[2:47] good evening we're not on Johnny dr. Shelton we're to wait for the video [2:53] to start all right now you can go thank you so I'm John Shelton superintendent [2:59] schools oh thank you for being here tonight so tonight is a continuation of [3:05] interacting with the public around the start and end time decision that is slated for March 19th for the port to [3:12] make their decision so tonight is broken into three parts first I'm gonna talk not long super ten skin talk long but [3:20] I'm not going to talk that long and where I'm gonna gonna review the proposal and the recommendation that's [3:26] in front of the board was presented to them last night in their first read the second part is we've collected questions [3:33] from parents and we've got those questions organized in categories and [3:39] I'm going to share those questions and then we've got staff here to to respond [3:46] looks like we have some government students here is that right from okay [3:51] how many our government students raise your hands Wow let's give our students [3:56] round of applause that's why we're here [Applause] did you want to take notes about me now [4:03] or do should we wait with that you've got that already need more information [4:13] that's right well welcome it's great this is a this is a great way to watch watch government [4:19] and public policy happen so so we're going to do a presentation of the [4:25] recommendation the second part is going to be responding to the questions we've received from the public we've got staff [4:31] members here I'll introduce them later on and then the third part is going to be for you to come forward to speak to [4:39] the board you just simply come to the chair grab the microphone and and speak we'd like you to sign in first there's [4:45] some sign-in sheets in the back and you can hand that off to the staff or give it to me and I'll make sure it gets to [4:51] the the board chair so I think before we get started we'll just introduce the board members since they're the the [4:58] listeners tonight so I'm going to just have them introduce themselves Sara [5:08] pass off vice-chair Owen Michaelson assistant clerk will any wall on [5:13] Friedman chair Ellen Jones assistant treasurer Amir Garvey assisting third [5:20] Erika Alan Berg I'm the clerk okay so [5:25] this is the proposal that were or looking at the to look at it in comparison to today it flips the [5:34] Elementary's in the middle schools and if you look there are three tiers to our system so the first year you can see the [5:41] five schools the five elementary schools as long as continues progress school the high school remains in the middle tier [5:47] and then the middle schools will will be in the later tier yeah we got these [5:57] backwards someone's going to fly through these here Jamison why isn't this [6:03] working there we go [6:09] he try pointing it back towards the booth that probably will work better what's [6:15] right okay [6:21] so the the background for this and the research that the the school board was [6:27] presented by administration and this has been presented across the country their [6:33] school districts Wayzata in Minnetonka respond to this research where it shows that teens having a later start time [6:41] provides teens with opportunity for more sleep so by the the research shows that [6:49] the teens received fewer than seven hours per school night when their needs for sleep are sitting [6:56] at about nine or ten hours so how do we adapt our school system to accommodate for that opportunity for sleep so [7:02] there's been several wolfson a car Skinner's kind of a seminal research with this it's really due to changes in [7:10] their to in teens biological clock if [7:16] you will and I and it's the internal clock changes the wide awake at bedtime [7:22] begins even when they're exhausted anecdotally I have a fifteen year old she was fantastic about going to bed at [7:30] 7:00 7:30 at night on her own parents that was great know I'm up at two ups now I'm up at two [7:37] in the morning with her while she's wide awake doing things in her room so so the [7:43] it's it's something that we definitely are seeing among teens and the research shows that so the start time decision is [7:52] based in this research and there's quite a bit of research this is another one by the National Sleep Foundation that took [8:00] looked at elementary age students and a change to an earlier school start time which is what will happen with this [8:06] switch did not decrease the total amount of sleep reported by elementary school students did not increase the sleep debt [8:12] catching up on sleep on the weekends did not decrease the total amount of sleep obtained by young children and students [8:19] were able to move their bedtimes forward to compensate for their early wake times so so the National Sleep Foundation is [8:26] it's done the research in this there is some research that is counter to this to [8:33] there's research in Kentucky by Keller that found that earlier start times were associated with lower [8:40] performance in school districts and schools and districts with fewer kids [8:45] with fewer kids getting free or reduced lunch free or reduced cost lunches so this research was associated with a [8:52] lower performance with districts that had fewer kids getting free or reduced lunch lunches for schools with more [8:59] disadvantaged students later start times did not seem to make a difference in performance Wayzata schools also did [9:07] some research relating to elementary students association between school start time and elementary students [9:13] academic achievement Wayzata is small to non-existent so there was only no impact either way with start times for [9:20] elementary students either in an earlier start time and primarily what they're [9:26] saying here is that there's non statistically significant interactions in other words there's a small effect [9:32] that's happening with these changes start times as an impacts elementary [9:37] school students and middle school which even suggests there's essentially no association between the elementary [9:43] school start time and middle school student achievement so even that is not tied to the middle school so this [9:49] research really shows that middle school students or middle school students serve [9:54] are served better with a later start time for their optimum health for their [10:02] sleep and really for their engagement in school so we know that if students get sleep and and they are prepared and [10:09] healthy they can be engaged in school in the morning just to give you some background when you make a school start [10:18] time change you are changing the transportation of the school system so [10:23] one of the concerns that we have when we begin to change is what is the impact on the transportation resource and there's [10:31] two parts to the transportation resource one is the capital which is the dollar [10:36] for the cost of a new bus hundred thousand dollars and operationally we [10:43] spend fifty thousand dollars per bus which is a cost to the general fund and that costs to the general [10:49] is the general fund we use for also paying for what happens in the classrooms that's the resource we use [10:56] for teaching kids every day the Center for efficient school operations detail [11:02] the efficiency studied our current schedule and they did identify that we could reduce current operational cost by [11:09] three buses so for next so so with the system that we have right now we can be [11:15] more efficient by three buses so what [11:20] did we look at as administrators in a school board we look first at one of the options was a two-tier system and that [11:27] two-tier allows a group of a group of schools to go at Tier one and group of schools go to your two and have those [11:35] schools and Tier one start at eight and have the tier two start at nine which is a nice system that had a cost of 56 [11:44] buses so the the goal that we are trying to achieve is 42 buses so this is 14 [11:51] buses over so if you take the 50,000 and multiply that times 14 that's 700,000 [11:58] dollars just for the operational cost of the of those buses then we looked at the [12:05] three tier bus and this is what we are proposing so Tier one are your [12:12] elementary programs your elementary schools along with continuous progress monitoring continuous progress programs [12:19] tier two Normandale high school and Our Lady of Grace and Tier three is Southie [12:26] Valley View Valley View immersion middle schools they start at 9:20 and end at 405 so this is the impact on the [12:34] transportation system as we studied this the shuttle buses will continue to run [12:40] after school as they always have from South view to the high school Valley View High School Valley View back to [12:45] south view activity buses will continue to transport students home from South via Valley View in the high school [12:52] and so that really kind of gives you kind of a high level what's going to [12:57] happen to the transportation resource what happens before and after school programming for [13:03] families needing school aged care will continue in all elementary schools before and after school middle school [13:08] clubs will continue to be offered four days per week for all six through eighth grade students and then as it's done [13:15] currently special education will work with before and after school programs to accommodate the needs of special education students so all of that will [13:22] stay in places I mean for our before and after school child care athletics and [13:28] activities for theater were exploring scheduling theater after school for [13:34] middle school students still we also thought that maybe we have a conversation having one middle school theater program one at Valley View and [13:41] one either one of the schools but have one middle school theater program track-and-field we're exploring options [13:47] to integrate our seventh and eighth graders into the high school track practices and Charlie's here tonight our [13:53] athletic director maybe can talk about that a little later on Nordic Ski this is one of the challenges we have with [14:00] this proposal is the seventh and eighth grade Nordic skiers will have a hard [14:05] time getting to practice because they'll be out late so Nordic ski could become a 912 Nordic ski program and this impacts [14:14] about 30 students and then with our dance practices we will need another gym [14:19] well right now we're using two and we'll have to go to three so just to review [14:25] the recommendation again it is is the first year these are this is the [14:32] ridership in the load count of each of the schools this is an average taken [14:38] over three or four days this fall and winter and then the bus is needed for [14:43] each of the schools as well as the total number for each tier so you can see in this recommendation we we are able to [14:51] achieve with 42 buses a couple other [14:58] things we know that no transportation schedule will meet the needs of every family and the recommendation after [15:06] analysis of scientific and the research that I presented it is clear evidence that it is better for adolescents to [15:12] start school later and that's why this recommendation is strong to the board best serve the overall health academic [15:18] and developmental needs of majority of students the two-tier system requires 14 additional buses and I want to add to [15:24] this that we haven't purchased we haven't purchased those those buses yet either so the cost of those buses would [15:32] be another 14 times 100,000 1.4 million dollars more so the benefits would not [15:39] outweigh the budget reduction we have to take to go to a two-tier system earlier elementary school start time will allow [15:45] the district to take advantage of earlier wake patterns and prime learning times efficiencies will enable [15:51] elementary schools to start at 7:50 as close as we can to 8 o'clock and start [15:56] our middle schools at 9:20 as close as possible to 9 o'clock a.m. other things [16:02] we are just want to inform the board and the public about that for our first tier [16:07] we want to make sure that we arrive 15 minutes before school starts there are challenges once we drop the Elementary's [16:13] off we have to go out to other stops to pick up that second tier so we want to be sure that recommendations that we [16:20] will beginning students to school 15 minutes before school starts we're [16:26] looking at the stop exceptions you Dyna has a lot of stop except exceptions stops that were created many years ago [16:32] and we're going to eliminate those and we're going to have a new stop criteria coming forward we understand also the [16:41] traffic issues at the high school as well as even here on this campus in the morning and we'll be addressing that [16:48] through signage