workshop which um for oh my gosh I don't even know the date January 27th 2026 uh starting at 5:30 p.m. Um Vice Chair Roer has let um us know that she will be just a few minutes late but she is on her way. But we will go ahead and get started because we have um a few um logistical things to get out of the way for the school board. Um a couple updates and then a discussion um that I wanted to have given some research that I've been doing and also um input from the community as well as other board members about the structure um of our workshop and agenda items. So, we will go ahead and get started with that. And then I have an update from um MSBA who we hired to do our um superintendent search. Um I've met with um Barb Dorne who has given me some next step items that I want to make sure the board is aware of. So with that um I would like to get started by um talking about how we structure our workshop and board meetings and also just to give an overview for the community about how we do um engage not only in discussion as a board but also um uh the ways that we engage with our community. So, the Hopkins School Board um for a number of years has um made it part of our board goals to host board engagement sessions. Generally, we um ensure that there are at least two around the budget once that starts becoming a topic of interest. And then we also make sure that our monitoring committee um hosts engagement sessions around any new or really um impactful policies so that our community can have input. and we have hosted those throughout the years and they come up um pretty regularly and that is a way that um the board can interact directly with um community get um questions answered and make sure that we are all aligned and on the same page about our two biggest areas of impact. Um the second way that um we have started engaging with the community which is a new um thing that we started this year is listening sessions and those are um where we invite the community to address the board. That was a a measure that we decided as a board to put into place in order to alleviate our um open agenda public comment sections so that we could hear from more of our community and also have it be around one particular topic and we're going to get an update on transportation which was our the topic of our first listening session at this board workshop. So, we um are looking at um well, I have been thinking that another topic is coming up, bubbling up within the community and we may want to discuss as a board. If we feel a listening session would be appropriate around any other topics, feel free to email me about that. And then the most um set and formulaic ways that we have gotten input and conduct our business of the board is through workshops and also um through of course our regular meetings. And um I have heard loud and clear and have also felt that our um regular board meetings are going longer than a lot of us would like by the end of them. I think almost all of us to every single member is worn out and unable to contribute in a way that we would like to. So, one of the things that I have been talking with other school boards across the state about is how their meetings are structured. And a lot of our neighboring um boards reserve their regular meeting for action items only so that there can be robust discussion before the board takes action. Um and so I am proposing that um Hopkins make that change, especially given the fact that we have three robust ways to have more informal conversations around topics that are really important not only to us but to our community. And then we will be reserving the workshops for information only items. So workshops, if you don't know, are much le are a lot less formal. We can have more of a back and forth. Um there's not um the need there's just not as much pressure on workshop topics. So I am proposing that we make that shift for um our board and our community going forward. And um the chair and the superintendent will be mindful of ensuring that um we're putting only action items on the the meeting agenda and workshop items are for information only so that the board can engage in a really robust discussion about things that don't require an action. And that's what other that's what I've heard from other boards how they structure their meetings wondering any thoughts feedback chair Andre. >> Yes. Um I appreciate considering the topic. You know it's not a open conversation that we've had for some time and so thank you for doing some research into it. Um I wonder during the regular board meetings then are you envisioning we have a couple of reports that we get by um I don't know tradition that's not maybe the word that I'm looking for right now but uh we typically have like a superintendent report we have a treasures report are you envisioning changes to those? >> Uh no this would be part of the new business >> and or old business. So the report section >> action items. Yes. >> Yes. Shortening. Um >> we the superintendent and I have discussed having a time limit. Um and also um >> for questions and comments as well for the superintendent report. will be disciplined in keeping that to 15 minutes um including the department highlights um and also ensuring that um we do have time to do things that I think are really important for a school board that centers student voice which is hearing from our student board reps and also um acknowledging the great work that our students are doing um and also the adults who support them to that to make those achievements. I think we all find our Royal Blue Runner um celebrations very meaningful. So yes, try and keep those though time constrained. