have a life cycle out there that we we work with facilities and operations on that are related to safety, security, fire, all of that. >> Absolutely. >> Um anything that's related to uh physical security like exterior doors that that working, that's an emergency priority issue that we would address right away. Um same with the access badges, things like that. >> Okay, and then maybe more so for the superintendent, I'm not sure. I don't I don't feel like we're on a cycle to get kind of an update about security that we would need to go into closed session for. Um I really kind of rely on the administration to kind of determine when that might be when that might be a time for that and this you know the sequencing of it. But I do think that it's important that we have um because we get so much input about people's concerns about safety and security, I think it does do us just do us well to actually have whether it's once a year, twice a year, whatever, to have some kind of input so that whatever we need to know that we're we're we're finding out. And um so that's it for me and so thank you for your presentation. >> Thank you. >> Director Bowman. >> Yes, thank you. Um Mr. Powell. Uh in 2023, safety in this district when we came when the newbies came on board, um didn't seem very well coordinated at the district level at all and and wow, what a difference a couple of years have made. I am really impressed by the information that I'm hearing tonight. Uh this kind of from a board perspective started as an ad hoc committee uh and see and uh has grown to what I would define as a you know full-blown centrally coordinated program of safety that includes those documents that I asked for in 2023 from building plans and whatever. It was absolutely lovely to hear that all of this is not only being created but is being tracked and um uh it seems very very comprehensive which I know this type of of work is. There's a lot of details in that. Um and and with that, I bring it up because it just looks like a standardization of safety is all falling into place across the district, which is really nice. And for me personally, this helps me to uh have my trust increased, and also it builds a greater sense of confidence in what's being done in the buildings. And so, I really appreciate the work, and I know that as I've been out uh visiting within the schools, I've been really impressed with um I can see the the changes. You know, the cameras all seem to be working uh when we're in buildings. Um staff have keys, so they're letting themselves in and out of locked doors. It seems to, you know, there just seems to be a greater, stronger culture of safety that doesn't seem invasive uh in our buildings at this point. So, I just want you all to know that I've seen I see the work. I understand the great volume of work behind this, and I think it's fabulous, and I look forward to continued updates from both of you. So, thank you for your work in this area. >> All righty, I would just reiterate, thank you also. I think it's great. I was previously trained in FEMA emergency stuff, and it's like it's wonderful to see what's going on here. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, I just uh wanted to echo that. Um leadership matters, and you've got in front of you two unbelievable leaders with expertise, and um have taken uh the mindset of security in the school district to a level that I didn't see a year and a half ago. So, I want to thank you both for that. Um Bo, every time we talk to any of our police department partners, they can't say enough about Bo Powell uh and his um ability to build relationships with our with our uh city partners. So, thank you both for all you are doing, and for the huge team behind you that's also working on this. Okay. I think we don't have any more questions. Thank you. >> Did you hear that we had a question? >> No, I didn't. >> Okay. >> No. >> Okay. >> I just thought I thought I saw somebody using my name, but no. She was trying to put me on the spot. I think that's what it was. Did you want to stay longer? Of course. We can come up with some questions. Okay. This moves us along to our consent agenda. Items on the consent agenda are considered to be routine in nature and will be enacted with one motion. There'll be no separate discussion of these items unless a board member so requests in which case the item will be removed from the consent agenda and addressed. Um the consent agenda items are the AFSCME tentative agreement, the mowing contract, uh the Stages Theatre contract, meeting minutes, financial reports, and personnel reports. Um Director Long. >> Um there are two things that I would like to remove from the consent agenda. >> They are? >> Separately, the AFSCME contract and then the uh mowing contract. Okay? >> And then Director Brintson. >> Sorry to bring make this longer. I'd like the Stages contract reviewed. >> Okay, we'll remove those three. Do I have a move to approve the consent agenda minus those three items? >> I'll move. >> Move by Director Bassett. >> Second. >> Second by Director Brintson. Um Is the consent agenda vote roll call? Okay. So, let's let's do a roll call vote on the consent agenda minus those three items. When you're ready. >> And the three items, can you give me the numerations on them? It's one, two, and three. >> Okay, great. Thank you. Great. Director Wuchter. >> Yes. >> Director Director Brenson. >> Yes. >> Director Bowman votes yes. Director Bassett. >> Yes. >> Director Hillenbrand. >> Yes. >> Director Long. >> No. >> And Chair Evans Becker. >> I vote yes and I also would like to just mention that in the consent agenda we have a principal Matt Phelps retiring after 30 years in the district and also in the non-licensed report for um personnel we have several people who are retiring and I would like to acknowledge their service in the district. Uh Sarah Anderson 13 years, Karen Carson 27 years, Trudy Kaiser 29 years, Lori Opitz 19 years and Brenda Rogers 23 years. And so I on behalf of the board I just want to thank them for their service in our district. Okay. Now Oh yes. >> Could I also just >> Sure. >> Okay. Um also tonight um on the approvals are two new leaders that I just asked to come up to the table uh while I introduce you. If you would both come up please Emily and Heather. Um first we'd like to and I know board members you received this information already but we had asked these leaders to come this evening. Um first we're excited to announce that Heather Villers has has been selected as the director of strategic communications. Heather brings a broad range of experience in communications and marketing having served as the director of marketing and communications for the Minneapolis Jewish Federation and as a marketing specialist for the city of Burnsville. We're excited to welcome Heather and the expertise she will bring to strengthening communication and community engagement across the the district. And we're also pleased to announce that Emily James has been selected as the next principal of Zachary Lane Elementary School upon the uh retirement of Mr. Flobs. Uh Emily currently serves as the assistant principal at Neil Elementary and previously served as the assistant principal at Zachary Lane from 2021 to 2025. So, please join me board and I wanted to be sure you got a chance to put names with faces of two new leaders who are going to continue to help make us the best district possible. Thank you both for being here tonight. >> Thank you. Welcome. Congratulations. Okay. Now, getting back to the items that were removed from the consent agenda. Let's start with number one and that is the alternative agreement with asks me. Director Long, I believe you wanted that removed. Did you want to have something to say? >> Yes. So, I asked for it to be removed because usually when we're here and we talk about teachers contracts, that's always separate, but I've noticed every other contract is in the consent agenda and we don't get a brief overview of it. So, I was just like a brief overview of it from um O'Hearn and then if we could vote on it, that would be great. >> As always, the executive director of human resources, I'd be happy to go through um the financial package. Um the salary increase for 2025-2026 will be a 0.5% increase. The salary increase for 2026-2027 will be 1% increase. Um the salary increase will be retroactive back to July 1st, 2025. There will be a $50 a month increase to insurance insurance benefits starting in January of 2026. Employees working 200-day, 210-day, 225-day, and 235-day calendars will have two flex days added to their calendar. Employees working a 260-day calendar will have two floating holidays added to their calendar. And in addition to the financial components of the contract, there are language pieces underneath that that have been added. Um there are pieces of the grievance procedure that have been edited and or removed. Um as you can see on 4-5-3, step three has been added. Step four has been removed. Step five has been added. And with the emergency closing, we have added that the um when there is an emergency closing, they will be following the e-learning plan that the district has been following this entire school year. They also have removed the holiday Easter Monday and will be adding the Juneteenth holiday to their calendar. Thank you. Those are the provisions that have been edited in the AFSCME contract. >> Thank you. Do you have any other questions about that? >> Nope. >> Okay, do you have a move to approve? >> So >> Director Longest moved to approve it. Is there a second? >> I'll second. >> Seconded by Director Bowman. This will be a roll call vote. >> I have well >> you have something you wanted to say? >> Um I do have something to say and and what I'd like to say is that it kind of is related in a way to uh Director Long's question and I guess I would say this. Uh I uh I think 3 weeks ago at least uh asked for us to have a closed session. Uh and I think I actually discussed this with the superintendent as well. Not necessarily about this specific contract, but I expect before any other contracts before us that we do have a closed session because I feel like there's information that I want to hear about, questions that I have. And as you know, there's no other place that the board can talk about those things, not with the public. And even we are really reluctant with each other because we need to have information from you. So, um and with so much discussion about uh contracts coming up, um actually, that's just an expectation. We used to have them routinely. We'd have closed sessions and talk about the contracts that are coming up, and we have a number of them that are coming. I don't want to see them on the consent agenda there when we haven't had a closed session to discuss them. I mean, that's just I'm just sharing that with you. I was not a you know, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm asking for this because I think we do need to have conversations because there's no other place as a board we can talk about contracts except in a closed session. And uh and I've asked for I've gone through the the process of asking for those away from this table. I've made a couple of requests. So, I I you know, I'm not I'm not trying to be a rabble-rouser, but you know, uh it's something it's an expectation that I think is a reasonable expectation. Just have a closed session for all of our cross-the-board contracts. So, I you know, I don't I don't want to put you on the spot, uh Director Holmgren. I'm not asking for that. I think that's something that between the superintendent, the chair of our board, and you, that's a just you know, because you know what else is on our on our agendas to talk about and you know, and whatever else work we have to do, I'm going on the record as a board member saying I would like to have for us to have a closed session to talk about contracts. >> Thank you. Okay. Back to discussion about the motion. Uh the motion on the floor is to approve the AFSCME contract, and so let's take the vote on that. >> Thank you. Director Hillenbrand. >> Yes. >> Chair Evans Becker. >> Yes. >> Uh Director Brenneman. >> Yes. >> Director Bowman votes yes. Director Long. >> Yes. >> Director Woto. >> Yes. >> And Director Bassett. >> I do vote yes. >> So we >> So we have approved the mowing contract. All contracts. Easy for me to say. Okay. Uh the second thing is the elementary and middle school mowing contract award recommendation that was pulled. Um Director Long, did you want to say something about that? >> Yeah, I guess I for me, you know, I'm really concerned about the outsourcing of our services, you know, and the money that that outsourcing brings with it is a lot more than if we just had our staff do it. I understand what she's saying in this memo. And so I guess I would like uh a brief overview of what this memo says. And uh you know, to talk about the cost of it and the continuation of outsourcing things. >> Okay. CFO Hochheiser, would you like to pull your mic down? >> Thank you. Good evening. Uh Chairwoman Specker, Superintendent Stahle, school board members. To address