and through communication and also timing and [16:53] actually some movement of stuff of drop-offs for both parents and buses bus [17:00] stop officially will be increased by eliminating these stops so so that [17:05] elimination allows us more flexibility fiscally to manage already a tight tight [17:11] budget and then some of the special transportation agreements over the years for students programs that are outside [17:19] the Edina public school system we will also terminate those so that we can [17:24] really run an efficient system for for students in Edina so so that's the the recommendation [17:32] that's the background in and again it's based in the sleep research so I'm going [17:39] to go back to the questions now and I know there's a quick way to do this but [17:45] I think just so people understand the questions were ones that were submitted over the past couple of weeks right to [17:53] the district for review at tonight's meeting so the first question what [17:58] thought has been put into the safety of young children waiting for a bus in the dark so in our partnership and you [18:04] getting your child to the bus stop so that we can pick them up to go to school once the board approves us one of the [18:11] things we would do is look at how can we communicate partner with with elementary [18:16] students and informing them on safety while you're waiting at the bus stop and [18:22] think about some things with our elementary schools I know our principals are it would also be interested in that [18:28] there's some discussion around school patrols also as kids are walking to school and thinking about how do we do [18:35] things differently if that school is starting in that about 15 to 16 day period in January when it's pretty dark [18:43] after school activities I'm going to read these two and I'm going to turn it over to Val so Val you wanna come up and [18:50] grab the mic I'm wondering how after-school activities will be handled for middle school children has the [18:56] administration consider the negative impacts for students will be unable to participate in after-school activities so Troy you probably can come up to so [19:02] oh you've got mics there so go ahead Val do one ticket sure I will address Middle [19:10] School Programming I'm the director of community education and this year we debuted along with our building [19:16] administration a to and after-school activities for middle schoolers that's sort of two tiered we do 2:30 to 3:30 [19:23] program and then a 3:30 to 4:30 it's a choice program on Monday through Thursdays for students and we have found [19:30] that we have an amazing amount of students that want to participate and be together after school so our intention [19:36] is to have the same program delivery obviously an hour and a half later so [19:41] rather than probably doing two tears we'll do one and our data has showed us that students really are participating [19:48] more fully in one of the two hours primarily the first hour after school so [19:53] they really you know they want to be with their friends they want to be hanging out part of the the referendum [20:00] allowed for additional gym spaces over at the middle schools and so intramural [20:06] and activities like that for middle school kids has been pretty popular so we will still be delivering the same [20:12] kind of program that we've had this year Monday through Thursday one hour after school and we'll continue to have exploration with our middle school [20:18] principals we also will be talking to parents and students about if there's [20:23] any kind of a need for morning activities we're kind of leaning toward don't do that because obviously we want [20:30] to sleep but we will we have conversations regarding that depending on if there's interest or need so yeah I [20:40] guess - you can't truly respond and then or do you want to add go ahead [20:59] yeah yeah [21:07] okay okay I know we met with the Swim Club and other clubs that have called me [21:14] overtime just to verify that the times that the school will be let out I know [21:19] that swim club met with us because that's a large number and that also uses our uses the pools and and and and [21:28] talked about the times and it's a they're a little Club they're crunched a bit but I think we're going to be okay [21:33] according to them but I I'm not sure about all of the other yep okay okay [21:40] okay okay all right okay [21:48] yep yep Troy do you wanna address yeah so so [21:55] the Val did a nice job of articulating the middle school aspect with regards to [22:01] after-school programming in terms of the high school perspective so our athletic [22:06] programs have the ability to be 712 programs not all of our programs are [22:12] being run 712 a lot of our programs are just 912 only so when we're looking at [22:19] what specifically we're dealing with is we're looking mainly at those 712 programs which in the fall we're looking [22:26] at comp cheer cross-country girls swim and dive and then in the winter it's dance gymnastics Nordic Ski wrestling [22:32] boys swim and dive and then softball synchros swim and and then speech as an [22:37] activity so those are the seven 12 complexities so the the concern is is [22:44] John alluded to with with Nordic ski is really it's about daylight so if if if [22:50] they're getting out at 4:05 in in december is is is a short short day [22:55] that's that's one of our concerns and so we're throwing around some different ideas and how we can take advantage of [23:02] that you know maybe it's maybe it's conditions in lighted areas we do have [23:07] some lights at the high school so you know we looked at do we look at a 912 [23:12] program only in Nordic ski and then we do a seven eight middle school type component that's much shorter and [23:17] condensed and and maybe it's the beginners only type option we will still [23:23] honor the exceptional athlete policy for seventh and eighth graders as we do with all of our programs and then as val [23:30] alluded to we with with the new facilities at the high school where we really worked at pulling out a lot of [23:36] our 912 programming out of the two middle schools not completely out but at [23:41] least allowing some gym space for after-school programming and so we've done that this year and and they've [23:47] taken advantage of that and we want to hold true to that and still offer those opportunities as well John can I had a [23:56] little context oh um I should I understand the concern [24:02] about the broader community activities and it obviously affects some of the [24:09] like athletics I mean like my daughter does gymnastics at tags and that's not necessarily a school activity but the [24:16] timing of when she goes to school affects her ability to do gymnastics and I think I think the point is that these [24:24] conversations don't stop if and when a decision is made these conversations don't stop this is a partnership between [24:31] the school board the administration parents and the community and it's [24:37] incumbent upon us as leaders of the school board and the administration to [24:43] then communicate with the Soccer Association and with football and with [24:49] places like tags and places where children in our community go to say we [24:54] are making a change and elementary school now might have this time right [25:00] after school and how can how can we work to accommodate because none of us the [25:06] point is not to limit what our kids can do after school it is to allow our kids [25:11] to continue their after-school activities and act to enhance their life [25:17] by allowing them to sleep more so I think change is obviously very hard and [25:25] not knowing what that would look like is very difficult but I don't want people to think that that these aren't things [25:33] that we're considering and are going to be talking about with community [25:53] yeah [25:59] yeah so what I'd ask you to do is are you gonna so we'll record this but it [26:04] you know express that opinion too through presenting to the board but I guess we just heard it so that's that's [26:11] fine I don't know how to answer that question because you understand the [26:16] timing but I can only talk about it yep [26:21] yep yep so excuse me excuse me can we [26:27] need to get back on track so you can submit the question if you want you [26:32] could sign up to speak but let dr. Schultz go through here there are people who have signed up we want to just go [26:38] through the process that we have set up so how does the district plan to replace staff at the middle schools that will [26:43] quit when the late start times are implemented so talk to our principals about that I really hope this doesn't [26:51] happen I have not heard that to to my office and the principals have talked to [26:59] and are working with the middle school it was middle school staff regarding this and working with them in an [27:06] accommodating because they also have family needs because it does change their start time and end time in their [27:12] day so so we will continue to monitor this because it is our job to retain [27:18] great staff need I know [27:26] please address why you think this change is necessary so what the what this recommendation does is it gives the [27:32] opportunity for a child to sleep in and not have to start at 7:00 in the morning so if we go if we listen to the research [27:39] the research says that we start that kids go to bed later at night because [27:46] they're more alert because their sleep cycle their wake cycle has shifted so so [27:52] what the school board and other school districts are doing is they are trying to shift so that when the student does [27:58] sleep they get that the opportunity for extra sleep of course it's a school system we can't be in the room in the [28:05] house is telling kids to go to bed when to go to bed but we are giving the opportunity to families and those kids [28:10] to to to have their kids sleep in and [28:15] the other one is what is the benefit allowing our students the privilege of sleeping in when the reality is life has [28:20] responsibilities they must learn to adjust I think adolescents go through a great [28:26] deal of adjustment one of the adjustments that that we're trying to help them make in their health is to [28:31] have them them the opportunity to sleep later what's really interesting about this science is that they actually shift [28:37] back to more adult or even elementary type elementary sleep habits our sleep [28:44] cycles so we are really accommodating the student meeting them where they're [28:49] at in their life as adolescents so I think that this benefit allows and [28:54] teaches kids how they can adapt to their day and adapt to their sleep cycles plus [29:01] funding could the district purchase more buses to accommodate all the school start times to be later has the [29:07] administration study other districts to see how it is done elsewhere successfully what other school districts [29:12] best practices house transportation funding successfully in other districts but not Edina so Margo can you take that [29:19] one good evening [29:25] you know to address a first question in terms of purchasing more buses we certainly can purchase more bus buses [29:32] purchasing 14 at one time is a significant capital outlay we would have to look at multiple funding options are [29:40] own capital funds that we have annually for replacement buses we would use we [29:46] would look for gently used buses to hopefully maximize our dollars and in [29:53] the case of having to purchase 14 buses we would look at least purchasing the capital purchase part is an initial [30:00] investment certainly the it's the ongoing day-to-day annual costs of [30:07] operating each of those buses that dr. schultz referred to earlier in terms of [30:12] the driver the the diesel fuel the repair and the maintenance that is estimated at about fifty thousand per [30:19] bus per year that becomes a challenge to fund because it's out of the general fund the way the transportation is [30:28] funded it is under our general education funding and basically it's a board [30:34] decision decide to decide are we going to spend dollars on transportation or [30:39] other types of student programming or other types of services many years ago [30:45] way back I'm going to date myself here in the early 90s transportation was a [30:51] separate fund and then the state rolled it into the general fund and so if [30:56] districts are funding transportation at a different level there may be a variety of reasons for that [31:02] one that may be a priority for them in terms of how how they're spending their dollars they may have higher class sizes [31:09] they might have different programming than we do it also there are [31:15] uniquenesses within each district in terms of the transportation area we have [31:22] very few square miles but