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I appreciate that. >> Chair Andre. >> Yes. >> Uh thanks for thinking about this and checking with other districts. I think one of the questions just as making sure I'm tracking with you. Uh will this still include in in our um board meeting at 700 p.m. public comment will be included in that. Okay. Thank you for clarifying. >> Always like I unless people are thinking they'd like a change to our half hour half hour structure for public comment. >> No, I' I'd like public comment. Thank you. Thanks, >> Chair Andre. >> Yes. I appreciate um as other members have stated you looking into this um with respect to um updated reports basically. So for example um on tonight's agenda for the regular meeting we have um the 2024 audit update that is not an action item. So, would something like that move to workshop or would we consider putting items um that perhaps have a lot of public interest on the regular agenda? I do think that that has been our practice in the past and um as we can see it has created these long meetings that go on and on and on and so um this suggestion of changing that practice is what that's hoping to alleviate. We did discuss when we were creating this agenda at the time that we created it, it was going to be an action item, but I think we are what one or two days away from being able to vote on it and so it became an update. But at the time that the agenda was created, it was going to be an action item. So yes, certainly if that became a situation again, um we would definitely have it remain as an agenda item. >> Okay, one other follow-up question. Um I lost my train of thought. >> Well, we can come back to you. Does anyone else have any thoughts, feedback? >> Sharon Drez. >> Yes. Um, as others have said, appreciate the willingness to consider this, think about it, research it. Really appreciate it. I absolutely support it cuz I I mean, I completely agree with you. You know, we make decisions that are impactful and we owe it to ourselves and our community and the kids in this district to be making that as fresh as possible and as considered and thoughtful. Um, so I I appreciate it and I'm definitely supportive. >> Thank you. Chair Andre, I remember what I was going to ask. >> Yes. >> Um, with respect to the open comment periods, I believe the current rule is that the open comments um are supposed to relate to agenda items. Is that right? Currently, our our um guidelines are that the first um public comment section, is that what you're addressing? >> Um the first public comment section, priority is given to comments that are for things that are on the agenda. Um, if we have more than 10 people wishing to address the board, um, then those that do not pertain to items on the agenda go to the 30 minute at the end of the meeting. Okay. And I don't think this has been an issue before. Um, but perhaps we could consider opening that public comment up to include items that are on the workshop agenda then as well. No, maybe thoughts. >> Yeah, I don't think people have thought we've considered that because the the idea is that we want to have public comment on things that are actionable that we're doing at the meetings. So priority would be given to anyone who wants to talk talk to us about something that we're voting on um at the meeting. That's the idea for that. >> Understood. Makes sense to me. >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Well, I will say that I feel like the consensus is this is a good shift. Um we will of course not be inflexible about it. Um, if we do find ourselves with a meeting where there are no action items, we might shift something. Um, however, I I feel really good about this practice going forward, and I think it will um help us um get home before 10 p.m., which I can't remember when we were able to do that. So, um, and then I did also just want to share with everybody, um, as discussed when we, um, at the end of our special meeting, I did notify both search firms, um, that our choice was to go with MSBA. And I have been in contact with um Barb Dorne who is um the person who is heading up our search and um got some really good feedback from her on next steps. And um I appreciate some questions that were posed um by board members and she was also able to address those. and I just wanted to make sure that um I updated the board in our community about next steps and what this process is going to look like. So the very first order of business and we really can't get anything done until this has happened is our planning meeting. So finding a date um where that can happen is of the the utmost importance. So, um, one of the things that we discussed, Barb Dorne and I, was that was the, um, thoughts that multiple board members brought up about, um, ensuring that MSBA, uh, this process reflects our values and one of our central values is equity here at Hopkins. So she recommended that um another part of their of the search firm would be would come with her and be part of the planning process. Um and so those dates that are available, I'm just quickly running these by people to get a temperature check. um would be