the um the proposed entering into of a mowing contract, I just want to give maybe a little bit of background. We have had We have had and as identified in the memo, um open positions for our grounds crew since November. And And we have not been able to have quality or qualified candidates to fill those positions. When this memo was written, uh we were at four positions. As of today, we are at five. >> Open? >> Open positions. And so I can appreciate uh the conversation around outsourcing. Uh the challenge is is when you cannot get employees or uh uh people from the outside to apply to be uh em- employees of the Robbinsdale School District. The work still needs to get done. We still need to have um our facilities taken care of, our grounds uh mowed. And so, it it's kind of a what do we then have for options? The union has been uh there has been a conversation with the union. They are aware of this. I believe they support and are at least understand why we're doing this. Um as it relates to the contract, uh the cost comparison it is it's hard to identify a um a breakdown of staff to staff. I know that was a question because the contract uh is $382,000 and what would staff members cost us. The challenge is it's not taking into account all of the costs, right? Because that's just staff. That's not fuel. That's not repair and maintenance. That's not time sp- whether it be um the actual cost of parts and materials or the time spent to repair them. I mean, there's other costs in addition to staff versus the cost of a contract. So, I believe the board ha- it is administration's recommendation that we move forward with this contract in part due to well, a significant part due to the fact that we we need to perform the work. Should the board uh decide that that that they want to continue for us to take all of the positions, all five positions now, and continue to post for all five in hopes that we can cover that, we can do that as well. Um the proposal on the table this uh when we had four open positions was to continue to have one posted and use this to cover the other Now we're at four. So, administration's recommendation is to do a one-year award to cover the employment gap um and go forward from there. Um but again, that is up to the board to decide if that is the course of action you choose to take. >> Thank you. Um I see a couple fingers. You go first. You go first. >> I I just want to clarify. You said that they've been posted since November and we haven't been able to fill them? >> We have had It started in November. >> Oh, okay. Okay. >> Dr. Long, did you have a >> Yes. Yes. So, I was just wondering about maybe possibly entering into any MOUs with that bargaining unit to see about if a pay or there were some other things that would entice people to want to come and fulfill that job or to stay around to fulfill that job. >> We don't negotiate pay outside of the contract. So, we aren't um this this group is we will start negotiations after July 1. So, we would not go into an MOU to look at adding pay to that specific grounds crew outside of negotiations. >> Well, and I would say that negotiating those I've seen other districts do that too when they've had shortages of things like in subs and other things like that come to a union with an MOU around pay or what other kind of compensation it might be. So, it's not out of the realm of things that can be done. And so, I'm just wondering what other discussions we've had with this bargaining unit about what kind of compensation they would like around that or their their unit would like to encourage people to stay so that we don't have these employment issues. >> I have not had any conversations about pay with this bargaining group. >> Or any kind of other compensations. >> Correct. >> Okay. Thank you. Okay, so is there a move to approve the elementary and middle school mowing contract award recommendation? >> I'll approve. >> Move by Director Bowman. >> I'll second. >> Seconded by Director Hellenbrand. I don't see any more hands up. Let's do a roll call vote on that. This This roll call is to approve the middle school mowing contract award recommendation. >> Great. Thank you. Yes, I'm ready. Uh Director Hellenbrand. >> Yes. >> Chair Evans Becker. >> Yes. >> Director Bassett. >> Yes. >> Director Bowman votes yes. Director Brennison. >> Yes. >> Director Long. >> No. >> And Director Wutoh. >> Yes. >> Motion prevails. >> All right. Thank you. This moves us to item number three on the consent agenda. The Stages Theatre Company Robbinsdale School District 281 26 27 agreement. Um Director Brennison, you wanted that removed. >> Yeah, I had some questions that I'd asked before and I I think it may have gotten lost in translation. So I just thought I'd ask the question and it's here. So I'm just trying to make sure I understand some of the fundamentals of this. So I see it's a point eight teaching position at Sandburg and Plymouth. So I would assume these are licensed teachers that are coming in that are hired from Stages then? >> They're They're Stages Stages employees who hold Minnesota licensure and all that kind of fun stuff. >> Yes, correct. >> Okay. And then the second piece um I know we do work at at Fair Pilgrim. Is there a position there as well? >> There is. That position will continue same as it is this year. >> Okay. Is that a Is that a one O position or is it a point eight? I didn't see it in here. So that's where I was kind of confused. >> Yeah, it is It's under If you If you look underneath the two Let's see what page I think it's page six of seven it speaks to Pilgrim Lane. >> Okay. >> Um >> I had read this like nine times and I was like this is where I cannot see >> doesn't It doesn't uh point out the exact FTE in that one. >> Okay. Okay, so I didn't Okay. >> So what that position does is it works with all the K-5 teachers throughout their uh district and um So the second bullet is that that position works with those K-5 teachers to integrate theater into the curriculum >> Okay. Depending upon what they're working >> No different than what they're doing at Pilgrim Lane this year. >> Got it. Okay. Cool. Um and then um I guess my only other question, I mean we just talked about it with, you know, lowing mowing lawns and all that good stuff. We've never tried to staff this ourselves or ask our own teachers to cover this. >> So right now we have a teacher that is working on a variance at uh Sandburg Middle School in order to cover that theater class, if that gives you an indication as to how same same issue, it's hard to find >> We're not po- We haven't posted >> We're not posting it. >> I would say the other thing is we're we're following what the vision has been with the arts and keeping the importance of our collaboration with Stages, uh the importance of that programming. Um if you remember back to all the people that came and spoke to how important it was to not lose uh what it is that our students get as an experience. And this is one of those things as we look at the Vision 2030 of the Arts and Innovation at least for next year, how do we make that come into fruition at scale um and give this opportunity to more than the students of one building at the secondary, but now at both buildings because these will actually be similar classes um that were happening this year at Fair Crystal and will now be the opportunities for the students at Sandburg Middle School and Plymouth Middle School. >> I I'm just concerned about outsourcing licensed teaching and how this scales. >> Yeah, and I think one of the things to keep in mind with this that Stages brings um amongst other things, not only is it the teaching experience that they they bring, they also cover their own subs on the days that they don't have like if if the person who is for Stages can't be there, they take care of covering for that person. That's included. No different than some of the stuff that we're talking about with the previous contract. They also bring in um and have access to um all of the technology that they need. Their uh props that they use, coordinating all the playbills, paying for all of that is covered in this um and all the extra things that they do working No and then behind the scenes. >> Sets, costumes. >> Sets, costumes, technology, all of it. So, it's a lot more than just outsourcing an FTE to teach a course. It's like I said, it's keeping with I believe what we heard was the intent around how do we keep this collaboration and partnership with Stages and is it possible to scale it? And I think what we're showing here is at least in the first iteration of what's next, it is possible to scale it. >> Thank you. Um Director Bassett and then Director Long. Sorry. >> Uh well, thank you for that presentation and I I guess I have a a couple of questions and one is that um let me ask my one question about the insurance we we're covering the insurance. The school district is paying for the liability insurance and all of that. As I looked at her and I looked on page 76, that's what it says. And so, since this is a new arrangement, um it was kind of foreign to me. I know when I'm doing separate things and I was going to use some sort of programming at another facility. Most notably that I can recall is >> Hennepin. >> Yeah, at Hennepin. They required our organization to provide its insurance. Uh and the same thing when we did a workshop in Quora. So, this was kind of new to me. I hadn't seen that. And um so, I wondered about that. And then I I had one more question. And that really kind of had to do with the the future of this. Uh I appreciate and I'm glad we're going to be able to offer a measure of stability for the arts for this next coming year. If we um are moving forward and wanting to be a destination art district, and one of the things that I've always appreciated is our ability uh to have internal staff at our district who have carried those things from Miss Trump and all the rest of the whole slew over the years for all kinds of things related to the arts. I you know, in order for it to be robust going forward into the future, that's the kind of future I hope we're trying to build. So, um not to outsource. And I you know, I I mean I'm really glad we have the relationship with Stages. I've known of them since we used them at WeStage. I mean, so they are a known quantity, a respectable quantity. There's nothing no question about that. The building the capacity internally for this district to really do it. Because every time we outsource things, well, we're you know, it takes us further and further down a road similar to what we just talked about of outsourcing things. And then, how are you really building your own muscle and capacity, which can always be supplemented, you know, with a with a good partner that you've had for years. I mean, I I would never suggest not having a partnership. But, um the same principle. How do we ever get people We heard some of that today who will come from the arts who will come and be with us if they don't have any hope of having a long-term career. It's part of that's kind of rhetorical, I realize, but it is a concern that I have. >> Yeah, I think it's a I think it's a it's a continual question that the board is going to need to wrestle with as we move forward and we start to scale some of these things. Um however, I'll point out that um >> She can't hear you. >> I don't know what to do. I can't hear you. I can't hear you. >> were a little bit away from it, so I couldn't quite hear. >> Okay. The the thing to remember is the partnership and I would I would point out I it's not just outsourcing. My understanding has been since I've come into the district is that this district has valued the partnership and collaboration with Stages. >> Mhm. >> That's what I've been led to believe. Again, I'll just come back to it and say it again, we have figured out a way in the next iteration to continue the partnership and collaboration with Stages that allows for all middle school students to have the opportunity and be exposed to the opportunity of the Stages theater program in the capacity that we believe it is being offered to only our Fair Crystal students in this current year. I I think it's again, I come back to it. I think the board is going to have to continue to wrestle with these things. What what do you want to do? Because there will be a trade-off. Um I would suggest that there is not an overabundance of licensed theater teachers that you could do this at scale across a district and have full-time jobs for all of those theater teachers, which is going to impact um what you're able to do K-12, right? This and this is going to be one of the things that we we're going to have to navigate as we move along and we scale both innovation and arts K-12. Is how do we do what we want to do and are we doing it with the purpose and intention that we set out to do it. >> Well, just as a follow-up then to that to that to that comment, I thought I started out by saying I'm glad we were able to have this stability. I mean, I I did not want to just say it now, you know, because that was not a criticism about what you're doing because I understand