we're in a metro area that which is very different than a rural area and so we do study [31:30] other districts we've had I think just [31:35] before I got here in two three times since in the last seven years we've had [31:42] Center for efficient school operations come in and look at our practices and we [31:47] also look at our comparison data annually and we are very efficient in our transportation services [31:54] David can you talk a little bit about just how other districts have done this [32:00] this this change and kind of what the [32:05] the industry standard is and shifting these start times well I think one [32:13] example that comes to mind Burnsville so Burnsville did shift a couple of years [32:18] ago now to a two-tier system they were able to accomplish that because their [32:23] transportation system was actually not efficient enough they had a lot of extra [32:29] buses so they're able to accommodate a two-tier system because they had the [32:34] buses that they had where we're kind of in the opposite we are already efficient [32:40] with what we have and would need to purchase motor buses at that point okay [32:50] go ahead no no no no let's not take questions right now let's keep going [32:55] because I want to make sure the people of comments can and if do sign up though and ask your question at that time okay [33:03] is there any possibility to push all the start times back 20 to 30 minutes David [33:09] you want to talk about the challenge of pushing them all back 20 30 minutes so [33:15] well within the system when you look at whether two tiers or three tiers you have your run time of the route the time [33:24] it takes to get to school drop time it takes to get to the next first stop run the route get to the school so when you [33:31] look at the total setup in the gaps between the schools yes could you move it sure but you can't compress it any [33:40] more than what the schedule we showed on the screen so if you start later you're [33:46] gonna end later it's just all it's gonna shift 100% with itself we have it as [33:53] tight as we can make it at this time and try related to this question what impact [34:00] with that habitus ship twenty to thirty minutes later for athletics and how that impacts competition and with [34:07] other school districts excuse me the the biggest changes home competitions now [34:16] become early releases for us so that's the biggest impact okay so everyone [34:21] understand that so we have to early release students in order to make it to the home competition right so correct okay [34:28] are you referring to the the proposed release time of four o'clock or are you [34:33] talking about pushing that back another twenty or thirty minutes it would cause early releases right if you if you push [34:40] it back even more yeah okay thank you so [34:45] at this point you had questions and comments at this point if you haven't [34:51] like to fill out a form and we can collect that and get that to chair [34:56] Wallen Freedman he will call individuals up by name and set the table grab a microphone of [35:03] course we asked as always our role modeling for kids tonight so in a good civil discourse will be will be healthy [35:11] for this conversation and thanks again for your attention so before we get [35:17] going are there more sign-up sheets if you could bring those up I'd like to get a [35:23] sort of a gauge as to how many people have signed up just whether there's a need to change the number of minutes [35:28] each person has that's all we're not giving [35:36] Fifty's can I change it to minutes I don't see I don't just a touch seven [36:03] all right welcome everybody we are gonna follow the same format that we follow at [36:08] the regular school board meetings which is I will call people up I gotta apologize right in the beginning for pronunciation of any of the names that I [36:15] mess up everybody each person will have three minutes and again the same thing please don't make [36:22] any reference to individuals if you have comments about individuals for some reason just bring that separately to the [36:27] superintendent so the first person is Katy blows this plazas welcome yes we [36:46] would request you please grab a microphone if enemies became Lord thank you this working okay slightly creepy um [36:56] so like I said my name is Katy I have a second grader and a kindergartner at Countryside I also have two that have [37:03] not entered the school district as well so I'm at the very beginning of 16 more [37:09] years in the United School District so at some point I will experience every single one of these start times um for a [37:15] few years I'll experience all three of them at the same time um so I'm here today to ask the board to [37:21] either take more time to figure out something mini okay sorry um t-there [37:28] take more time to do more research on the current proposed change or to not [37:33] change I don't think either of the options are great a lot of times you guys are referencing studies about [37:40] adolescents sleep study very rarely have I seen anything referenced about the [37:45] elementary kids sleep um my kids need 12 hours of sleep so they're getting on the bus at 7 a.m. [37:52] that's putting them to bed at 6 p.m. so for working families that's not very realistic um also one major thing of [38:01] concern is I've talked to teachers across all schools and most of them were not asked for their feedback on this or [38:08] not given a chance to give their opinion which these are the people that are teaching are kids I feel like they should be the ones [38:14] that we should be asking firsthand what their opinion is on this they know better what our kids can do and what [38:21] they can't do they're also the ones that have to deal with this every single day um so as a parent who's entrusting my [38:28] kids to these teachers every single day I find that extremely frustrating and concerning so I would appreciate if the [38:36] board could look to the teachers if you have maybe it hasn't been done clearly enough or maybe it wasn't across the [38:42] board to all teachers but I think that should be highly taken into consideration hey Katie I just wanted to [38:49] address to your last point just I believe it was last week an email went [38:54] out to all district staff requesting it was at two weeks ago that I did my little yes and that's kind of what I [38:59] figured but I just wanted to reassure you that email did come out from the district asking all teachers and staff [39:05] to give feedback and actually we've received several emails from different staff at the high school excuse me at [39:12] the middle school and the elementary schools okay why was it done so late in the game just out of curiosity and you [39:18] can't answer that that's fine I'm not sure that there's a specific [39:23] answer to that question okay so we I know the board did we ask that okay we [39:30] get some feedback and so that that communication went out as and we did have had some teachers show up at our [39:35] last work yes yep okay so but I think you that their feedback I will say on [39:41] the first go through we talked to all the principals at the elementary and the middle school level and sought their [39:47] feedback and and the feedback from them through the schools and actually last [39:52] year we also got the feedback from the teachers at Creek Valley so we had that [39:59] background all right so nursing much for taking time thank you next is Lisa rose and after Lisa will be [40:06] Margie Galvin welcome thank you thank you for taking [40:15] my comments so I'm a dying a parent I have been for several years and I'm here [40:21] to advocate for the middle school children I know that we have these great studies and I believe that I don't [40:27] disagree with them but I leave for work every day at 7:15 and so that's asking [40:33] my middle schooler to stay home unsupervised I do have high school students and so my preference was she [40:40] would start school before that they went to school but if the times are to stay I [40:46] would really like there to be morning activities so for community education just so she has somewhere to go when [40:51] they leave they can all leave together because I live so close that they walk so I'm advocating for morning activities [40:57] and supervision for the middle school students because although they need sleep we're asking them to get off to [41:02] school and lock our homes and working parents does anyone else that situation [41:08] so I'm just really concerned and one expressed that I would really appreciate morning activities for my middle school [41:14] student thank you for taking that into consideration thank you after Mirchi [41:22] will be Patrick down welcome good [41:30] evening I am a parent of a middle schooler I'll be a parent of a high [41:36] school next year and I teach Ella at the elementary school so with the change I would be the [41:42] first one to leave my house my high schooler will be the last and my son who's the middle schooler who is out [41:48] actually under the autism spectrum would be the last so I have that same concern as a parent that he would be left alone [41:55] at home but that's just what that's my selfish reason as an educator I have [42:03] more specific concerns also about the young kids at the bus but specifically [42:08] looking outside of the Dyna lens what about my student who comes in from savage and shakopee every day she would [42:14] be having to get in her transport at 6:45 in the morning for her transport into school that's a long time that's [42:22] concerning to me for those kids then are being sent home two homes in [42:27] Minneapolis and we're asking there's put there's potential out there for latchkey children who are five and six years old [42:33] because parents will not be home from work so if that is the case is there [42:39] consideration for offering opportunities for after-school care for those children with a second round of bussing being [42:47] sent home to their homes in Minneapolis just just a thought what are what do we [42:52] do to protect those young children at the elementary school our rooms are [42:58] often used after school for community ed or enrichment classes Girl Scouts and [43:03] with longer times after school children are going to be needing to be engaged so [43:09] if my space which I share and with the whole construction that that was the whole point is we're sharing spaces it's [43:16] really difficult for me to get my room prepared if my rooms being used and if start times are seven fifty and kids are [43:24] arriving at thirty seven thirty five my contract they technically would start at seven twenty five seven thirty so I'm [43:31] walking in and having five minutes to prepare for five and six-year-olds when [43:36] I'm doing hands-on learning painting activities project-based activities there's a lot of preparatory preparation [43:42] time and you know I need to be mentally and physically ready to meet those kids [43:48] as they're walking in the door so their day gets off to a good start that's that's a concern I have as an [43:55] educator you know if this is implemented I ask that you know we look we look at a [44:03] year of being able to really plan and figure out how we're gonna make this work so we're doing it in a good [44:09] positive way that will have impact a good impact on all learners K through 12 [44:16] thanks thank you after Patrick dalbi [44:23] Sheree clear Claire [44:29] hello thank you for doing these sessions and all this time but you're putting into this I really appreciate it I guess [44:37] my concern is just figure out more about OLG and and why isn't their eligible [44:43] ridership count not there nor is their buses used how many buses do they use [44:55] it's totally inclusive in the bus number of buses in the number of students is oil G also in there okay and so is that [45:02] how their start times determined by one Normandale is or is it anything [45:07] different is it I feel like they kind of get you know benefit of the latest elementary cools school to start that is [45:14] a private school so yeah I'm just I guess want to find out more about it like if when you're doing that two-tier [45:21] system was it even looked upon if OLG was taken out of the equation could we [45:26] then do the two-tier system then an option and I see the Chad no that's thank you for even looking so I'm [45:32] assuming that the investigation has been done so again was is in what the [45:38] comparison I think we're comparing other cities does Eden Prairie Wayzata bus their kids to private schools as well [45:46] does anyone know that I read that and it [45:51] said then also I'm sorry to cut you off that cannot be forced upon the city and if it's forcing my that's at least what [45:58] I read in the law about it because that was again thank you for doing these sessions found out about the law