Thursday, February 12th, 5:30 p.m. and then Friday, February 13th, 5:30 p.m. and then Saturday, February 14th after 1:00 p.m. Um this would still keep us timing wise very competitive. Um and so hoping that some of those one of those works for for everybody. Um, she did also know that we um that we discussed MSBA's hiring the right superintendent workshop and that's something the board I think unanimously agreed we wanted to engage with and it is included with search services but we do have some options as to how we want to receive that training. Um there there are two options. So, we could use one of the dates that were listed for a 2-hour workshop and schedule the two to three-hour planning meeting for a later date, or we can hold um an abbreviated 1-hour workshop um prior to or on the same day as the 2 to three hour planning meeting. Does anyone have a preference for which model you'd like? Chair Andre. >> Yes. >> I I'd prefer the second set. I don't want to push back any further our planning >> if I if I if I heard you correctly. >> Right. So, an abbreviated one-hour workshop. >> Yep. >> Um and then having the two to three hour planning meeting on the same day. And she did also tell me that um a lot of the content of that workshop is just kind of included in the supports and the facilitation that MSBA provides along the way. So I don't see any issue with having condensing a one-hour work a two-hour workshop to a 1 hour but um because they are doing our search. Anyone else have a preference? All right, then we can go with number two and I will let her know. Um, and so I can send these dates out um, if that would be preferable to everyone and you can get back to me as to what will work best for you. >> Sure. >> Okay. Um, because I know we want to get to transportation. So then we have um a timeline. So we have two timeline options um because uh Barb and I discussed the um some board members wishing to have community engagement um before we post um well before we decide on our leader profile. Um and so she really um so she gave us two two timeline options. So option one would be with MSBA's assistance. The board develops a leadership profile and the position is posted two days later. Community engagement begins two days later. So at the same time and runs parallel to the posting with the resulting public engage engagement summary report being used to screen all applications, recommend finalists, develop interview questions, and inform board deliberations after both round one and round two candidate interviews. This timeline represents the process utilized in 95% of MSBA's searches. So we would not be an outlier by any stretch of the imagination. Uh and then there is option two which has in community engagement begins two days after the planning meeting and runs approximately 3 weeks after which the board meets again to review the public engagement summary report and then develop a leadership profile. The position is then posted two days later and the report is also used to screen all applications, recommend finalists, develop interview questions, and inform board deliberations after both round one and round two candidate interviews. This timeline, however, would set back your search by approximately one month, and it is utilized in 5% of our searches. So, that is our two options. Karen Andre. >> Yes. >> Uh, thanks for doing the leg work on on the the making the sausage here. Um, what does the timeline? So, choice two is waiting and collecting feedback and um how what does that look like affect if we were to choose that? What does that look like for our timeline? Are we pushing into the summer then or what what is that? >> Well, so if let's say we get our planning meeting done on the earliest possible day >> 12th >> um the 12th um then two days after that um would be the com community engagement. So we are then running into um a month that um so we would essentially be pushing out for a month to six weeks. So that means we wouldn't have our the timeline with the first option would be our um profile our position would be posted in February. Going with option two means it would be mid to late March. >> Late March. Okay. >> Which from my understanding is late. So we we may miss the prime window for when supers are looking. Yeah. Yes. Okay. In my understanding, like just reading this, I think that I really appreciated her writing all this down because I was like, well, the community engagement is happening the same across the search, right? And I think really all we're doing with option two is pushing it out. Um because we're we're doing the community engagement upfront, but we're still using it. Yeah, we're still using it at the time that it's that we're doing the actual search. >> Charson. >> Yes. Um, I don't have a problem with either um, choice. I'd prefer the second, but I also don't want us to miss the greatest opportunity window we have. Um, that being said, is there an option to Well, first let me take a step back. The planning meeting is an open meeting for the community. They could attend if they wanted to. Yes. And it's at the planning meeting where the board will um discuss and determine the profile. Is that is that what happens at the planning meeting? Uh, the board develops a leadership profile. Um, I would assume so. Um, and all of that is with MSBA's assistance. Okay. So, my my thought is that if that's an open meeting, would it be possible to invite Perhaps those that feel very strongly about being present while we develop the profile to attend that meeting. >> Every Yeah, our our board meetings are posted. They're public knowledge. I wouldn't I wouldn't want to in the interests of being fully transparent prioritize any one community member over another in this process, >> but they could be here present physically >> physically present >> to have the profile piece of that. Um if if people felt more comfortable to to be physically present here, they would they have that option to be here >> as they do for every board meeting, >> right? >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Any other thoughts? >> Yeah. >> Welcome. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Um okay. Is there any option, and I don't want to um burden staff too heavily, is there any way to get a temperature check? It like is a little bit of a bummer to maybe take on some work inside the board that MSBA would maybe have done, but is there any way to like list 20 qualities and send it to the community and ask them to pick their top five? like is there any way to do something like that and people have 5 days to do it that would in that would let us go with the faster timeline and let the community weigh in at the prescribed kind of MSBA times. But we have at least anything at all from our community upon which to base our discussion in the planning meeting. >> And I have the same concern as you as if there are people who are really tuned in and really care about it. I think that that's great and they're welcome at any meeting. Um, but I absolutely do not want to say like those five to 40 people that their voice is kind of more important than this. And so I would hesitate to like issue that invitation to like this is the time that you can weigh in. Um, and it would not be my understanding that a planning meeting for this would be the time that community members can weigh in. Like I don't foresee that that being on the agenda. >> Okay. >> So, if that's the expectation, that's not what the planning meeting is for. It's for the board to get what we need to get done done in order to start this process. That is what the planning meeting is for. >> Okay. Yeah, that does help me. Thank you. Um, so I I don't know that exactly this format that I suggested is the format, but is there >> I mean I think that that's something we can take back to Barb and I can let her know that that's like if we like I feel like because of timing, we want to go with option one, >> right? All of us here at the table want robust community input across the board in this process. Um, and so what are the ways? Because I when I was talking to her, I said, "Well, can't we just send out a survey and like be done in a week?" And she's like, "No, you can't do a survey that way." And I'm like, >> "Yeah." >> Um, and so, and I agree like you really can't because we all know this. >> Same patterns. >> Yes. We we all know this from doing this work that you hear from the same people over and over and over again. Um, and I don't want that to be the community input we get. Um, we need to be intentional. We need to be um, really careful that we are hearing from everyone in our community and um, you know, a week is not going to do that. Um, but I can definitely go back to her and say, how can we even in a small way >> um bring some community input into this? And what she did suggest and and I I frankly I I think she's spot on. She said that in all the times she has done this work, she has never experienced a board that is disconnected from their community. She said that's why you were voted in. That is your role to represent your community. And I agree with her and I think that and I also defer to her experience um in that we are connected to our community. We do know what um a leader profile for Hopkins would look like based on our community needs and I think we are all tapped into that and tapped into different communities which I think is the strength of this board. Um, so I will go back to her and see if there's an additional way that we can get community input beyond the seven of us at this table, >> which is our role. >> Thanks, uh, Chair Andre, just to, uh, to echo as we're talking about this. Um I absolutely you know I think the many of us are feeling that you know that both and of wanting to ensure that on the one hand absolutely uh we are getting the timing thing came up during the conversation with with them right where it's like sometimes it comes down to who do you get the offer from first and say yes so I want them to say yes to us um only and first of course the best candidate for our district And and so I I think absolutely I waiting until the end of March, I noticed my own anxiety creeping up thinking about waiting until the end of March to let folks know we're for sure uh have a posting that they can apply for. And you know, and that sense of wanting to be so intentional that throughout this process that it just bolsters our community trust in our work as their representatives and holding that space. and and it truly can be just something that launches our next superintendent with such community support and buyin. And so I just want to acknowledge that that tension is there. And so I do echo some sort of wonder and and this is I will acknowledge I'm brand new at this table and so I don't know how this would be thought through you know