this is a one-year contract and we still have to feel our way. >> Yeah, and I'm not taking it personally. >> so so that's you've answered the question. And I guess what I would say is I think that it is an important question for the board to have in a separate conversation down the road when we have a work session about the arts and innovation. We're trying We're branding a district on arts and innovation. A time where this board talks about what that looks like and means in the future is incredible and we're doing some of that through this process, but that's a credible kind of expectation for any one of us who are in that position to have. You know, and so I'm not you know, it's not necessarily directed at you. You did your job. You know, but and you point aptly pointed out the board will have to continue to wrestle with it. So, I'm just this is the other side of that as a board member I'm saying I think you're right and I'm ready for that conversation down the road if we can't have it tonight, you know, but it's very important question and and in my other comment that I'm making is I think if we want to have in-house staff to the extent that we can going down the road if we're going to have a robust school district that really says it's the arts and innovation school district that we don't have to outsource that talent outside of this district. You know, and so we'll see what happens. >> I just like to add to that and again, I I hope we recognize that we are weeks, maybe barely months away from a decision that was made about eliminating Fair Crystal. And what we've done in that time because we have such a strong partnership with Stages, what they've helped us do in that time is say, "How do we scale this for all middle school students?" What what I know to be true of the school district as we hear about the arts and the magnets at Pilgrim Lane and at Fair Crystal, a huge piece of that success in the magnets is because of the partnership with with Stages Theatre. So, again, what what I am grateful for to Stages is them saying, "We will see, we will be able to deliver and support this school district as the school district works to allow that vision that was set upon by a community group about being an arts and innovation district forward." And I think this is a really great next step. >> Thank you. >> Um, Director Long and then Director Hinnenbrand. >> Okay, so I have a few questions. Okay. So, I am looking page two, page 75. There's two page numbers on here. Um, where it talks about integration with schools. So, I just want somebody to explain this wording to me. What does it mean? So, the partnership depends upon the theater and its staff being a part of the school and not a separate entity. >> Uh, so if you think about the way that we've talked about how Stages works this year at Fair Crystal as well as at Fair Pilgrim, the people that are operating in the schools are really a part of the school. They're a part of the staff. They take part in all the staff meetings. They take part in the professional development. They're truly integrated as part of the staff and they're not seen as a separate entity that just come that just shows up and is a Stages person. They really they really become a part of the community in the building that they're with. So, both parties, I would argue us and Stages, want to make sure that that continues. >> Okay. Um and then my next one, it's page two again, but 79. >> That makes it easy. >> Was the other one page 279? No, 75. Okay. Uh so, it talks about here that I So, I'm wondering here about like what would be the cost of bussing cuz it says uh theater facilities at Crystal Fair will be used for productions for both middle schools, and they will have priority for the use of the theater at Crystal Fair. >> Mhm. >> So, will there be bussing and cost involved in bussing kids over there for practice at the theater? >> We assume that there's going to be some cost with getting kids over there because we're making that available. Uh right and so, all along, right, with the Fair Crystal facility, we want We're going to still use that stage. We're going to still use the the facility there. So, we anticipate there is going to be a cost associated with figuring out how to best get kids there um to do the rehearsals for the productions. >> And I think uh Executive Director Williams, I I believe that's our current reality um now, correct? >> Yes, and it's it's not because they they do practice pretty much throughout the year. It's not bussing for the entire year. It's right up until their performance. So, it's a couple weeks before their performance, you know, they have a number of performances when they provide bussing um for the students to participate. And then and then also the participate in the performance itself. >> So, could we get a roundabout figure about what that might possibly be? Like like how many performances a year would they possibly have where they might need to cuz I would assume maybe it's just a week before that performance they're going over to practice. >> Right now it's slated to do uh two performances per middle school. >> Okay. So that's four >> Four. >> bussing opportunities. Okay. And about what is a bus? Sorry, I never remember that fact. >> We'd have to figure that out. I don't have that. >> And again it's not it it's not additional expenses because it's what we're currently doing right now for um for RMS for the use of RMS as the theater both for Sandberg and for uh Plymouth Middle. Am I correct on that? >> For for Sandberg for sure with Sandberg partners with RMS we do provide the the activity bus. I know um Plymouth Middle a lot of times they do drive, but when we think about now we're combining the schools you're going to have more kids in the schools more diversity in the schools and you think about equitable opportunities we will provide bussing um for for those, you know, um for both schools for that you know, to participate. Um when I think about what we're providing overall for activities bussing this will this will be a minimal minimal expense when you think about just activity bussing in itself um when you think about private providing buses for four shows a week in a week in advance for for for practices um you're not you're isn't I mean I can work with transportation and get you the numbers, but we have I mean we provide transportation for activities on a daily basis. This will be a very minimal cost. >> Okay, yeah. That'd be good. Okay. So my next one is um so the use of there'll be the use of the theater and the black box for uh six and six additional rooms at Crystal Fair for their summer theater workshop. And so um we won't be paying that teacher any extra for that summer theater workshop, and will there be any other programs in Fair Crystal at that time when they're doing their summer theater workshops from June 7th through August 13th, it says. >> So, that is a part of the current agreement right now. Um Stages already uses uh either Fair Crystal or they or they will use a location um where if there's only if they're the only program in the building or if the building is under construction, they'll use our Austin site. Um but that is something that currently exists, and we do try we do try to put multiple programs in that location um over the summer. You know, we'll run our Freedom Schools is running there in conjunction with Stages. Some of our other community air program has run out of run out of Fair Crystal Crystal in conjunction with Stages. It really just depends on the summer. Um but but that is something that that's not new to their contract. They've already utilized Fair Crystal over the summer months for their theater program. >> Okay. So, my last few questions here. So, it talks about they will be provided a desk, a teaching space, classroom supplies, copies needed for theater arts curriculum um as determined by the teacher. So, I'm kind of wondering, will there be a limit to some of these costs? Will they have a budget? Like, what what exactly is that? Cuz that seems very open-ended to me. >> It's going to be just as open-ended as it is for any other teacher in the building. So, if I'm a if I'm another teacher that's employed by the district and I have a need for copies and I have a need for a desk and curriculum and all that, we we don't generally put limitations on that. It depends upon the uh content area that that's happening. So, no, there wouldn't be. It would be the same as it is right now. And this is all part of the integration as a as a pseudo staff member. >> Well, but we kind of do because, you know, our teachers don't get to choose the curriculum. You know, we have a process that we go through that we choose curriculum and then all of the teachers get to use that curriculum. So, we're talking separately here whatever that arts curriculum is cuz we're not vetting that, they're vetting that, right? >> They would be vetting the arts curriculum that they use and have been using same as they are this year. Remember this is nothing different than what we're doing currently at Fair Crystal for the students who have enjoyed the experience at Fair Crystal as the theater program. >> And I would say too to teachers there we don't have open-ended, you know, limits on what we can spend. That's why a lot of teachers spend their money out of pocket. So, I just want to be clear on what are some of the limits around this. >> Well, I don't have any specific limits, but I would say that I would trust the judgment of our principals and our administrators and our curriculum team that and I would trust the the conversations that I've had with the Stages staff and I have no reason to believe that they would take advantage in any way that would be any more or less the operation that we have currently again at both it's it's worked just fine at Pilgrim Lane and Fair Crystal to this point. So, I don't have anything that would be evidence that would be of concern and I definitely wouldn't be supporting this for the board to approve if I did. >> Okay, so we good? No, so just my final thing, sorry. I've turned into a chatterbox. >> I'm turning This is a joke. >> What are you trying to say about me, Helen? So, just my final thing. So, this will be a one-year contract and then I guess I'm directing it to the superintendent. After this one year, will this be brought back to the board again for if we another contract and then can we have a review of how we felt? >> I I believe that this has been an annual contract every year. So, this is how many years Anthony have we have we acted on this contract and uh again, contract is is the same that it has been with the exception of an additional staff member cuz now we're going to have two middle schools that they're offering um the programming in instead of one. So, I think just say as it comes forward every year and it has for the last number of years, it'll come forward again next year. >> And think could we possibly add like a review of how like we felt the programming went at the because this will be a little bit different than it has been in the previous years. Previous years it's been kind of smaller with it just being a small middle school and an elementary school. Here we're talking about two large middle schools. >> It could be a our deal perhaps. >> maybe moment. >> Oh, we could definitely do an art Yeah, I do I don't know what that I mean, obviously we'll bring it forward again for conversation. I don't know I don't want to commit to something I'm not sure of what it means by a review. Certainly throughout the year, um you'll be hearing about highlights and updates. So, and the contract will come you know, we'll bring some kind of recommendation forward for the contract for sure. >> Thank you. We good? >> Yes, I'm yeah. >> Dr. Helenbrand. >> Yeah, I I'm just going to say first of all, I'm I'm a little frustrated because I feel like a lot of these questions should have been emailed ahead of time because um these are very easy questions to go through. Everybody can read the contract and ask the questions. That's the first thing. That took up a lot of our time. But the second thing is we >> Thank you. >> I I'm just expressing how I feel. Secondly, um the we promised this to the community. We promised the community that when we close Fair Crystal, that we would provide this at both middle schools. So, it's This is us upholding our promise to the community. We asked the staff to do this. So, it's very frustrating to have them then do what we asked and then come back and then have everybody be surprised and aghast that this contract is here. So, that is frustrating to me and I want to say thank you to the staff for doing exactly what we asked and for bringing the contract to us. Um so, thank you and I would like I don't even know if we have a move if anybody has moved, but I would like to make >> make the motion. >> Yes, I would like to move that we approve what we asked the staff to do. >> second comment. >> Okay, we'll get the second and then >> I will second. >> Okay, move by Director Hildenbrand, seconded by Director Bowman. >> Now we have discussion. >> And now we have discussion and you have something you want to say. >> Yeah. I asked the questions because I'm an individual. We all have different perspectives on how we see things and so I asked what was important >> Okay, listen. Okay, listen. >> And so no, I'm not going to >> where you're going. This is not >> That didn't need to be brought up like that at all. I have every right to ask whatever question >> do and I have the right to say what I need to ask. >> And it hasn't been any different than any other questions that I've asked about other topics. >> We're going to move on. We're not going to We're not going >> Yeah, and I'm not going to continue to go through this where >> Yeah, please stop. >> where somebody makes me feel like I don't have the right to ask questions. >> Okay. I see no more hands. There's no more comments. We're going to vote on a motion that has been made and seconded to approve this contract. Director Bowman, will you please do the roll call? >> Of course. Uh and before I do that, I might recommend we take a 10-minute recess after this. >> that's a great idea. >> Thank you. Um uh Director Long. >> Yes. >> Director Hildenbrand. >> Yes. >> Director Wouters. >> Yes. >> Director Bowman votes yes. Director Brenneman. >> No. >> Chair Evans Becker. >> Yes. >> Director Bassett. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> 6 to 1 motion carries. We're going to take a What do we want? 10 minutes? 10 minute recess uh for a bio break and whatever else we need. >> Thank you. >> Okay, we'll be back at 9:11 or 12. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> This is practice. This is practice. >> You keep giving me your time. >> I know very well >> Yes, you have given your time. >> Hey, everybody. We are back. >> We're back. >> Board. >> We're up. We're back. >> Okay. >> And we're moving on. Uh number seven is unfinished business, letter A, action item, Robbinsdale Middle School gym and site development agreement buyout. I don't see any um You want to take it? >> I can take it if you'd like. Just a quick Quick summary is the district entered into an agreement with the City of Robbinsdale in October of 2004 uh for the gym and site development agreement. There is still a few years left on that. We need to with us closing the Robbinsdale Middle School site, we uh effectively then would need to uh buy out the Robin City of Robbinsdale portion of that. We had discussed this at a February school board meeting, and so I'm looking for the board uh to take official action to allow payout of the $124,000, um which is the amortized amount that is still due effective 2026. >> Thank you. Do I have a move to approve the um termination of the fee schedule and pay off the City of Robbinsdale? >> I'll move approval. >> Director Bowman, seconded by Director Bassett. I don't see any hands up. Let's take a roll call vote. >> With pleasure. >> Thank you. >> Director Long. Don't have any choice, right? >> Yes. >> Yes or no? >> She said yes. >> Yes. I don't have a choice. >> That's a yes. Great. Director Hillenbrand. >> Yes. >> Director Brennison. >> Yes. >> Director Bowman votes yes. Director Bassett. >> Yes. Yes. >> Director Wotow. >> Yes. >> And Chair Arens yes. >> Motion passes. >> Thank you. Okay. That has been approved. Let's move on to letter B. Reimagine Ardale Vision 2030 phase 1/2 update. Dr. Stallo. >> Excellent. I'm going to actually be handing this over to assistant superintendent Dr. McDonald, McDonald, but first of all, what I'd like to do, apparently I don't know who my assistant superintendent is. So it's getting late already. But what I'd like to do first of all, just because as we look at again, and I think I said this the last time we started this presentation as well. I know right now we've asked the board to focus primarily on the facility part of this. What I want to remind the board, what I want to remind the community is this entire project that has been going on for a year and a half about right-sizing our district, about having a vision of how to be a better school district. >> It's all grounded in what's best for the student experience. And facilities are a part of that as we look to programming, as we look to the best learning environments and teaching environments and work environments we can possibly have. So I just want to state that as I hand it over to assistant superintendent to take it from here. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> Ellen, can you hear me? All right. >> You hear me Mr. Arntzen? >> Well, I'm worried about my microphone because I haven't had that issue with this mic before, so I was just making sure. >> I'm listening now. >> All right, here we go. So tonight the purpose tonight really is to continue to revisit information. I'm going to go as fast as I can and as slow as you need me to go given the hour, right? So I'm going to go a little bit faster on the front end of this thing. It's a lot of repeat information, but essentially the purpose is to continue to to balance giving more details of information, providing answers to questions we know that the board has had, and then get to the spot where we're examining some more options in detail as we move along here. So, we're hoping that uh either tonight or at our next meeting, the board's going to be able to give us more uh reaction and direction with regard to details of this overall scope, as well as any questions uh that that come up along the way. The timeline has not changed. Only the red uh vertical line has changed. We are now in the third month. Uh it seems like a long time ago that it was just February, and we were talking about reviewing data, confirming direction. But, right now we are right in the middle of uh getting into initial concepts and costings, and planning for public discussion as we move through this. And it is nothing different than what is in our phased approach. This slide is the same as it has been the last three times that we've had this conversation. We are right in the middle of the end of phase one and the beginning of phase two. However, the board has asked for some detail about We're making decisions right now. And what when when are things going to impact? What's it going to happen? So, if you look at this slide, what we've tried to do, we've been working with Nexus and with Wold Architects to try and figure out, okay, if we're making the decisions we're making right now in 2026, when can we anticipate, right now, based on what we know, when stuff will happen? So, if you look at this, you'll see that for the 26-27 school year, like we've talked so far, ESC and High View move to Fair Crystal, and this building, ESC, closes. So, this this slide is no more complex than that. If you look into 27-28, right now the plan is that we would update begin updating Fair Crystal in the lower level for New Hope Learning Center program. Again, at this point in time, as of today, that's that's the iteration of this plan. ESC and High View would need to go somewhere else while this is moving. You remember we originally talked about the fact we knew that ESC might be there for a short time, High View might be there for a short time. This is one of those iterations of that. Nothing is set in stone. This is this iteration. So, as you work through the following years, the point of this slide is just to give everyone an idea of how the dominoes play out and how do you actually phase the facility movements, the facility construction, and then the programming movements to the buildings. What I will point out for people is that it isn't until 2030, right now, 2030 2031, that a new high school would open in the current modeling and that the Sandburg renovation gets completed. You'll notice then that none of the final movements take place until the fall of 2031. So, while it is only 2026 right now and we're making decisions at this point, as of today, the soonest we would be through all things in this current plan would be the 2031-32 school year. So, that has implications for how do we plan stuff out? Um it gives people an idea of saying, "Okay, this is when this would impact me. This would This is what would impact my kids. This is what would impact me as a teacher, you as a board to make some decisions." >> I think that this is Bob, if you'll just keep that slide up there for a second. I think this is really important because one of the things that the board is hearing and we're hearing is slow this down. This is going too fast. And while, you know, we would agree that we've done some fast planning, you can still see that even if the board chooses to put a referendum question on the ballot in November even if the community chooses to support that, we still are multiple years out. So again, the the slowing down notion, if we don't move forward at this pace, things are pushed out that much more. So I just I just wanted to to share kind of the obvious with this slide. Thank you. >> Yeah, so then one of the other questions that the board has been putting out there for us is what is the community engagement going to look like? How are we going to get additional voices at the table as we move into the next month, right? Because if we go back to that short-term timeline, we've got community voice, community input. And so what this slide is designed to just show you is how we have that paste out. So we've already been through the March 23rd-27th week where we met with Nexus teams, we met with the high school administrators, we met with middle school administrators, we met with elementary school administrators, really to try and get an idea of what do initial scopes look like because as we've shared with you before, we need Nexus and the architects to start getting that footprint layout so we can decide how much square footage do we need for arts and innovation? How much square footage do we need if we were to to combine two high schools tomorrow? So those types of questions are where we are at now and we need to get ready for what's coming here as soon as April 16th. So we have a meeting scheduled you can see there with Reimagined Ardale, the 2030 team, advisory councils, teachers and student groups. That those invitations are already getting sent out. We've already got responses from people for those. Still in in April on the 27th, community conversation so we can hear updates for the community to hear updates and for us to provide answers to those as well as give them give us input and perspective of what they hear. So, we're hoping that by April 27th, we will have that first iteration from Nexus and and Wold. We will have the feedback from the April 16th meeting. We'll be able to have a fairly robust community conversation and really get some reactions to what are these initial things cause you to think about, want, question? Do we need to retool? Because we're really setting the stage for May. So, if you remember, June is the day for the or June is the month for the board really to work through what might this review and comment look like because July 6th is our magic date that we have to have that review and comment done. So, in order to get you the information you need and have time to really work through it in the month of June, we really need to be focusing our work right now getting ready for May and all the things that need to happen in May because that's when all of the numbers start coming together and all the final plans start coming together. So, based on our last conversation, >> Greetings. >> what we believe we heard as far as alignment from the board was a general support. So, you you remember we talked a little bit about this. General support for considering one high school. We we thought we heard alignment there. We thought we heard general support for neighborhood elementary schools. We thought we heard general support for the expansion of the arts and innovation across all of schools. Um with general support for keeping uh Spanish immersion as a K-5 program at the 700 student level. And then general support for having something happen on the RMS site yet to be defined. General support. Doesn't mean we had overall consensus, but general support. However, we also had three open questions. Is there a true need for a high school pool? And we'll add a little bit. We found out more information about that, so we'll have some info for you on that. Is there a true need for a full auditorium at Sandburg? We have some information on that for you. And then what options should be considered for that RMS site? That's going to be something that we're going to probably toss back to you as a board a little bit to give us some more information. So, as we move through things, I'm going to start just with the pool. What we've discovered with Nexus and Wold is that it is probably more cost-effective for us to look at redoing the pool at Plymouth Middle School. Reason being, we can make that into a competition pool and it has a balcony. The pool at Sandburg does not have a balcony. So, that would be an additional cost. >> A balcony, sorry. Okay. >> So, right now that is our thinking. So, that's where we are at in that process. It's We're talking a difference of I want to say 3 to 