read the law in that law said cannot be [46:05] forced upon the community and if it's forcing our kids to go earlier then yes it is forcing it upon us also I don't [46:12] think anybody in the community was voted upon do we do this hey we're just picking backing with the Normandale students that's great my [46:18] daughter doesn't go to Normandale but I have heard from Normandale parents that said that there's their son or daughter [46:24] is on the bus for 45 minutes because of that I would know if that's true or not it's hearsay but again I still feel that [46:30] if we're having this start time issue can at least be looked upon where well [46:35] geez taken out or at least ologies going first we actually looked into all of those issues [46:41] and so the way it works is that because Normandale buses all the way around if [46:47] you think of it this way Normandale buses all the way around the entire district and so if LG was completely out of it [46:54] and we've removed them we would still be busing all the way around the school district and picking up the kids for [47:00] Normandale and so our district benefits because they basically pay us to pick up [47:07] their kids and put them on the bus and those empty seats that would be there that would be on the Normandale bus so [47:14] does that so we benefit from a financial perspective by getting their money to [47:21] pick them up on a half-full bus that would we would only be picking the Normandale kids up for so we we've [47:30] actually run we've run the figures like you can try it across Normandale with I [47:38] mean all the CP programs it doesn't work out I mean we we did we looked at [47:45] dropping them out putting them in there it makes it makes our district money financially and then on top of that the [47:53] reason that they're in the 8:30 tier which I know bothers some people I think [47:58] people think of it as they're in a preferred tier and how I've tried to explain it to people is that Normandale [48:06] and LG are basically tethered to the high school because Normandale and og have the longest routes in our school [48:11] district and so do the high school and I'm sorry I coach up but how does the private school get into that public school system neutral with or without so [48:24] that's also another thing can us as the community know what that is can we see what benefit we are getting financially [48:31] from LG slow down slow down we cannot have everybody talking at the [48:36] same time I didn't know what else was talking about [48:42] districts are respond in Minnesota are responsible to transport resident [48:49] students that are eligible for transportation to include private schools students [48:54] that is part of our state law to do so if a or then we receive state aid for [49:03] the eligible writers for the the private school within our boundaries if the [49:08] school district does not then the aid transfers to the local private school [49:14] and ways in doing that so we and many districts do it every district I've been [49:20] in has a private school and we're transporting for them it is a it's part of what we have to do is providing [49:26] service to our resident students and then there could to be the option then one again I'm going back to that what I [49:33] was saying kid we as the community see what the the financial cost is also then can we ask elegy to pay more so we could [49:39] get more buses so we can get the 8:30 start time so let me go ahead Margaret [49:45] go ahead Margo and mr. Dell after this question is answered I'm gonna have to ask ya the next person to go yeah so [49:52] Fargo well G does not pay the district the state pays the district based on the [49:58] all G riders again it's a state law for public's or the resident school resident [50:06] riders to be transported whether they're attending a public school or a private school and we can't charge olg because [50:13] the system is set up that the state pays us okay all right thank you [50:23] after sherry claire will be Matt goldstein [50:31] welcome thank you um my name is Gerry Clare and I want to thank you one thing [50:38] I wanted to address I'm a teacher at Southie middle school I have been a [50:44] teacher for 34 years and 32 of those years have been spent teaching fifth and sixth graders sometimes in an elementary [50:50] building for the last 20 plus years I've been at Southie middle school I feel [50:57] like the things that I have to say are first of all a little out of my comfort zone and I do thank you for sending the [51:04] board thank you for sending the email because honestly for all the years I've been here I've really not been emailed [51:10] something that specifically asked for feedback and I started out really in my [51:16] email I started typing saying thanks for asking and sometimes you put yourself [51:24] out there as a teacher by saying one thing or another and it's a little [51:30] nerve-racking I feel like I'm a public servant and I love my job and I love what I do I have a little bit of other [51:37] experience because I'm the parent of kids who have gone through elementary gone through middle school gone through [51:43] high school one graduated from college once still there and all these things [51:48] we'll all these issues will pass away and they will work themselves out somehow they do when my children were in [51:55] elementary I live in Mendota Heights and we were asked to go to meeting similar [52:01] to this to have our kids wait at a bus stop at 7:15 when they were in elementary and that was crazy um I went [52:08] to school early and my husband got them off to school we could do it but it wasn't it didn't feel right as a middle [52:16] school teacher I want to say that I'm going to dispute your evidence your [52:21] adolescent evidence because adolescents are adolescents and teenagers are teenagers and right now we have 6th 7th [52:29] and 8th graders at Middle School's 6th graders and when they come into the [52:35] school year they are 10 and 11 years old they are 11 for most of the year and [52:41] some of them turn 12 when they're in seventh grade they're 12 and they turn 13 when they're in eighth [52:48] grade most of them are 13 and turned 14 and there are rare instances where some kids [52:54] actually do maybe a little older than that but the target group of the [52:59] research and I've only I am here say I've seen the slides and I watched the [53:05] last listening session and the the research 1998 is 20 years ago and I [53:12] realize as a as a teacher you can find evidence and data to support anything [53:17] you want and so I was more interested in something that came from 2015 and and [53:24] without having to do with elementary kids because I oftentimes think of my students as elementary kids and anyway [53:33] and I believe that 14 through 18 year olds yes they do change their patterns and I I understand that I've seen it [53:40] I've lived it my point is I guess that I'm getting to is I feel like with my [53:49] parenting experience and my teaching experience I feel like we have to allow [53:54] students to be uncomfortable and we have to allow them to rise to a challenge [54:00] whether it's getting up a little early or you're going to bed early we need to [54:06] allow them to push themselves and plan accordingly and truthfully when you're when you're bringing a sixth grade or [54:13] fifth grader into sixth grade oh it's all about planning and keeping track of things and setting out your timing and [54:20] whatever and knowing yourself and knowing what you are capable of and so [54:27] these are just thoughts they've been floating around in my head I didn't plan anything till I sat down and the one [54:34] thing I do really want to say a bit of research that a woman in the back mentioned dinnertime and in my family [54:42] although we get up early or are out at when they were in practices late or at [54:49] sporting events or whatever dinnertime became later but dinnertime I know there's research out there that supports [54:57] her time as successful well-developed students and children and families and [55:03] connected connectedness between each other and communication and really the [55:11] 9:20 time I really in my this point in my life I can go with anything but I really feel like miss Clara could you [55:19] try to wrap it up alright my last thing is I guess I'm not sure why there has to [55:25] be a change I'm it seems like things have been comfortable and I was kind of looking to see why we had to change I [55:33] guess I still didn't pick up on that so thank you thank you yep after Matt [55:43] Goldstein will be Leslie Iyer welcome [55:51] everybody always with the mic is this on as a sign my name is Tina my wife and I [55:58] have a second-grader countryside and a three year old like to begin by saying thank you for scheduling these listening sessions and pursuing a more open and [56:04] transparent engagement process than the previous one this is a huge improvement and your UO being commended for it Thank [56:11] You superintendent Rawls in particular has been very accessible and genuinely interested in hearing my concerns and [56:16] discussing these so thank you John first I'm here to say that the proposal to [56:22] start the countryside elementary school day at 7:50 does not work for my family and they ask that the board either [56:28] postpone this decision or keep the countryside Elementary School times where they are from our family's [56:33] perspective starting countries said earlier creates an unnecessary and avoidable burden that is more than a mere inconvenience for three key reasons [56:40] first countryside's 9:15 a.m. building opening time coincides and aligns with the 9:00 a.m. drop-off time for the [56:47] pre-kindergarten programs at Creekside Children's Place the current schedule permits us to make one consolidated trip [56:53] to drop off our youngest child to Creekside and then immediately take our oldest child to countryside this is a [56:59] reasonable and efficient morning drop-off pattern for us and we have scheduled our lives around it shifting [57:04] the elementary arrival building opening time to 735 fragments our morning and creates the need for two separate trips [57:10] till her three-year-old attends kindergarten second my wife and I are concerned that it will be very difficult [57:16] for our young kids to adjust to the new sleep schedules our kids move slowly in the morning and it takes us roughly an [57:22] hour to wake dressed and feed them on the days when they are the most cooperative third my wife and I are [57:27] night owls and we work most nights in the schedule change takes away productive evening work time for us my [57:34] evening work includes meeting with clients attending and presenting a City Council Planning Commission and neighborhood group meetings and desk [57:40] time my wife's work is currently focused on launching the remodeling business that she and I started recently and her [57:46] volunteer PTO commitment chairing the countryside carnival basket raffle fundraiser in addition we concur with [57:53] many of the concerns that were shared at the February 8th listening session and I appreciate some of the information that [57:58] we have learned tonight and your your engagement on addressing those so thank you for that I'm gonna try to modify my [58:05] comments to reflect some of that so if this seems a little bit choppy that's why we're particularly concerned about [58:12] the proposed change that will cause increased safety hazards due to colder temperatures and higher traffic volumes and we also strongly occur with concur [58:19] with mr. Shaw who mentioned that this seems to be a misplaced programmatic solution to an inherently fiscal problem [58:25] of dealing with the increase in busing costs our family's lives are structured around our kids school schedules and [58:31] change is hard please do not disregard the impact that school schedule changes have on families I still have some pertinent questions [58:40] that have yet to be answered and I don't expect responses tonight but I want to share them for the record one what is [58:46] what are the private schools doing to work within the district's busing and resource constraints I know we've talked [58:51] a little bit about that tonight second why as the board consistently rolled out spending more money on busing this seems [58:57] like saving money on busing is the driving force causing the proposed start time change before the most recent [59:03] election the board repeatedly said in different ways that any changes to the busing schedule is essentially couldn't cost more then it's currently being [59:10] spent and I just don't really understand why and then lastly is making the middle school start time later simply taking [59:15] time away from other activities that may result in kids staying up later again thank you for enabling me to share my [59:21] family's