like if there are um even some representative persons who uh who can even just help to weigh in in this first moment uh for us so that there's still some check you know checking in with some folks before we get to that planning meeting. And then I think again the big thing and I'm not the only person naming this being so intentional in our communication about that this isn't a oh we decided and everything set that that the community um engagement that we will be doing is deep and substantive and will deeply impact what sort of questions candidates are being asked and just being so clear repeatedly in our communication and I'm happy to help vocalize and support that you know as a part of the board into the community to say absolutely we started here and here's how this was shaped and so I just think that will be important and I would echo if there's some possibility that can be both equitable and thoughtful in a moment of representative community engagement as we come into planning I would be very in support of that and if uh if that is not possible then I would say let's go with option get it sooner um but be so intentional about deep community engagement Thank you. I think um in the interest of time because transportation is important obviously um I am going to just um sum up and and um if you have other feedback please email it to me. What um I will do is communicate to Barb that we are are leaning strongly to option one knowing that there are um there's a desire to get community input at the forefront. I would just encourage every board member to reach out to your people and to sorry >> to reach out to your people and to get their input so that you bring it to the board table. That's what we were elected to do. Um, and so you have a few weeks to do that work, which is our work as board members. >> Um, quickly a question was asked about um, having a committee. Barb responded that appointing a board subcommittee to assist with the search is an ineffective way to conduct the process. There's only about five meetings involved and almost all of them um need the full board in attendance for decision-making sessions and interviews and training opportunities. So um having a board committee isn't necessarily um going to take off any of the load. The full board needs to be a part of it. Um and also there um has been communication to Natalia who is our amazing assistant who is communicating with our director of communications to make sure that this is fully transparent to the public. Um MSBA shared a bunch of examples from other districts on how they have conducted their public facing superintendent um search communications and MSBA will be working in conjunction with our um interimm director of communications as well as Natalyia to get all of that running and ready and and um part of the process. So again, sorry to cut this short um but I want us all to be able to have a deep conversation about transportation um because I think we have some work to do in the coming months and um I will be sure anyone if you have any feedback at all or have any questions feel free to email me and I will follow up with Barb and I will also send you out those dates so that we can get the planning meeting on the calendar as soon as possible. So with that I would like to invite I don't have your name in front of me apologies to sorry and invite um Tombber up to the table for transportation and I will turn it over to Dr. Mary Perry Reed. >> Thank you. And we also also have our assistant director of transportation Na Naisha Williams who is coming up. >> I did not see you there. So, um, we did want to provide our school board and community with a midyear transportation update. As many of us are aware, we implemented some changes this fall to try to reduce our transportation expenses and operate um within our means, within our means while uh still trying to provide families with quality transportation services. Um and then shortly after trans our um implementation, we thought that it would be a good idea to bring in um a transportation professional to partner with Naisha really just to um offer a fresh lens into our current state and to really support Miss Williams in assessing, okay, how well did we implement those changes? Were they the right changes? and what do we need to do now to just continue moving forward. So Tom Burr will introduce himself. He has some experience in multiple districts and he's been working closely with Miss Williams. Your chair is quite low. >> I know I need >> put do the adjustment things. You can >> I don't know. >> Sit higher. >> Go up. But it's not. Yeah. There we Okay, that looks >> more strength. >> Much better. >> Okay, so these two have been working closely together for the last couple of months and we're excited to hear your report. Thank you for being here. >> Thanks for having us. Um, as uh superintendent as the superintendent stated, my name is Tom Burr and uh we got uh together in November to start this process. Um, I want to go over some things uh as to who I am and why I'm here tonight. First of all, I would like to thank the transportation staff at Hopkins for welcoming me into the office and uh providing a very cordial and pro professional setup. And uh I have immersed myself in in uh in the transportation office since November. So, uh, they were very kind in in getting me set up. Um, I want to start out with who I am. Uh, I consider myself