5 million dollars versus 25 to 30 million dollars. So, our recommendation as of today with a pool is let's back off of the high school competition pool. Let's look at redoing one of the middle school pools. That leads me into the Sandburg. That would leave open the Sandburg space and I know you want a second pool that's warmer, but it would leave you It would leave open the Sandburg space for us to do something unique with an auditorium. Because as we've been talking with Nexus and um and Wold, there are some ideas out there around hybrid auditoriums when you think about the district. We've got the biggest auditorium at Armstrong. We've got the second biggest auditorium at Cooper. We've got um we we have the auditorium at Fair Crystal still. And so, now what might an auditorium Does it need to be as big as the high schools or can it be something a little bit different? Can it be something a little bit smaller? Again, it's all based on capacity at this point and what's a reasonable amount of capacity. Point being though, we could do that where that Sandberg pool sits right now again to save some costs in the renovation. So, that's where we're at in that renovation or that iteration of those moves, which is why I wanted to just start there with your questions that you had that were left open. Another question that came out last time was, can you give us more can you give us a simpler chart for enrollment projections? Really for the high school, but we kept it all three. I think Director Bassett, this is one of your questions is can we figure out a way and so I'm hoping this gives you a little simpler breakdown so that you're not having to look at the giant chart. So, this one shows you if you look across the first line as of February 2026 K5 was a little over 4,000 kids, 6-8 over 2,000 kids. There are two numbers in the 9 through 12. The first number assumes that all of High View and RVA are a part of the high school population. The second number, the 3,097, is when you take those 450 kids out and they're at a different place. So, we did that for the 29-30 year and then we did that for the 34-35 year so you could see the trending based on the demographic study and broke that out the same way. That way it gives you in that 9-12 as we're talking about what will this high school capacity be? You should know that right now Walden and Nexus are looking at a capacity of 3,200 kids. Like that's the build of the high school that based on an 85% usage. So, that's where they are at in the iteration right now. So, plenty of space based on what we have for the data we have. The next question that was asked was can we get an updated LTFM chart? So, the next slide is simply that. I don't know that I need to go through all of this. Again, all I will draw your attention to is you will see that on the left-hand side there are buildings that are not listed. Those are buildings that are assumed not to be in the footprint anymore. So, they don't have LTFM to be done. Right, so ESC is not there. Robbinsdale Middle School is not there. Sandburg is not there. And so, then what you will see across the bottom, what has changed is the total LTFM need based on what our current assumption is for footprint. The second or the the next thing I would bring your attention to on this, if we make additional changes, cuz I think this was the root of the question as we heard it was, if we were to take another building offline, this shows you what happens. So, then that gets zeroed out. The building goes away from what you're considering for LTFM, and then you have a remaining LTFM dollar amount that's lower than what it was to begin with. So, hopefully this helps a little bit explain what happens as we start making some of these changes. Okay, so now here we go. Operationalizing the vision based on all this stuff. I've got it laid out a couple different ways. The first is just in words for the people that like just the words. So, here's what we're thinking the current iteration is. We renovate and expand the Cooper and New Hope Learning Center site. That allows us to create the Robbinsdale Area Schools, whatever that would be called, 9 through 12 high school on that site. So, yes, you can imagine we're putting a placeholder for New Hope Learning Center at the moment, cuz that that space goes away and becomes part of the big high school footprint. Second thing, we renovate Armstrong High School site, and that becomes the Plymouth Middle School, the ESC and Highview. That's our current iteration of it. We'll get later board if you're thinking something different, we can have that discussion. But that's Now the second move is the Armstrong site. Third, we renovate Sandburg Middle School to include those common spaces, the arts and innovation spaces and that auditorium that I talked about. So now you got the third phase. Armstrong you got the new high school, Armstrong becomes a middle school and programming. Sandburg gets a refresh and updating so that those students have more equitable spaces to what's at Armstrong. Then the fourth piece are we're we're now moving into the elementaries. So we renovate Zachary Lane, Meadow Lake, Northport, Lakeview, Olson, also known as C right now, and Forest is our current recommendation. Those would be the six neighborhood schools for elementary. Then we're going to go back to Plymouth. We're going to renovate Plymouth Middle School building to house RSI and RTC. Could also hold some other stuff, but right now, remember that the play was RSI stays as K5 and uh 700 kids. At this point, Plymouth Middle School is the only building big enough to do this because now cost comes into play. Six, you're going to see that I already talked about Forest being one of the six elementary schools. However, you could have Fair Crystal be an elementary school. The The reason for the two is and I I would break it down as simply as this. Forest is a really nice elementary school that if we needed to add on to to make it bigger, we could. It allows us to keep Fair Crystal kind of what was talked about last time as a a central district hub. We put early learning take New Hope Learning Center, bring it back. It goes into the lower level of Fair Crystal. Uh that would work down at that lower level. We do things like move community ed we into that building. We keep the stage going. We keep the black box going. We keep an art center going. We have it be the enrollment center. It really becomes a central place. The only difference between those two buildings doing it that way is that that center elementary school is a little bit farther north than if you made Fair Crystal the sixth elementary school. That's really the difference. So that's why we put it in there as an option just to consider. So I'll move on to the this next slide so people that are a little more visual. Same information. If you look across the top, we are creating one high school via renovation and expansion. We are renovating Arms the Armstrong building to be used as the Plymouth middle what's currently Plymouth Middle School. We renovate the Sandburg building. We renovate the Plymouth building. That's the big first move. We then establish five neighborhood elementary schools. You as a board then have three decision points. One, you want the sixth elementary school to be Fair Crystal or Forest and I kind of talked through the trade-offs there. Decision point two, are you okay with or have questions or reactions to what I shared with regard to where we put programming in these buildings? And three which we got to talk about a little bit. What are the thoughts around the RMS site? So those are the three decision points. And to get you um a little more visual, here's the map. So now you can flip back and forth between slides here as we're going back and forth. So you've got it in words, you've got it in visual, now you've got it on a map. Blue are the dis- almost decided on elementary schools. Red is RMSI. Green are the two middle schools, and then you'll you'll see that the the the brown or orange dotted, those are your three decision points. Forest, Fair Crystal, Robinson Middle School. So that's what the map would then look like. And my last piece of information for you are the numbers. So on the next slide, if we go with as of the 3:30 iteration, you'll see at the bottom, we're looking at an 80 to 90 million dollars spend of LTMF LTFM dollars. As we've talked before, we're going to use a combination of LTFM dollars and potential bond dollars. So this whole play right now is we're looking at a 370 to 425 million dollar bond on top of the LTFM. However, that RMS site would be an additional 40 to 45 million dollars by the time you take the Robinson Middle School down, you do what you need to do to the site, and then you erect something a new to that site. So that is not included in that bond estimate. So of my screen. Your last slide, just a reiteration of where we are at. What we're asking for is what do you think about Fair and the Fair Crystal versus forest to get us to that next kind of sandbox closure. What are your assumptions or questions about where we were thinking of putting all the different programming? Any thoughts on the pool {slash} auditorium ideas? And then RMS. That is about as fast as I can get through it. >> Okay, thanks. >> Chair, I will turn it back. >> Well done. Okay, so um first are there questions about the presentation? >> Mhm. >> Okay, Director Bassett. >> Well, my question about the presentation um kind of has to do with kind of piggybacks on what the the superintendent said. So if no and I think I've asked this before if the referendum fails, I've asked the differently the same question. Then and we're using LTFM dollars, how much of this is you know, what what would be the path forward? Uh on for example Well, I think almost anyone because if we were to keep the two uh if we don't pass a referendum, if it fails and there is no money for the bond, three blah blah but the LTFM we still have and so we're still doing that, what how does that impact the one high school vision? >> There would not be one high school. >> Oh, okay. >> So what happens so I can maybe make it simple. >> Okay. >> This slide. >> Yes. >> All the other slides go away in your scenario. This is the only slide that we pay attention to and we have to decide what are we going to do first, second, third, fourth, fifth based on this money. >> Yes, however, now there is another position that is somewhere in the mix. Because we and we won't know that until we if we go out for a referendum, if it fails and I'm I'm you know, I'm not I'm not the doom and gloom lady. I'm just saying I'm a realist. Goodwill. So, uh I I don't my thought is this, based on what you we've talked about here and about the repairs that need to be done on the different buildings that you've shared with us and talked about, we would need to do decide on what those are that we need to do. Uh but in addition to that, um we if we had a scenario or we had some estimations about how much we would have to go up because I think there may be and I understand we're going to do another um survey. >> Mhm. >> So, if we're doing another survey and there is no tolerance for well, let's not even good I don't want to say it that way cuz I'm I'm I'm just being trying to be neutral here. But if we if we go with saying if we still have our two high schools and we do need to do work on those two high schools, how much more money might we ask for to do that? And now and I will say this, that whatever those numbers are to to make those buildings be what we would want them to be going forward into the future, in addition to what we may want to do for Sandburg to make sure we have equity and parity. Well, we wouldn't need that would change what happens to Armstrong. So, not that not withstanding, the other thing is that um what we might do with Robin the site of Robbinsdale Middle School and the money for that, a scenario that talks about total dollar cost for those things which would be this LTFM plan that you have that's right there, plus whatever it is that would be the cost for on the site, which you've plotted 40 million to 45 million dollars. So, that on top of the LTFM dollars uh is a vastly different number than 370 million dollars. So, I like the way you've laid this out. Thank you. But for me, I it would be helpful to actually kind of plot that out as well. And I I think it's really important to talk about that at this moment because I believe that you will continue to share with us what your best thinking is and you've got given us some decision points to look at with regard to the one high school vision. I think you've done the work you need to do on that. But I do think this other information we should have ready in our back pocket, you know, about a different ask. And that diff- I'm just saying, you know, that different ask, maybe that includes RMS, it includes all the other things we need to do with these buildings, it includes what we need to do to Sandburg to make it all you know, uh comparable, equitable, whatever we need to do to it, you know, uh and it achieve some of the other things we need