concerns this community engagement process a significant and meaningful step in the right direction and a huge improvement [59:28] over the previous process please consider postponing this decision or keeping the times as they are thank you [59:34] very much so after Lesley I will be Kerry Lessard welcome thank you thank [59:50] you Dyna School Board in administration for taking our comments today my name is Lesley Iyer as a member of the last two [59:59] start and end times commissions I do commend the administration for their much deeper dive into the data around [1:00:06] transportation before this latest round of conversations about a dinosaur start times the information gathered did [1:00:12] finally give all of us a better view into the strengths and weaknesses of both our current and the proposed transit plans in a way that was never [1:00:19] completed before I have deep reservations about some of the data revealed by the transit study but I do [1:00:25] generally support the proposed three-tier plan my remaining reservations about the process itself [1:00:31] surround the lack of willingness to attempt any sacrifice in the name of getting the middle schools in the high [1:00:37] schools on the same schedule the review of this option did not include addressing the district-wide choice [1:00:43] programs that in Kherson if accan additional costs in transportation the [1:00:48] inequity of having 90 percent of a dynasty academic schedules dictated by [1:00:54] the choice of 10 percent remains it also did not attempt to ascertain the savings [1:00:59] of marginal changes in walking radius nor did it combined value busing with the high school busing to again try to [1:01:06] save money so moving forward when assuming we will have the middle [1:01:11] schoolers and their day last meaning after the high school we run into programming problems and they are not [1:01:17] cost-free our West Metro peers that have middle schools ending after the high schools have invested heavily in their [1:01:23] middle school activities programs I would like to ensure that a Dyna does the same though again the ongoing [1:01:29] expenses that necessarily surround these changes were not calculated when studying the three tier versus two tier [1:01:37] academic and transportation schedules for example Wayzata has dedicated middle school [1:01:42] activity directors on par with our high school activities director Dinah would also need professionals that ensure that [1:01:48] our middle school offerings meet their needs Wayzata offers eight middle schools specific sports that compete [1:01:54] Lake Conference and a Dinah currently offers three this is before the proposed schedule switch ideally this middle [1:02:02] school activities structure would be an advocate for all middle school students especially those who require alternate school day programming to participate [1:02:09] perhaps this person could also advocate for activity fee alignment for middle schoolers Minnetonka charges one third [1:02:17] what a Dinah does for its middle school sports while offering four times as many they also do not charge additional fees [1:02:24] to participate in the vast majority of their academic enrichment programs they [1:02:29] have placed these values within their pre-k through 12 budget we need a [1:02:36] pathway for seventh and eighth graders to continue to participate in EHS sports and programs whether these are the 7 [1:02:42] through 12 activities or if these students are exceptional athletes are artists participating in a nine through [1:02:48] 12 program a serious well communicated plan needs to be in place to proactively support these not uncommon expect [1:02:56] exceptions these could include moving non-core promet programming to the end [1:03:01] of the middle school day for flexibility our school middle schoolers need sleep but they need also meaningful activities [1:03:08] that balance their core academic work as well thank you for your time thank you [1:03:17] after Kerri lesser will be Brad Davis or Bradley Davis can I ask a quick question [1:03:23] regarding Leslie's comments do she mentioned that other districts have a [1:03:29] middle school activities director and I know that's not something we have but how do we coordinate that for our [1:03:36] current middle school programs we work community education services offers the [1:03:43] middle school sports programs in conjunction with the athletics director [1:03:49] with so we act very much our youth programs staff acts really much like a [1:03:55] middle-school coordinator and so we have and we also have in the city of Edina a [1:04:02] multitude of youth programs offered through its not offered through the city [1:04:08] but through our athletic associations and so there would have to be long conversations because many of our kids participate basketball soccer baseball [1:04:15] all delivered for seventh and eighth graders through the city of Edina so [1:04:20] thank you we don't yeah so the only other thing to add is is while community [1:04:27] at oversees our middle school track and field program our middle school [1:04:32] across-country program is run through our high school athletics department so [1:04:37] we've talked a little bit about maybe we adjust that alignment so that both of [1:04:43] those programs are run 712 through the high school so that would ease the confusion with our families that have a [1:04:49] son or daughter that has to register through the high school for cross-country but then they have to [1:04:55] register through a different programming community ad for track and field which are similar programs and a likeness so [1:05:02] that would be one possible change we would consider with with this change as well all right thank you thank you my [1:05:12] name is Carey Lessard I am a diner graduate class of 99 I moved back into [1:05:19] this community with my family for you down in public schools I currently have [1:05:25] a kindergartner at Creek Valley I have a three-year-old and I have a almost four month old so I will be in this public [1:05:32] school system for the next 18 years so this is not the last you'll see of me I'm sure one thing to note here is that [1:05:41] for me I keep I keep hearing a lot of people saying you know my family this [1:05:46] and my family that and all of us have our own situations that we are all dealing with and I appreciate and [1:05:53] empathize with every single one of them you know for me we have a dual working family so in reality no start and end [1:06:01] time is really that convenient so unless eight to five right which is not gonna happen so my point is with saying that [1:06:09] we all will adjust when and if this these start and end times become a reality we all as a community not just [1:06:17] as a my family will adjust I for one think that this is this proposal is a [1:06:24] good one I am very happy with the data-driven decisions that have been [1:06:31] thought through and with this putting with putting this repose 'el forward [1:06:37] putting kids education and biological needs first is very refreshing and I [1:06:42] also think that the collaboration that has been done thus far with the [1:06:48] activities and athletics to make that work with this proposed start and end time is also very very promising it's [1:06:57] clear that there are other nearby school districts that have gone this same route and have seen and have seen success and [1:07:03] that we are competing with in terms of their education and academic performance [1:07:08] so thank you again for you know all of the work that you have put into this and [1:07:14] for listening I just wanted to make sure that this point of view was also was also heard and expressed thank you after [1:07:24] Bradley Davis will be Andrea Weisberg [1:07:29] well hi thank you I'm Bradley gave us I'm a visual artist [1:07:35] of a painter and I've got a nine-year-old son Darwin at Highlands so [1:07:41] he's a third grader and first of all I just like to acknowledge as a as a [1:07:49] person of privilege having you know had the finest education that money can buy [1:07:55] a Harvard Graduate st. Louis Country Day my wife and I shopped around to all the [1:08:02] schools in Minnesota or in the Twin Cities Blake Breck and Highlands was our [1:08:10] favorite school and so we sent Darwin there because we both loved it and we [1:08:16] both did love all the other choices so really from the bottom of my heart I would like [1:08:25] to express gratitude for what a diner public schools offers and acknowledge [1:08:30] all of you for the wonderful you know history and what you built here and and [1:08:39] also I'm grateful to be here tonight to really kind of be present to what it [1:08:44] takes to sort of you know run everything and you know all the all the different [1:08:49] issues you know Nordic skiing for crying out loud you know you got to juggle all these things so like knowledge all of you for [1:08:56] really you know having to to look at a lot of different things and that said I [1:09:02] would just like to express on behalf of my son and the elementary kids that I [1:09:09] think it's a bad idea to start them so early I think that for them you know as [1:09:17] little people you know and I'm speaking [1:09:22] from experience here that they need to sleep shifting them back of course that [1:09:29] will be what happens as they go to sleep earlier but you know if if if they need [1:09:34] maybe 11 hours of sleep and they've got to wake up at 6:30 now you know to get [1:09:43] out and skate and have hockey practice in the evening you know it just crunches in it makes life for the little people [1:09:50] pretty inconvenient so just on behalf of all of them I would like to suggest that [1:10:00] you know my recommendation is if at all possible shift it around so that the [1:10:06] elementary kids can sleep in a little bit as well so that's all thank you [1:10:11] thank you after Andrea will be jennifer [1:10:17] hammer I I actually do agree with the with the [1:10:30] change as I have read research has shown that teenagers will perform better if [1:10:35] they have the extra hour in the morning to sleep teenagers cannot fall asleep at 9:00 [1:10:41] p.m. I happen to have one he is half asleep in the morning his [1:10:47] morning classes he I said what's going on the teacher said what he's happy he's there he's half asleep his friends are [1:10:54] half asleep and I'm really glad that you're making this change the extra [1:11:01] sleep in the morning has been shown to improve the attention span and ability to concentrate for longer periods of time starting later for the junior high [1:11:08] I think will be very beneficial for the teachers the children the Dinah schools the test scores will go up my child is [1:11:16] on all the accelerated classes all the advanced placement classes and he's he's still he has a hard time in the morning [1:11:23] the morning for him he needs that extra sleep so I think it's gonna make a huge [1:11:29] difference and I'm you know I'm sorry for the individuals who have to change their schedules it sounds awful but for [1:11:35] these kids and there's a ton of kids in their junior high you need to look for they do it for the kids this is for them [1:11:44] that's what you know when I had a child you put them first and I think that it's a wonderful thing to change this thank [1:11:52] you after Jennifer hammer will be Julie [1:11:57] Swenson hello my name is Jennifer hammer [1:12:05] I am a parent of two well a new parent in Edina we came from Minneapolis we [1:12:12] moved to Edina for the great school system and my sister's got her kids in [1:12:17] the system and my mom is a resident and so I guess I have a question about one [1:12:26] of the slides maybe we can come back to that but I am entirely with Bradley here [1:12:34] that you know my kids you know you're [1:12:39] talking about it being the new like sleeping in program but my kids are gonna be waking up almost two hours [1:12:45] earlier and for us coming from Minneapolis that it didn't work for my [1:12:51] family my kids move slowly you know they need time to get moving in the morning [1:12:58] you know and then at the end of the day it's all ready for four you know dual [1:13:03] income family coming home at the end of the day already is it is it's hard to [1:13:09] get in the time to have the quality time to go ice skating or just to go over the [1:13:15] homework you know the expectations that they have and that I want to be engaged [1:13:21] in if if that time is truncated more and my kids to sleep for 11 hours so the the [1:13:28] end of might and I have a kindergartener and a third grader and my day doesn't [1:13:35] and any sooner I work at the University and you know I have events sometimes [1:13:42] that start at 5:00 and you know it just it it it won't work for my family I know [1:13:49] it won't work for these little people I mean and for those