I I don't consider myself a consultant. I consider myself a student transportation professional. Um, I've been in this business for a long time. I started out as a school bus driver while attending St. Cloud State University and uh graduated with my criminal justice and psychology degree and then a job opportunity opened up and uh was asked to apply to be the assistant supervisor. Uh so I I uh got that job and then moved to supervisor. Spent 10 years at St. Cloud uh public schools on the public side and then uh an opportunity an opportunity arose at Weisetta. So I spent six years as transportation director at Weisetta and after that another opportunity uh came came my way that I could uh switch from the public side to the private side of student transportation the bus the actual school bus contractor side uh at uh for St. Louis Park. A gentleman that I worked with at Weisetta uh obtained the contract for St. St. Louis Park schools and he needed someone to get the bus company up and running to service St. St. Louis Park schools. So I did that for 10 years. Another opportunity at Vision Transportation. Um I live in Rogers Vision Transportation ran uh school bus operations in Elk River and Big Lake at the time. So I uh I enjoyed my three years was general manager of uh Vision Transportation. another opportunity. Uh St. Paul public schools. Uh I was back on the public side. I I guess you can consider me a job hopper, but uh it uh St. Paul public schools I spent eight years at and I technically retired from St. Paul schools. Um and now I am back driving a school bus am and pm because I just can't get out of the industry. So >> Oh, that's amazing. >> I love that. It's uh I configure I consider it public service now and it's uh it's still something I enjoy to do. But I was invited in um via a colleague of mine and a colleague that knows uh superintendent, the superintendent, and she obtained my name and number. And uh we had a couple conversations and she told me what was up and I agreed to to jump into this. Um and everything that was done um with with the changes this fall were meant to reduce the the budget. Obviously, I think Hopkins was facing a a pretty steep budget shortfall and they wanted to Hopkins wanted to look at cutting some costs and and thought they could achieve that in transportation. So, these are the specific items that were uh looked at uh or that were implemented this fall. The uh the zones around the schools uh the no bus zones as they're called uh were increased for elementary from a half a mile to one mile and then at the secondary level increased from one mile to two miles. So that was the no bus zones. Uh open enrollment was uh capped at capacity. Um what open enrollment does is the buses within the district. Um for for kids that are non-resident, they can access a bus within the district. What happened with uh with that was they they filled up quickly and uh once they filled up um there were no other buses available. There was a time, if you correct me if I'm wrong, there was a time that there was a hub system that was uh provided for for enrollment kids in Hopkins >> was last year for the contractor >> and and there was also a a bus provided with the contractor to provide some transportation, but the the routes reached capacity and then they created a lottery system. The lottery system from what I gather created some frustration both uh both on the part of parents and families and on the transportation staff. Um when I came in in mid November, they were still receiving calls uh from parents looking for bus seats. Uh and the transportation staff was still working it to figure out what is at actually at capacity and what isn't. The problem, you know, with routing and especially high school routes is that capacity is fluid. It changes daily. You might assign 70 students to a route and one day 30 will show up, one day 40 will show up, then back to 30, then back to 50. Capacity is hard to get get a hold of. And that's one thing that the uh transportation department had to deal with. Um, and the other uh item that was changed was the bell time or uh the tier system that the buses run on. That was also altered. Prior to this year, there was a two-tier system that uh uh transported students in two waves. Uh first wave, early wave, and then a second wave. Um and then this was converted to a three- tier system. And I'll go into each one of these into a little more detail as I move along. Uh and then I had a discussion with intra district transportation. I just wanted to verify with Naisha before the meeting and I thought I was under the assumption that it was discontinued but it it is not. Intra district transportation is for example if you're in within the U Alice Smith uh attendance area and you wanted to uh attend Gatewood typically there is no transportation but Hopkins has provided that and continues to provide that. So that's a um That needs to be corrected on my PowerPoint. So, that is still in place. I don't know that there's many kids that take part in that. >> Depends on the school. >> Depends on the school. >> Depends on the school. It can fill up a bus, too. >> Okay. >> It depends. >> So, these are the items that uh specifically were looked at to to re in the budget for the for the transportation department. First of all, no bus zones. These are the numbers of students that are impacted uh by the bus by the no bus zones and