to do with some of the buildings that need help. So, you are you Do I kind of making sense to you? >> Yeah, you're making sense to me. I appreciate the comments. At at the Here's I know you're not going to like the response. >> Uh-oh. >> At this point where we are, if the board as a whole wants to give us the direction to change course and do two high schools, I would be happy for us to figure out what we can put together. And again, I'm going off of what we heard as general. I hear you and I know what you're asking. >> Mhm. Well, let me just say this. It's not that the board as a whole is not what I'm asking. I'm saying for this community Why are we having a community meeting in a few weeks where we're going to talk to the entire community? Why are we even doing that if we're not willing to say to ourselves, what if? That's the responsible thing to do. It's not about what the majority of the board thinks is whatever. We already have the information that you've done the good work you've done on the one high school option, and you will continue to do whatever fine-tuning you need to do. We understand that. I'm saying um we I believe that we should be positioned as a school district to be able to answer the questions about what do we think we need if we if our referendum fails. That's pre-work as far as I'm concerned. That's the kind of planning I would do if I was doing it for my own house. You know I mean and so that's not a direction from the board to change do something different. If the board I mean the board is already moving in you know when you have some whatever signals you feel like you need, you have them for the one high school. But I'm saying uh you know, that's why I asked the first question first. If that fails and we don't have it, what can what what happens to this? That was my first question. And if the first question of if it fails, we don't have this, what else do we think we really want to go out for and try to get? I mean I'm into a trying to be positive and proactive. What else do we want? Well, I think we do need to decide what we're going to do with the RMS site. We don't have I mean cuz that big building there is it was going to be empty. We got to do something. So what are we going to do there? You know, uh that's a big dis- discussion that will come down the road. LTFM takes care of itself. We know what the condition of these various buildings are. We know we're going to have to invest in them. Okay? But if we have the two high schools and we you know because we don't you know, we still have them. We had them before. We're going to still have them. What do we do with them? At some point, based on the census information, it may come a time when we can just eliminate one, but we'll keep the other. I don't know. Yeah, I'm not looking that far down the road. But I'm saying that uh in the eventuality that we have a bond referendum that does not go forward with the full amount that's being proposed, I think we should have a backup plan. That's that's really what I'm saying. I'm just That's just fundamental and elementary. It doesn't require you to go do anything other than far As far We've got Nexus on board. They're already there. We've already done the work on what happens with the one high school. We know. What we don't know is if we have to continue to with the two, what is what other your best suggestions? You You know, I rely on you guys. I think you're giving us what your best information is based on all the input that you're getting. We're going to have a big community meeting that's coming up here on April 27th. We've not had such a meeting before. We've been doing this for a year and a half. And we started from the work we had with our 40-person focus group {slash} marketing group class, whatever you want to call it. That's where we started. From that work, when the board got it, we listened to it. We've been moving with it ever since. The moves we've made came out of that report. We did not abandon it. I think that the What the put on what I put on myself is I think I want to know and be poised and positioned if it doesn't fail, what do we need to know about in advance while we have time to think about it, and we're going to factor what we hear from the community. We've been hearing a lot of stuff through email, social media, everything. Everybody got a lot to say. But if we're going to finally have a meeting and bring the community together and say, "Here's where we are now, community. What do you think? What do you do?" And we're going to do a survey. I think we should be ready. That's all I'm advocating for is to be is readiness. To be able to pivot. So, I'll I'll stop there and thank you for indulging me to got to get all of it out. I appreciate it. >> Superintendent, and then >> Yeah, I just I what I'd like to add to that, and again, we're we're taking direction from the board. I I think a couple of very important things to remember. Um Bob, I'm sorry. We go back to the other slide. The long-term facility maintenance slide, thanks. The other thing to remember is we are in statutory operating debt. And um, a reminder that we are not under any obligation to be out of statutory debt in 5 years. We have to have a 5-year plan submitted to the state. But we likely will not be out of statutory operating debt in 5 years. So, the other factor in all of this that we have to remember is operating all of these buildings, right? Is not going to be able to happen. So, again, we saw from from um our uh chief financial officer the reductions that are going to have to be made along the way in order to meet that 5-year plan. So, I think that's going to be an important reminder. And I think the constant tradeoffs of operating expenses just need to continue to be thought about. So, we've all been around the block several times. And obviously, we would never come forward. We've all done referendums before. There is always a here's what happens if it passes. >> Yeah. >> Here's what happens if it doesn't. So, that's not a new thing. That's something we've done as leaders in organizations for decades. So, >> That's all I'm just voicing the expectation. That's all I'm saying. >> And again, I'm saying that for decades we've been doing this. We know that there has to be a plan. >> All we have to do is post the plan. >> Okay. Thank you. Our director Helenbrand. >> Yeah, my question's just really quick. Um do we really have to do anything with the RMSA? I mean, other than I mean, if we if it's better to not mothball the building but knock it down, fine. But I mean we don't need to build anything right away. Do we? I mean So we could actually save ourselves a significant amount of I mean save we could just not spend that money, right? So that doesn't have to be a part of the immediate plan. >> That is correct. >> Okay, good. >> Right. Thank you. >> And also I just want to remind everyone that we can't remodel ourselves into better situations with LTFM. LTFM just replaces We don't do the upgrades with LTFM and so we can't get to where we want to be for our students just using LTFM. Okay. So decision points. Are we ready for some decision points? I Did you say? Yeah, okay. All right. So decision point A is Forest or Fair? Which is the building for the sixth neighborhood elementary? And I can go. I think since Forest is our newest elementary and it's built as an elementary and is not too far from centrally located, I would choose to have it be Forest and use Fair for other district opportunities like as we're mentioned previously. That would be me. But I want everybody to be able to speak and say how they think so that we can come to a conclusion. So who feels like talking? Dr. Bridgersen. >> Um I mentioned it before. I still think I would love to see the the concept I mean So I asked the question before, what is it going to cost to renovate PMS to put RSI kids there? It's roughly $5 million. I mean last meeting it was roughly $5 million to move RSI to Fair. I think it'd be I think we should look at I I like in my mind that's a better location for RSI than Plymouth Middle School. So, um from that perspective, if I was only given those two options, I mean, I don't Yeah, Forest is fine. Make Fair the central community kind of thing. But, I mean, I really do think I don't know. >> So, if we broke this down into a separate decision thing, and it was like choose the elementary, you would say, "Okay, choose Forest?" >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> Thank you. Who else would like to have an opinion on decision point A? Dr. Bowman? >> Yeah, I'm most inclined to agree with with going with Forest as the elementary school and utilizing the Fair building for other uh programs or other options. I don't want to say programs. >> Um other opinions? >> I'll say the same. >> You'll say the same? >> I agree. >> Okay. Dr. Long? >> I feel like this is all a mess. I feel like we're not listening to what community has said to us in multiple emails, multiple listening sessions, even when we're talking about closing the other schools. I just I don't know what we're doing, why we're doing this. I I you know, Fair was built for a certain purpose. That's what we should be using it for. I don't agree with any of it. >> So, knowing that we need one additional elementary, would you say, since you're saying Fair is for a specific purpose, would you select Forest as the other elementary then? >> No. >> Okay. Dr. Bassett? >> Well, I think that it makes because Forest is the newest one of the is the newest elementary we have in this district. >> Mhm. >> And so for, you know, if in terms of facility, I would not like to see that mothballed. I have no idea what else we would do with it. You know, obviously, I think Forest. I do think and I've, you know, floated a couple of different ideas about how I think that Fair Crystal should have some kind of the district-wide utilization. And so, the fact that we're keeping it is not being Well, it's We're going to keep it open. It's open now. It's going to be open for district-wide utilization, I think, makes some sense so that we're still using that facility in a good way. And I think early learning is important and I think we could house that, quite frankly, at either one of them. Well, you know, so I would be more inclined to say Forest and have Fair Crystal be more for a district-wide utilization. And we'd have Forest be the other elementary. >> Thank you. Okay. So, you have a general feeling for decision point one. A. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, decision point B, current assumption of programming, um uh Roman numeral I, Armstrong site would be PMS ESH High View. >> It's correct. >> PMS would be RSI RTC. And then it would be Fair Crystal would be early learning, uh adult academic enrollment, >> community ed >> and community ed. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Thoughts? >> Can I ask a question? >> Yeah. >> Uh So, are we looking to do this as a whole group? We're going to do each one individually, is that correct? Or >> You could do it however you I I mean, you could do it however you want. I think it depends upon who has questions about what about any of the programming. >> All right. Well, I think it follows a logical order. So, let's do Roman numeral little I first. Armstrong site for PMS and ESC because otherwise we don't have to deal with the PMS site for the second one. So, let's just go with I. >> Well, I have a kind of a kind of a question. Um well, um and that supposes that um this supposes that we will have a successful referendum to fund a brand new singular high school. >> Yes. >> I assume that. >> Yes. >> And so, um for those reasons, I would prefer to see the RSI at the PMS site. I mean, I think that'll be a natural progression. If Armstrong is still a high school, then that goes somewhere. You know, and there's enough room in the PMS site for ESC at in uh other things as as well as actually the other two high schools have room, quite frankly. You know, so um for Highview, I mean, you know, for Highview. >> Professor, can I ask a clarifying question? >> Mhm. >> Okay. So, for Roman numeral little I, >> Mhm. >> Armstrong site, what are you saying? >> I'm saying that um >> But PMS >> I I would rather see uh RSI used at the PMS site. Now, um I that is I just think I have to just kind of just stand down on this because we don't know what's going to happen to the Armstrong site. >> But, we can't put RSI at the PMS site unless PMS site a feel. >> That's how it's listed. RSI is listed at the PMS >> Yeah. So, but but it wouldn't be available unless we move to PMS to another location such as the Armstrong site. >> Well, I know. That's why this one is a little bit of convoluted for me, quite frankly. You know, I am Yeah, I just will pass on. >> Okay. So, all any commenting just about the Armstrong site assuming referendum passes, assuming we're moving gradually to one high school, the use of the Armstrong site to be PMS, ESC, and IView. >> Well, it it makes some it has some logic. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, all I was going to say is if assuming the referendum passes, which this entire slide is makes that assumption. It's fine. The only real decision point is the actually the third one and we already made that decision on the one above. >> It's okay. >> All looks great. >> So, anybody else have another comment? >> Yeah, again again I just feel like we're not listening to the community. Back to what Director Bassett was saying, like what other options do we need to be talking about? What if this referendum doesn't pass? Then where are we left? Are we going to be adding a bunch more calendar days to try and figure out what to what we're going to do if the referendum doesn't pass? Like what's going on? I I just this we're not listening to the community again. I mean, I keep hearing over and over about things and where the community's priorities are. They are wanting teachers and students over facilities, so I just I'm not I'm not there at all. >> Okay. Okay. Yes. >> I just I just want to go back and again if we think about the process that has been used in this This entire plan is built on what we heard from the community last year. When we when we got information multiple data points had a task force working for 8 months that represented the community. And this is exactly what we heard from them. Now, you're right. There's been additional comments that we've heard from community since then both from September the time the vision team shared their information on September 23rd and that's what now we get to go back to the community with to say okay, based on this vision team, based on the work that we said we were going to do in the short-term with closing buildings that we then and and getting a statutory operating debt plan and building what could this vision look like? That's what this is. And and ultimately the board and the community will decide if this makes sense for this community for the vision. If it doesn't and as we hear from the community, we change and alter things about what we go out for with the bond then we do that and if we go out for a bond and it doesn't pass, that's a different decision point that the community will make. Christina, looks like you've got something to add. >> I I do. Thank you. Um we continue to hear that, you know, it's it's even to Director Long's comment about public commentary is spending on staff as opposed to in facilities. The challenge is is you can only spend a dollar one way. So, are we choosing to spend it on facilities in a day-to-day operation, which means we're spending it with multiple buildings, or are we going to choose to reduce the footprint, which means it's not going into the buildings in the in the general fund bucket, and it can go to staff and programming? So, it's it's opposite of what people maybe the assumption is is that you're either going It's true. You're either going to spend it in a day-to-day operational on either facilities or on staff. The only way to get around that is to reduce the facility or the number of facilities that we're operating, so we're not spending it on heat and you know, the cost of operations of a building, and we can put it into programming and staff. So, it's just the opposite of even though in in it requires debt. That's that's the way it works. And so, I just want I'm going to continue to work on how I can craft that message maybe, so it's it's there is a better understanding publicly, but it's not it's not the other way around. It's not if you do this, you're hurting staff. It actually provides an opportunity to reduce the footprint and increase staff and programming or at least frees up dollars to have that option in some capacity, whatever the board and the voters decide. >> Dr. Bassett. >> Well, um I it's really important to me that um the framing of this discussion even that we're having right now really appropriately reflects what I'm saying. All I'm saying is that I think we have a built-out model for a one high school. I feel like I don't have the same breadth of understanding if it ends up that we end up with two, however that happens. And I'm further saying that I rely on and I have, I just ask my questions, but I when I get information from the superintendent from the heard or you or anybody else, I listen to it. You're the experts on implementation. So, in order for me to understand what does that mean to us if we have two high schools, I need it from you. That doesn't say we're abandoning whatever else we said, it just says we just I just want the data. That's all I'm saying, you know, and so and I don't think that that's ignoring the fact that we have these buildings. We've been moving down the path of reducing the physical footprint of this district these last several months. We will continue to do what we need to do if we have to sit a different target. That's not in question. I'm not confused about the statutory operating debt and what it cost to operate buildings. You know, and so I I don't want to give any impression that I am. I'm saying having the information about what the what happens or what what are our choices or what might we do or what are the decision points that are going to trigger something else if it's two high schools, what is that? That's just data. It's not an ideological departure from what we have been doing. It's saying we also need to have additional information if this should happen. And we have a window of time. We are here in early April. If we do not gather that kind of data and come to a place where we should have it or even discussions that arise as we do that even to to to the point that Director Hillenbrand just said, we may not want to not want to do anything to our RMS site. That's just data. That's all I'm saying. It's just you know, give us the and and give it to us in a the way that you've been as diligent with this. That's That's all I'm asking for. >> So, it's not an ideological departure, it's not a resistance to the SOD, it's none of that. >> Cuz I don't have a problem saying clearly what I mean. You know, and I didn't say that. >> Okay. Are we clear enough on decision point B to move on to decision point C? >> Yeah. >> I am seeing nods. Okay, we're okay pretty much with B. Decision point C. Samberg pool and or auditorium. Um so aquatic center off the table, fix Plymouth upgrade Samberg to be an auditorium. I see a nod. >> Yes. >> Nod. Nod. I'm nodding. You're nodding. You're nodding. Message delivered. Okay. Decision point D. RMS site. Can we hold off? >> Yeah, I It's It's totally an add. >> Pardon? >> It's totally an add because you would need to decide what exactly were you would you would you do on that site. You know that it's a $40 million additional cost that I'm not >> Right. I'm not ready to make a decision on that. >> I just have a question. This is not like So, in a previous email, we talked about how much it cost to mothball the building, right? And if I remember correctly, RMS was like half a million dollars. It's somewhere in that ballpark if my memory serves. It was a big It was a big number. >> I don't remember I don't remember either. >> So, don't quote me internet. But it was a number, right? How much like We don't want to pay that every year and just have a building sitting there. How much would it cost to make it go away? Like we were to we were to knock the building down. >> it. >> Yeah, what would it cost to raise it and then we just hold on to the property. >> That's good to know. >> Right? Because I just think that would be I I think would help us understand do we just sit on this empty building or do we knock it down then in 15 years do something with it? >> I believe that when in discussing the costs of if you were to when we were working with Nexus like what would it cost to put an elementary school there? I want to say we were in the range and and again not this is just me doing my best at 10:00 at night. We were in the range of 5 to 10 million with the 10 million probably being the more likely number. >> To raise it? >> To raise it. >> Ooh. >> And well, to raise and prepare the land to build. >> Cuz it was a dump. >> Yeah, the side of it. So it it you couldn't just knock it down and leave the rubbish and leave the land like it would literally be pre Excuse me, preparing the site to for a rebuild of any kind. >> Yeah. >> You might not you might have to do that right away, obviously. Just >> Right. >> Right. So that that was just my question. Like I don't I don't know the answer. I have no clue. >> You know, I and I will say to that maybe it's to any site and how this plays out and depending on on how the board and the community the direction that that this goes is even to any of the sites that you know, that are taken offline. You might have your answer or the board will have an opportunity to have that discussion sooner than later because as as soon as this thing maps itself out, you can start really get it getting invested in the okay, now what do we do with everything else? >> Okay, yeah. And I'm looking at the email it was 500,000 per middle school. So Okay. >> Okay, Director Bowman. >> Yeah. >> Um my question is what on the ray if you were to raise the building, would that also be uh to pull all the athletic fields down or would the athletic field stay until I mean, because we've already relinquished back voted to relinquish back the money to Robbinsdale, which to me indicates that the athletic fields are off the uh it's not something that uh Robbinsdale I don't know if they book the athletic fields, but talk to me about the athletic fields. >> The athletic The athletic fields are ours. >> Okay. >> We So, the right now um we have one that is that has turf and that is in very poor condition. Like the the turf is in it would need to be replaced, but as far as that land goes and us running those fields, just the ones where we can mow and do whatever, those are ours. We can keep those going and So. >> Okay, thank you. >> Do we rent those out? >> I suppose they're quite valuable. >> Yes. Okay. >> There's never enough practice space. >> Okay. Okay, so for decision point D, are we kind of in favor of kicking the can down the road a little ways? >> Let's Let's kick the can. >> Kick the can. Kick the can. >> Yeah. >> Mhm. Okay. We'll kick it. Okay. Kick. All right. >> Don't you look at me like that, Helen. >> Do you need anything else from us tonight? >> Nope. >> Oh. Okay, in that case, we're going to move on down the agenda. All right. Um action item C. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Yes. >> Okay, adjustment to the 25-26 school board meeting schedule. This is to add um to add three meetings. Uh the dates would be uh Monday, April 27th at 6:00, Monday, May 11th at 6:00, and Monday, June 8th at 6:00 in order to continue the work that we're doing on the vision and reimagine and moving things along. Okay. >> And our recommendation at this point is to hold those dates. We may not need them. You know, I think we just wanted to be sure that we had them based on board discussion, board direction, but yeah, would like to schedule those as meetings, get holds on your calendars, and then if we don't need them, we don't need them. Okay. Do I have a motion to put a hold on our calendars for those three dates? >> So moved. >> I'm out. >> Okay. Um Director Brendeson moved it, seconded by Director Hillenbrand. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Opposed, say no. >> No. >> Okay. Put them on your calendar. That passed. All right. Next thing up, new business already. Okay. Resolution accepting donations. >> So moved. >> Moved to accept the donations. >> I'll second. >> Seconded. Um >> I guess I won't. >> I just want to have the total though. I want to just >> $22,169.67 >> cents. That was a big month. Okay. Um We It's And now, who moved it? >> We both did, but she, you know. >> Um Wooten moved and seconded by >> I don't care. >> I don't know. Director Bassett then. >> I'll just say >> Okay. Let's move on. Let's Let's do the roll call vote on the donations. >> Great. Director Bassett. >> Yes. >> Director Bowman votes yes. Director Brendeson. >> Yes. >> Uh Chair Evans Becker. >> Yes. >> Director Hillenbrand. >> Yes. >> Director Long. >> Yes. >> Director Wooten. >> Yes. >> Motion prevails. >> Super. Thank you everyone who were part of don- doing those donations. Moving on to number nine, policy, Dr. Wooten. >> All right. So, we have two parts here. First part, we have couple of first reads in front of the board to review, and hopefully next meeting we're going to second read. Uh second part, more of a discussion versus maybe not if the board decides to go that way. We have two policies when you look in your packet, policy 601.1 and 19 that are duplicated informations already. So, it is being proposed to pull that policy back. Correct? >> Which one was that again? >> Uh 601.1 and then 619. >> Okay, I have a question. If we wanted eliminate those policies, does that take a motion to do that just like when we It does. Okay. So Wait, what policies again? Say them again. >> 601.1 and 619 are duplicated in other policies. >> So, the ask is do we want to do that now or does the board want time to review that in addition to the second read so that at the next meeting we can go ahead and >> Yes, we will. >> Okay, let's do it at the next meeting as a second read then. Okay? And then I had some questions. That was my next thing. Who's got a question? Okay, so for the for 510 I just am wondering the crossed out D why why that was crossed out. It says the crossed out says a school district must reserve revenues raised for extracurricular activities and spend the revenue only for extracurricular activities. >> I'm not going to respond to that. Um on that policy, um that was crossed out um because if you look further down in responsibilities, it's It's duplicate essentially duplicate language to um number F. Which states that the school board will ensure that any funds raised for extra extra curricular activities will be spent only on extra curricular activities. >> So is that that's a reasonable responsibility instead of what is this the definition section? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay, and then sorry, there was one more. If somebody else has a question while I have my one more. Does somebody else have a question? And if you do have questions, be sure to get them to Director Hutto. Do you want to just email a question to him? >> No, I'd rather ask it right here. >> Oh, as she's getting ready, our next meeting will be April 15th. >> Okay, I guess I didn't. I thought there was one, but maybe I didn't mark it. >> If you find it, just send him an email, okay? >> Yep, or I'll ask at the next meeting. >> Okay. >> It will be second read by the next meeting, so >> Yeah. Okay, moving right along. We're up to number 10, administrative reports. Superintendent. >> Excellent, thank you. And good evening, Chair and Inspector, Board of Directors, those of you that are still left in the ESC at this hour, and the viewing public. At Robbinsdale Area Schools, our mission is to inspire and educate all learners to develop their unique potential and to positively contribute to their community. Tonight, I'd like to share some of the collective work in which we've been engaged to achieve that. In the strategic priority theme of academic achievement, I'm proud to share that 108 and eight Robbinsdale Area Schools seniors have earned Minnesota bilingual seals as they have demonstrated their proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking in language outside of English. A majority of those awards were given for Spanish with 101. Also, two awards for French, two awards for Russian, one for Somali, one for Ukrainian, and one for Vietnamese. A standout of these awards is a Robbinsdale Academy Highview senior who was the only Ardell student this year to earn awards in more than one language, earning a gold seal and a platinum seal in the process. By earning bilingual seals, students can earn college credit from Minnesota State Colleges and universities and improve their job prospects. Uh, amazing. In the strategic priority theme of academic achievements, recently Armstrong was nationally recognized as a bar school of excellence by the bar center. This distinction reflects the exceptional commitment of Armstrong High School in bringing the bar model to life and ensuring that every student is known, supported, and positioned for success for the last 3 years. I echo the sentiments shared by Dick Unger, director of engagement at the bar center, that quote, "The care Armstrong High School staff shows for students and for one another is clearly evident and it's a powerful example for other schools across the bar network." In the strategic priority theme of academic achievement, I'm excited to share that Cooper High School junior, Kaya Cooper, has qualified for the 2026 National Speech and Debate Tournament in the speech event original oratory. In this event, students deliver a 10-minute self-written speech from memory designed to persuade an audience on the topic of significance. Um, she will join three other Ardell students who qualified for the national tournament earlier this year in the congressional debate. In the strategic the theme of student engagement and wellness I'm proud to share that Armstrong Cooper have announced this year's Athena and Apollo winners. From Armstrong, So Raya College won the Athena Award and Eli Kemphall won the Apollo Award and from Cooper the Athena Award winner is Folake Olushansi and the Apollo Award winner is uh, Takari Singer. These students have distinguished themselves in athletics activities earning these recommend recognitions from their coaches and from teachers. I'm excited to share that Sandburg Middle School has received a three-year $555,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Education to expand the implementation of full-service community schools model. This is a significant investment in our students, families, and community and a meaningful moment for our district. As you recall, we began this work in 2022 with a grant fund funding that supported Cooper High School, Robbinsdale Middle School, and Sandburg. Well, that initial funding for Sandburg concluded after the 23-24 school year, this new grant allows us to expand and strengthen the work moving forward. This is especially important as we prepare for the closure of Robbinsdale Middle School and the transition of students to Sandburg. This model helps ensure that as we add students, we are expanding the systems of support around them. Full-service community schools are about more than academics, they're about creating schools as community hubs, places where students and families have access to opportunities, resources, and partnerships that support the whole child and the whole family. And finally, as we shared a little earlier in the strategic priority area of collaboration and partnerships, this spring we're taking important step in the Reimagined Robbinsdale Vision 2030 as we move from visioning to planning. Our focus is to ensure that students, staff, families, and community members continue to have meaningful opportunities to learn more, to ask questions, and to share input as we shape the future of our district. Um uh we already talked about the vision team plus the focus group on April 16th, the work uh with the community group on April 27th from 6:30 to 8:30. Uh additionally, um and we just got these dates, so I know uh Director Bassett, you had asked for a flyer, so we're going to get that that May, but we just uh added um two May dates also for district-wide engagement opportunities for families and community members, May 6th and May 13th, probably like a 6:30 to 8:00 meeting, but we'll get those details to you all. And then additionally, during May, we'll be meeting with staff in every building, meeting with groups of students as well, and then we'll be launching the scientifically valid random sample survey in May in partnership with the Morris Leatherman Company um to ensure that uh we've got a representative from our community grounded in they'll help ground future decisions in both qualitative and quantitative feedback. That is all I have for this evening. Thank you very much. >> Super. All right. That brings us to board report board committee reports and board reports. We did have listening time tonight, so I'm going to have Director Wutoh kick us off. >> Yeah, we had 14 uh people that we hit tonight. Two had concerns about the listening time procedures and wanting to know if that could be live stream, a decision for the board to make. And one person talked about student access in one of the schools that are closing. And then two people spoke on the dress code policy that was passed uh by the board. All 14 people did mention uh the teacher negotiations that are currently going on. >> Thank you. Um Board reports, anyone? I have no report. >> I don't have one, you know. >> No, no. >> Pass. >> I have a report. Very important in that we just uh received from redesign. We just received the uh the resignation of our coordinator for Robin Stell redesign, and I'm just really happy to be able to have an opportunity to say how much we appreciated her. Uh she stepped up to the plate, and she um worked with our redesign committee to help rebuild it. She's been working with us to help rebuild that committee, uh because we have mandated partners as part of uh redesign, and that's the county and state, you know, it's three others in Hennepin County and some others, public health and and others, and did a great job. And so, she's transitioning, but we fortunately have a wonderful um intermediary who works in our district, and you know, our coordinator, she's our actual coordinator cuz we had the she was the chair. Adrienne as our chair has resi- you know, has resigned. So, um I just want to thank her publicly for the work she did for Robin Stell redesign, and um you know, her heart was really in it from what I could see, and uh we really appreciate her. So, at our next meeting, um our coordinator has you know, is working with us to kind of make sure that we we address this at the next meeting. And we're happy about that. Um we had a really good meeting of our I'm always they have this this they've had this acronym for a couple years now, but it's their old systems accountability committee, it's the D-CAP committee. And so, we had a meeting, and so, that was a good meeting because we got a presentation from our director um Pepper and um Beth Pepper and from her assistant um Mr. Patterson. Uh and they did a good job of sharing, you know, kind of what was happening with um you know, the achievement and integration planning, how they're going to go forward and we just had this meeting both of those a couple of weeks you know, about a week or so ago. So, I wanted to make sure I mention that because we had a really good conversation and discussion. It was a good turnout for the meeting as well. Uh FAIS, I guess some of us will be hearing about coming to this meeting that we're having with the councils from FAIS and others. And then um Oh, and I don't know if we've talked about it yet or not, but Seven Dreams is I don't think they've come to present the successful amount of money that they raised and all of those things. And so, they had a success Seven Dreams usually comes and presents sometimes about how much we haven't heard from them because I haven't missed a meeting. But anyway, so I think they will be coming and talking about the exactly how much they raised, but it was really a fun event. You know, it was a Roaring Twenties theme and there were a lot of Roaring Twenties people there. You know, including the superintendent. She was roaring around there. You know, so that was pretty good. It was fun. It was a fun event. Oh, and then the director of Robbinsdale was there and a couple of their folks and I saw quite a few familiar faces. So anyway, it was a nice event and I just want to give them kudos because of course they give a significant amount of money to the Robbinsdale School District. Their pro you know, their the program thrust now and has been for a couple of years. It always has been somewhat, but it's a real dedication now to do with the hands-on learning grants for teachers to be able to you know, you know, work with their students in their buildings. And so, I want to give them credit for that. They've really come a long way and and you I think we've met the new executive director. I might have been sick you know, out ill when when she came. So, that's a good thing. And then I'm really happy to say that I got an award last Saturday. Yay! You know, and I got an award from the Voices of magazine in the educational leadership area. And so, I was surprised to get it. I didn't have a speech and so, I was almost speechless. Can anybody believe You guys anybody No. >> You speechless. Yeah, you're lying to us, Ellen. >> was I was surprised. I didn't think I was going to get it. You know, I mean I mean I didn't think I was going to get it. So, I was just there. But anyway, I I just want to thank uh uh the people who voted for me for Voices Magazine to get that award um because it really means a mean a lot because people just sent in and I think a lot of people were watching us and what's going on here. So, the fact that they said, "Okay, you know, felt pretty good." So, anyway, so that was fun. >> Cash? >> I didn't get any money. I I would have donated it if I gotten it. I didn't get any money. But I did get a plaque. >> Okay. >> So, anyway, and I think that's pretty much all I've been up to. >> Thank you. Chuck? >> Uh real brief. Uh I'll just do a plug uh since Superintendent mentioned it. If anyone's bored, April 24th is the state speech tournament in Robbinsdale Cooper has multiple students including Kaya who who we talked about tonight will be at that tournament. So, Park Center High School if anyone's bored, Friday the 24th. >> day? >> It's all day long. >> Oh, all day long. >> at 9:00 a.m. and runs till like 5:00. >> It sounds like a convention I went >> Okay. Um gosh, we're done already. >> It's hard to believe, isn't it, Sandra? >> Sandra moved to a >> So moved. >> Yeah, so moved. >> Moved and seconded. All in favor of adjourning, please say aye. Opposed, say no. Thank you, everybody. See you next time. >> Thank you. >> I like that. >> Mhm.