families that have the kids that wake up early you know [1:13:56] early morning programs or I'm just I'm interested in maybe some more creative problem-solving regarding the budget and [1:14:04] their or you know maybe moving everything later as was suggested but it [1:14:10] you know it was talked about we're moving everything later well then there's no time for after-school programs for the middle schoolers but [1:14:17] like for the elementary schoolers they're not doing any after-school programming so you know I I don't I [1:14:24] guess I don't really understand why everything can't you know I'm new to the debate too so let me just think if I've [1:14:33] basically covered all my points and yeah [1:14:41] yeah it was the slide referencing research by Keller 2015 [1:14:47] where this reach it said this research found that early start times were [1:14:53] associated with lower performance in schools and districts with fewer kids getting free or reduced cost lunches was [1:15:01] that for middle school students I mean what was that age group because I didn't [1:15:06] quite understand how that slide kind of fitted it fit in with it so isn't that evidence that starting early for [1:15:12] elementary school kids is bad it is one data point yes and then okay read [1:15:18] through this study to see what the factors are okay well I guess I would advocate then cuz that that seems to you [1:15:25] know I don't really understand how the free or reduced cost lunches you know how that relates to you know the study [1:15:33] but you know it seems to me like that's indication that an early start time would be tough for the little kids and [1:15:40] you know the little kids need their sleep um I've seen it with my my kids [1:15:47] you know the difference between last year and this year for my daughter and my third grader now second grader last [1:15:53] year is huge she used to hate school she hated school because every morning was [1:15:58] an argument in my household and now she loves school because she gets the sleep [1:16:03] that she needs and she's of course going to edina schools which are fantastic and she's getting all the help she needs and [1:16:09] we love it so thank you very much so we're doing all the great work that you're doing thank you Thank You Julie [1:16:17] you're up next good to see you and after and then Julie [1:16:23] Swenson and then Julie Julie banker we'll be next welcome hi this is great thanks so much [1:16:33] for listening to everybody we really really appreciate it it's great to see the faces of the new folks on the school [1:16:39] board and so I'll get right to it um my name is Julie I have a 5th grader at Highlands which has been a wonderful [1:16:45] experience we have the best schools I will agree with you we looked at my in [1:16:50] fact my daughter was at breakfast great but boy Highlands Highlands better I'm [1:16:57] with you on that yeah and one of the things I noticed when when she was at brick was that paid for a bus to take her across town [1:17:04] to school so I'm just wondering a couple of things about this bus with the private school if we could have [1:17:10] transparency to see just how much the state is giving us for this and if we're really making good margins on that so [1:17:16] like are we getting some profit is really really worth it is that six figures is it seven figures like let's [1:17:22] know and then the other thing is what if we just asked those LG parents to like pay because I think it's an expectation [1:17:28] if you have a private school that you might have to you know you pay for books you pay for the uniforms you pay for the [1:17:34] bus shipping something for that so I think that's something to look at um I [1:17:40] also want to advocate for starting this change in 2019 and to 2020 not right [1:17:46] away but give us all a year to get used to it give everyone time to make arrangements [1:17:53] for our family this is going to be disastrous we've had at Highlands we've had the late start it's been great it's [1:17:59] good for the little kid I work and my husband works so for these dual income families which [1:18:05] you know to make it here in Edina you got to have a couple of incomes right [1:18:11] and so both my husband and I have to be at our jobs early in the morning and so we've made lots of adjustments to make [1:18:17] it work for these six years at Highlands and the whole time we've been looking ahead and thinking oh we're gonna get to [1:18:23] the middle school and then we won't have to do that anymore we can drop her off and I can you know we can both really [1:18:29] you know dive in and be at work by 8:00 every day and that's now you know it looks like that's not gonna happen [1:18:35] because middle school is gonna start later so we'll deal with it but I'd like to give us a year to figure that out to [1:18:41] make arrangements maybe one of us could get a different job maybe we need to find a different school maybe whatever [1:18:48] it is we'll figure it out but I I think that it's better to give it a year um I [1:18:53] think that there are a lot of families that are like mine that have this dual income where there's a lot of it just [1:19:00] creates a lot of time constraints in the morning makes it really difficult and it's pretty disastrous and I think it [1:19:05] you know it just perpetuates the situation where we have more and more [1:19:10] families with more and more privilege coming in here because if you have one who works and you can afford to live in [1:19:17] Edina and the other parent doesn't work doesn't matter when the start time is because the other parent just drives the kid to school right or gets them to the [1:19:23] bus or whatever but when you're in a situation where both parents have to work it makes a very different dynamic [1:19:28] and it's not this just really isn't friendly for that so I just wanted to point those things out so again thank [1:19:35] you so much this is great to have these listening sessions and go Highlands thanks thank you after Julie banker will [1:19:44] be Stephanie Potter welcome all right [1:20:01] thank you for taking my question it was one that I had submitted earlier and does dovetail with the one that just [1:20:08] came up from the lady previous so my husband and I both work there's also [1:20:16] single-parent families and really what we're creating here are two tiers we [1:20:21] have the kids who can sleep in because they've a parent at home we have the kids who can't because we have to drop [1:20:27] them off early that's what we're doing with middle schoolers so with all due respect to the study that you're citing [1:20:34] as the reason for this vast change that is disruptive for all of us [1:20:39] what we're looking at is really a small subset of the kids that are going to actually be able to sleep in because the [1:20:45] rest of them have to get up and get going because that's how life works I have to be at work at 7:30 my husband has he's often out of town so [1:20:53] between the two of us to get our kids up and going I'm asking my 11 year old then [1:20:59] to get up get the dog out get herself fed get to school text me that she got to school did she remember to lock the [1:21:05] door um it's not an Amina belushin and I [1:21:11] think it's hasty and I think it's top-down the teachers were asked at a very late time it sounds like whether or [1:21:18] not this was a good idea and again I'm respecting you know the studies that there are but the reality when when the [1:21:26] rubber meets the road here is is going to be very four families and ultimately the success [1:21:31] of the school district really relies on a partnership between the families and the teachers and the administration I [1:21:37] think that we're pretty smart here in Edina we could probably put our heads together and come up with some solutions [1:21:43] that are a little bit easier for everyone to digest you know we keep going back to this transportation [1:21:49] expense how can we look at that differently can we look at two tiers I think we're shutting it down a little [1:21:55] bit and I'm not disrespecting the hard work that folks have been putting in but this is really hard for families and [1:22:01] it's hard for the kids the kids who after school when they're elementary are [1:22:06] going home to an empty house and they're five and six years old that's pretty tough or am I paying somebody to be [1:22:13] after school to watch my kids how am I gonna find somebody to do that I mean or are they staying after school to do [1:22:18] things when my kid really wants to get home and just unwind because she's an introvert and she'd rather not be [1:22:25] go-go-go at school the whole time it's so it's difficult on both sides of the [1:22:30] equation I recognize that this is difficult but I would like you to think very hard about what you're asking [1:22:37] families to do here finally one other caveat is the after-school programs for middle schoolers I think would be pretty [1:22:43] disruptive because you know we're always talking about the sparks and how do we engage our kids and the things that are [1:22:48] important to them and if middle school which is a very difficult time of life I [1:22:54] think all of us look back on fondness at that time it's a very difficult time of [1:23:00] life and so we're asking kids to give up their after-school stuff because sorry you end school too late you could don't [1:23:08] get home really until quarter to five so the reality looks like you could home a quarter to five you can get to your [1:23:14] sewing class or your karate or your whatever it is by six so then we're [1:23:19] eating dinner it's mmm well okay eight o'clock it just realistically I mean [1:23:25] this is a very practical matter that's how I'm looking at it I understand this that the educational studies are are [1:23:31] smart but let's be practical about what we're asking folks to do so that's all I [1:23:36] have to say thank you thank you mmm-hmm after Stephanie Potter will be [1:23:43] David bass [1:23:55] welcome hi thank you thank you for having this open forum and I just want [1:24:00] to say Julie's words really resonate with me and I probably can't articulate as well [1:24:05] as she just did all of the concerns that I have or many of them so I will just reiterate a couple I guess having three [1:24:13] kids so I have a middle schooler at Southview I have a daughter at Normandale and we chose to put her at [1:24:18] Normandale even though my oldest was at Concord because of all the great variety and options that we have with the CP program and French immersion and then I [1:24:25] have my youngest is at Concord and he's a first grader so this year with the change it was already a juggle to manage [1:24:32] the three start times the three end times and for the dual working parents and I have a start-up business that I [1:24:37] started so I'm not I don't have to be out the door every day and I appreciate those families that do it makes it [1:24:43] extremely difficult when you have three start times or multiple start times in multiple end time so I appreciate just [1:24:49] looking at the elementary kids and they're asleep in the middle schoolers and while I was initially quite for the [1:24:55] later start time for the middle schoolers because I have one and I appreciate the sleep I think starting at [1:25:02] so late is almost detrimental given the practical aspects of the dinner the [1:25:07] family time the activities and I don't from this session today I don't feel like it's been fully vetted all of the [1:25:13] practical aspects and the activities outside of just the middle school it seems like you guys have talked about [1:25:18] cross-country and Nordic skiing but in the middle school years and based on my son and his peer group they're not [1:25:25] necessarily participating in those activities there's a variety of activities within dinah sociation for [1:25:31] all the various clubs and outside of that dance and music and other things and so when you have kids that have to [1:25:38] get on the bus early and then you have kids that have to get to get on the bus later when does a parent work you know [1:25:44] if you if you're not making enough to justify a nanny or someone to be there after school right now I leveraged my [1:25:51] middle schooler and sometimes even my older elementary to watch my younger son [1:25:57] I don't necessarily want to put him in kids club every day after school which is what I would end up having to do and [1:26:03] it's nice for them to just to be home when they can be so I just I don't feel like that's been fully vetted there seems to me a lot of open [1:26:10] questions that it seems a little bit premature to rush into a decision at least for next year and change is hard [1:26:17] for everyone I get that you know I didn't love the change last year when we had a change for Concord had to be later [1:26:22] and we've adapted and I'm sure we'll all do the same but it just doesn't seem like it's been fully vetted from a [1:26:29] practical aspect and - I'm just curious how many other districts of a comparable size - Edina have a three-tier system [1:26:35] because I think for me it's partially the later start time is it's probably [1:26:42] good for middle schoolers to some degree but I think it's the chaos that the three-tier creates over just changing it [1:26:48] to a later start time you know so I just wonder what other districts I hadn't heard anything have a three-tier system [1:26:54] and how does that work so I think most of them do most of them do yeah okay [1:27:00] okay I think that in the report there's a listing of some of the late conference [1:27:05] schools and what time they start and how many tiers they have okay okay so that's normal I wasn't okay all right thank you [1:27:13] thank you after David Bass would be Melissa Aaron's [1:27:24] welcome hello David bass I've met many of you before this is my third actual [1:27:30] session listening to this conversation I have a daughter who is at Countryside elementary school and I'm I'm actually [1:27:36] not going to talk about what's right or wrong for me and my family to me that's that's irrelevant that is a there's a [1:27:42] lot of emotions go the way the thing is I've witnessed and I've listened to is that this seems to be more of a financially driven decision than a child [1:27:48] driven decision I think it's actually pretty pretty clear you know sending kids to school before 8 o'clock in the [1:27:56] morning I think it's wrong and I think for little kids it's incredibly difficult kids need sleep [1:28:02] regardless of how you look at it if we're doing the right thing for the child you figure it out financially there are ways of looking at the budget [1:28:09] across the entire school what programs outweigh others if we need more buses [1:28:14] what programs should be put to the sidelines if we need more bus drivers what programs should be put to the [1:28:19] sidelines what is the best thing for the child the other thing Tuesday I feel like there are little holes in the program and I and I've heard this [1:28:27] several times one the teachers being pulled what are the results of that poll [1:28:33] do we have all the data around that poll and this is my second listening session all the teachers that have come up here [1:28:39] are opposed to plan so if they're opposed to the plan how many more teachers are opposed to plan listen to what administrators have [1:28:46] to say is very different listening to what the teachers have to say because they are working with the students every single day I think that is a gaping hole [1:28:52] and I think before you make a decision you have to make sure that you listen to them clearly and concisely and I don't [1:28:57] think that's happened so I think that it would be really worthwhile that the community understands what that looks like the other piece too is what does the [1:29:04] community really have to say this is a listening session but if you polled the entire community have you sent out a [1:29:10] questionnaire or an email or anything saying what does the community really think a lot of people don't have the [1:29:15] opportunity to come into these sessions because they have other commitments I've taken the time because I feel like this [1:29:21] is important and I've made sacrifices in being here but I think that needs to be taken into consideration and I don't [1:29:26] feel like that has so I'd actually love your perspective on that and the other piece too and this is what actually may [1:29:32] be a little bit unnerving and so we talked about the child safety aspect especially for little kids [1:29:37] and we're gonna develop a plan okay that's not good enough these kids are out there at you know before 7:00 in the [1:29:44] morning sometimes right after 7:00 in the dark in the cold what is the plan how are you going to [1:29:50] see how you gonna help these kids five five and six-year-olds getting on a bus and giving them tutorials and how [1:29:56] they're going to be okay it doesn't seem like that's good enough I feel like there's too many things that aren't good [1:30:01] enough and so I'll leave it like I'll leave it at that and I want you to think about those questions and I would ask [1:30:07] that if you are going to make this decision please make sure that you delay this at least a year to actually give all of [1:30:13] these all of this the appropriate amount of time to weigh all the pros and cons and understand what is the best thing [1:30:20] for our kids thank you thank you a lot of things resonate with me there and I [1:30:26] just want to clarify one thing that I've heard and I don't know if it's if it's wildly any thought or not but there's a [1:30:32] large financial component that goes around some constraints for example we [1:30:38] have three tiers because of the financial constraint we've looked repeatedly at two tiers as early as [1:30:43] Guinness January's most recently January it's just that's a financial constraint and 42 buses is another financial [1:30:49] because again these are the same dollars that we use to pay our our teachers our intervention specialists or other [1:30:54] programs that that we've decided that because of that we're not gonna spend [1:31:00] the extra millions to go to two tiers or to buy all these other buses but which [1:31:07] tier level goes first is it elementary years at middle school that's a cost neutral decision there's [1:31:14] no cost to leaving middle school early and the elementary school go late and no [1:31:21] cost to doing that flip so the the comments that are driving in the data [1:31:26] and the input that strike that decision is not cost it it's what led us to this [1:31:32] final decision who goes early who goes late but from there it's cost neutral [1:31:41] and I we have not done an actual poll per se we have had communication that's [1:31:48] gone out to the community and so like this afternoon I believe the email went out it say like 2:30 that [1:31:55] there's a listening session tonight and and and this is the proposal for the district and within minutes we started [1:32:04] getting emails emails most of them starting with I can't be there tonight but here's what I would have said if I [1:32:10] was there 57 emails since 2:30 okay he has the number so I did I although we [1:32:17] done have to have a poll I just wanted you to know that parents who can't be here have taken time to to write to us [1:32:43] all right part of you right and I'm sorry [1:33:03] right and it's it's you're right it's not a it's not a speedgame and my answer wasn't meant to mean that it was meant [1:33:08] to say that as messages had been sent out there's been in the know updates every week for weeks now we've received [1:33:14] hundreds and hundreds of emails that we've read through so I didn't just mean there was fifty seven today those are [1:33:19] the driver decision-making when the teacher email went out and now we've had more than 50 emails from teachers as well and it's not know there's nothing [1:33:26] that's clear-cut about how it helps people this is not an easy decision for anybody so we are listening and it is a [1:33:32] process and it's not a game where we send out an email to 30 and see who responds by 5 so the 57 email comment [1:33:38] went to meant to say that when we do reach out we do get meaningful feedback and we have for weeks now and we do read [1:33:44] every email that we get so we appreciate these listening sessions and we can't feel like everything that comes into play from the data to your impact on [1:33:50] your family to the way it affects all the kids mm-hmm mmm miss Aaron's welcome [1:33:59] so I have a son who's at Highlands a fourth grader now and a daughter who [1:34:07] will start kindergarten next year and I guess my thoughts are swapping the [1:34:12] school start and end times for the middle schools and elementary schools does not solve the problem [1:34:17] it only shifts it from one age group to another and as you state there's no [1:34:23] research showing that this earlier start time will benefit our youngest most vulnerable children there's some [1:34:30] research showing you know for the middle schoolers but where is the research for the young ones and we all know that our [1:34:38] youngest children require the most sleep three to five there's lots of studies on that from the American Academy of [1:34:44] Pediatrics showing that you know kids 3 to 5 require 10 to 13 hours of sleep per night and children ages 6 to 12 need 9 [1:34:51] to 12 hours of sleep per night so an adequate sleep duration for age on a regular basis leads to improved [1:34:57] attention behavior learning memory emotional regulation quality of life and physical and mental health so sleep is [1:35:04] very important for our young ones and just for those youngest ones who need [1:35:10] the most amount of sleep say your five-year-old needs that 13 hours for them to have a 7:50 start time they're [1:35:17] getting at you know 6:00 6:00 6:30 in the morning having to go to bed at five o'clock the night before where is that [1:35:23] family time where's that they won't even see their father coming home from work [1:35:29] having to go to bed so early we would miss out on any sort of school family [1:35:36] balance let's see and also so my son is [1:35:43] only in fourth grade right now but already he his evening activities have started pushing later and later in terms [1:35:49] of he's playing basketball this year and his game times have primarily been eight [1:35:55] o'clock at night he's not getting home from those basketball games this is a diner basketball association until 9:30 [1:36:01] 10 o'clock at night he's a fourth grader and then having to get up that much [1:36:07] earlier I think just would be really difficult and even though the early start time is not ideal for middle [1:36:13] schoolers either they're just because they're older they're better able to deal with it the older you are you know [1:36:19] just little ones try to wake a sleeping young child and you know that it's difficult the older you get you just [1:36:25] start you just yeah you as the teacher who is here earlier stated you know the [1:36:31] it's something you learn to deal with as you age so I guess I would just ask that [1:36:39] you vote no on this proposed change as it's not in the best interests of our children [1:36:45] thank you Lisa Burnham [1:36:58] welcome you have to pick up microphone [1:37:08] hi my name is Lisa Burnham I know many of you I've had many of you your [1:37:14] children I am a high school counselor I have been a D dinah high school for 23 [1:37:20] years I was a D dinah high school the first the first year I was there was the [1:37:26] year right after we went to the late start so I was I was there when all of [1:37:34] that happened I have sent out an email because in addition to being a high [1:37:40] school counselor I am also a parent of two middle school kids I was not [1:37:46] planning to come tonight but after I received the email at 2:30 this afternoon I'm really concerned about [1:37:53] this late start time proposal for middle school kids I've heard parents talk [1:38:02] about their elementary kids and I do understand that I mean I think that's a [1:38:07] really early time to send a little person out to a school bus middle school [1:38:13] kit I mean it's even a little weird watching your sixth grader walk down the street to catch the school bus and it's [1:38:18] dark outside so even thinking about sending a six five or six-year-old out to do that would be a concern to me my [1:38:28] my bigger issue though because I have two middle school kids right now is the [1:38:34] later start time for the middle to the middle school kids I'm also thinking [1:38:39] about just the wide range of students that we have in the dinah public school [1:38:46] district we have kids coming from single-parent homes we have kids who come from out of district we have kids [1:38:53] who who even you know at this point you can go to Valley View or south view any [1:38:59] morning 6:45 or so there are kids sitting there waiting because their parents have dropped them off that's [1:39:05] probably not gonna change too much I mean we've heard Julie spoke very eloquently about kids who are [1:39:11] dropped off they stay they have to be there they don't really want to go to a before school session [1:39:17] I mean I'm concerned I am living out of district right now my daughter I don't [1:39:25] know what I would do with her she could probably come to the high school with me for an hour but she's not getting any [1:39:31] extra sleep you know that's not gonna benefit her my son will be at the high school so that won't be an issue [1:39:36] but you just think about all of those types of changes and that's my own family but then I think about so moving [1:39:44] on kids in the middle school there are kids in the middle school that take [1:39:50] medications there are kids who want who are on IEP s there are kids in Edina [1:39:57] Udine is a great place to be believe me I know I know many of your kids have [1:40:03] done amazing things but there are kids here for whom school is a struggle and [1:40:09] it is not you know we are trying as a high school counselor myself and my [1:40:14] colleagues are getting them through the day and I think about my middle school colleagues who are also trying to get [1:40:20] their middle school kids through the day I think about kids who are taking a med [1:40:27] early in the morning and before their parent leaves for work and you walk in [1:40:34] to Valley View or South view during the five six block or the seven eight block [1:40:39] you know it can be a pretty crazy place anyway during five six or seven eight [1:40:45] and then you move that time back even further I mean I don't know what your [1:40:50] what the schools would have at five six or seven eight during those blocks electives pe I mean [1:40:58] you'd have to have a school-wide PE course during seven eight really to get all that energy out I mean you're [1:41:05] talking about kids who I mean in that time would start about 2:45 and go until [1:41:11] 405 that's a long long time and that's [1:41:16] late and it's I think you know by the time they're done with school right now at 2:45 they're tied well they're done [1:41:23] at 2:30 but you know by the time they're they're done they miss Burnam could you wrap up please I would be happy to Lenny [1:41:30] thank you I think not every middle [1:41:36] school kids do not take AP classes middle school kids are trying to figure out who they are middle school kids are [1:41:43] trying to get involved by having them start late you're pushing away things [1:41:49] that could get them involved in things in Edina in things outside of Edina meaning other activities and I really [1:41:59] would encourage you to reconsider this preliminary vote and not approve this [1:42:07] change thank you thank you all right [1:42:14] that does conclude tonight's listening session unless there's somebody who hasn't spoken that wants to throw in the [1:42:20] last minute could you fill out a form you can fill out the form afterwards [1:42:27] just give us your name and and I have [1:42:33] three kids in grade school Carey yeah and I would also just like to [1:42:39] I was looking at the numbers here and for a change impacting 4,000 kids I [1:42:44] think it would be really great to do a poll as well and it could be fairly straightforward I understand his budget [1:42:49] constraints he might need to partner with somebody to write the poll but I'd actually be happy to help with that if [1:42:55] you'd like because I do think it's it's should have some statistical significance so and like I mentioned [1:43:02] just from running the numbers it looks like it's about 2,000 kids in kindergarten through five and about [1:43:08] 2,000 in middle school or 1600 so I think it'd be great to put some numbers [1:43:13] against it to see like what do the parents really want I think the other piece to consider and what I've heard a [1:43:19] lot tonight is to think about the ecosystem so like what are all the activities surrounding the kids in grade [1:43:24] school what are all the activities surrounding the kids in middle school and just kind of do some use cases just [1:43:32] to understand you know like why the parents are all saying this and then third piece that I am newer to this as [1:43:38] well but why did the Star Times go back to 920 so grade school was 9/10 last year [1:43:46] and I was just curious if anybody knows why it went back pretty sure it was 915 [1:43:54] and it has been because I've had kids at highlights and I think before that it was 9:20 and then I went to 9:15 because [1:44:02] we did a five minute introduction got it and as for 9:25 this year that was a routing issue am I correct on that David [1:44:10] that moved us to the 925 so in real school was 7:40 you know at 7:45 this [1:44:16] year so there's been yeah little five-minute yeah because from a busing perspective and my my route might be an [1:44:22] aberration but we get picked up at 8:40 and they ride the bus for something like [1:44:28] 30 minutes and I know the bus driver has had a hard time just killing time so he sits on the side streets and then they [1:44:34] he really pokes along trying to come up to our driveway we see him I mean it's not his fault and I know that there was [1:44:40] some back-and-forth at the beginning of the year about that and I I can appreciate all the calculations that [1:44:46] must go into a bus route but the kids are being picked up 50 minutes early so [1:44:51] it seems kind of odd 45 minutes early so so in conclusion I think I just really [1:44:57] love to to advocate for a poll for parents to really speak their voice [1:45:03] I think the emails are fantastic but it's hard to go through so much subjective information and glean the key insights when it could be easily done [1:45:09] with a poll so and again I would be happy to help [1:45:30] hello my name is Suzanne that Druce I live in the Indian Hills neighborhood I [1:45:36] have three boys one at Normandale and two at middle school they are all in [1:45:41] multiple sports multiple activities piano lessons soccer basketball hockey [1:45:48] and they're also very good in school one is and gifted actually two of them are [1:45:57] in gifted classes so and the other one struggles a little bit but the two [1:46:02] middle schoolers have always gotten up early they have no problem getting up early they're not tired and they're [1:46:09] doing really well in school and they are getting enough sleep and so I don't [1:46:15] think putting them on a late start will cause them to get less sleep because [1:46:21] they will be getting home later less time for homework right now they come [1:46:26] home from school they do homework for three hours if they come home two hours later they're not going to be doing [1:46:32] their homework it's not going to get done and that will cause them to do worse in school probably drop out of the [1:46:39] gifted and be a normal you know in the normal classes because they are not able [1:46:45] to get their homework done because they got home from school two hours late I also think having a pole is really [1:46:52] important you should pull out the middle school parents and ask them their opinions you know and a few hours is not [1:47:01] enough time for working people to respond to emails or to get here I just happen to catch it but I also was at [1:47:08] another meeting at the high school tonight and that's why it was late because I was at a high school meeting so you know you got to give people time [1:47:16] to see things and I agree with everything Julie said and she said it [1:47:23] very well I think she's gone but I agree with everything and I think changing [1:47:29] um the middle school to later time is only going to harm the kids because [1:47:34] they're gonna have less time their homework last time for any activities after school so I do not [1:47:40] support changing the school times and also I think a school bus only cost like three hundred thousand dollars if we're [1:47:47] able to get 20 million to redo the schools I think anyone can get a bus for three hundred thousand I don't know how [1:47:53] many buses you need but there are ways to work around it and if you can get [1:47:58] twenty million dollars I think you can cut buy some buses thank you thank you [1:48:04] all right thank you everybody and we do appreciate the input of [1:48:12] everybody this will be up on the march 19th were school board session and so [1:48:21] that will be the time that the it will be discussed again by the board and voted on all right thank you very much I [1:48:28] thought we could respond though to to may be Margaux could respond to being [1:48:34] able to lobby for buses or bond for buses because I know I know that the [1:48:40] bond for the one hundred and twenty four point nine million dollars for construction well you can clarify that [1:48:47] we're not allowed to purchase buses with that is what I understand that is correct it that bond is for the building [1:48:56] improvements that were stated in the review and comment at all of our sites but that it basically is for bricks and [1:49:03] mortar it's not for buses as I talked about earlier in the in the program our [1:49:11] options for funding buses there's the capital equipment cost and we do have a [1:49:17] small amount of capital funds we could use those we would have to look at least purchase options but there is the [1:49:23] ongoing annual operational costs of the driver the diesel fuel and that kind of thing that about fifty thousand per bus [1:49:32] that we have to figure out how to pay for in the general fund as well okay thank you [1:49:38] just to clarify in this this financial consideration it it's the Minnesota miracle 1971 [1:49:45] Minnesota transformed education funding so that wealthier districts wouldn't be [1:49:52] able to tap those extra dollars when other neighboring districts would then [1:49:57] be at a disadvantage and so this state the state grants us most of the authority that we have exercises aboard [1:50:03] this state is really the educational authority and the extent that they [1:50:08] delegate some things to a board that's nice of them but we get money from them we get stipulations from them and when [1:50:14] they say you may not you may not take more money for these purposes you may not tax more money for those purposes [1:50:19] those are those are constraints we live with even though there is a desire in [1:50:25] the community from a lot of people to pay more taxes for this school that is desire and a community for a lot of [1:50:31] people to reallocate money especially from say the building bonds towards [1:50:36] something else that's just not authority that we have been given from the state and thats our state's pride in a lot of [1:50:45] regards but it creates a lot of difficulties trying to define an ideal [1:50:51] situation for our kids that's it just it creates confusion you know not that it's [1:50:57] what the law is but it's the law so what's frustrating is it can create [1:51:02] confusion and I can completely see why if we can raise a hundred and twenty four point nine million dollars why [1:51:07] can't we raise a few for the busses but the state literally does not allow districts to bond for purchasing those [1:51:14] types of things as Margo said it can come out of other areas but again it all has to be within the guidelines and [1:51:20] limits that the state sets on us so even the levy that we just passed has a limit [1:51:26] of a cap that we can go to that is that is set by the state and again it's it's [1:51:32] Equalization so that richer districts can't tap into more funds than than [1:51:38] other districts that are poorer so that we we really are restricted and it is I [1:51:43] completely understand that it is confusing [1:51:56] but Lester and schools reach years of hours three tiers of steadily [1:52:03] you can guess that two hours across the entire party just [1:52:10] across traditions so so you end up with the number of [1:52:20] issues one you have to figure out where you're gonna find more bus drivers who are no no slow slow down let me do you [1:52:28] do you want to ask the question okay so you have to find more bus drivers the [1:52:33] other thing is once you cut the bus drivers hours now you have an even bigger problem finding bus drivers so [1:52:40] currently if I'm correct Margo our bus drivers are primarily full-time employees with benefits right so if you [1:52:49] could compress it enough so you could spread it out then they might be part-time and now you're gonna have a [1:52:54] harder time finding bus drivers who are qualified and well we want to make sure is that our bus drivers are qualified [1:53:01] that our kids are safe on their on that bus the other thing is you cannot necessarily compress it as much because [1:53:07] you have certain efficiencies built into a three-tier system that aren't necessarily going to work as well as a two-tier we have looked at the numbers [1:53:14] and tried to see what the cost is and there is an additional cost if you go to a two-tier system it doesn't you I mean [1:53:21] I had the same question you had which is don't you reduce the number of hours and therefore the total hours are the same [1:53:27] you would need more drivers right because you're you're running the same buses they're just doing it at the same [1:53:34] time so the streets are busier but you would need more [1:53:44] right but if we take the money from our budget then it comes out of teachers it comes out I mean its operating budget [1:53:57] all right thank you all right thank you [1:54:05] everybody