by the bus zone changes. As you can see, um there's some outliers, some bigger numbers. Al Smith with 152 kids, families. Uh Metobrook with 112. The total is 537. In my experience, 537 students is not a lot of students. Um, and if you want to look at it uh a different way, of those six um elementary schools, 43 routes service those six elementary schools. So if you do a simplistic math and this is very simplistic uh five 40 or 537 divided by 43 is about 12 and a half kids per bus could be added and uh would take care of the situation. Obviously, that's that's overly simplistic, but I think you you get where I'm going that there's a potential that this could be just absorbed within the current route structure. And also likely with the uh the secondary schools because those numbers aren't very big either. Now, these changes were presented via an audit by an out outside firm called CISO. I don't know what transpired and how all that took place as to what was adopted and what was picked and choosed or chosen, excuse me. Um but uh no bus zones was was was in that was in that discussion and was in that choice that was made. Um continuing on uh the open enrollment discussion is always uh quite interesting. It's it's interesting. Um, I don't think that, you know, open enrollment came into came into the school districts in Minnesota in 1988. I don't think they had had a Hopkins situation in mind when uh when open enrollment first started. >> From what I gather, it looks like about a thousand students go out and a thousand students come in. Is that is that correct? roughly if number experts um >> about 2,000 >> 2,000 go out 2,000 come in >> it's that >> okay I understand >> overall there's some detail to that >> all right but it's about an even split um >> it's a little bit the lines recently crossed where we have a couple more hundred going out than coming in >> okay >> but overall it's a couple thousand out couple thousand in Okay. Um, and of those thousand coming in, a vast majority of those kids look to reside in the northeast section of the school district. So, um, what you have up there, you've got, u you've got an opportunity and and from what I see, it's it's a benefit to to have open enrollment, obviously, and then it has to be decided how best to service them. Uh the current way the current way as I explained earlier is having buses within the district run routes up in the north up in the northeast quadrant and then when they're full that's it. Then they wait. Now prior there used to be a hub system with gathering up open enrollment students. Um my one of my proposals is or one of my thoughts but it needs some this open enrollment needs some additional conversations. I I would recommend putting hub stops just outside of the um district border and creating a pay to ride situation. However, those hub stops will likely fill up. I don't we're probably dealing with over 500 kids and a number of them 500 using the junior high, North Junior High and uh Hopkins High School. So, how many hub stops and how many buses does the district want to uh service those areas with? Each bus runs approximately $100,000. So once, >> excuse me, >> per year. >> Per Yes. $100,000 per year. Um, so how where where do you where do you begin and where do you stop? You know, do you accommodate all? Do you accommodate some? Um, so it's a discussion that needs to continue on how best to service open enrollment families. There's also equity options that uh we there are uh a number of kids that come in from North Minneapolis that that are provided transportation and from what I gather considered open enrollment also. Um and that's a corridor just just uh west of of 94 that uh we run buses for. Hopkins runs buses for. It's three buses for North Junior and it's uh North Junior and the Hopkins High School and there's a few other buses for the elementary schools. So that's all that's included in the discussion of open enrollment, but it uh and I understand open enrollment I've worked at other districts um that open enrollment is very valuable that they have they actually go into the other district develop routes and and take their kids to school. Um for instance, my most recent experience is St. Michael Albertville. they they they brought in I would say 35% of their student population uh from within the Elk River School District. Each family had to pay I think the pay was around $600 per family per year per student. Um but there there are options out there. It's just uh we the transportation department needs needs a little more direction on how the school district wants the you know where where where do we draw the costs at but uh I'll kind of leave open enrollment there and it it uh like I said it needs a little further discussion. uh the two-tier busing. Um this to me was the was the one that uh saved some money for the Hopkins School District. Uh the school year 2425, five elementary schools went early. Um and then the secondary schools went later and then there was the outlier Metobrook at 933 to 403. uh that required 55 buses to to do 55 general education routes. >> Um this year with the conversion to the to the three tier busing system, uh with three elementary schools going early, uh the secondary schools going second and three more elementary schools going later, that 55 general ed school bus routes dropped to 47. which translates, these are rough. I just used ballpark figures, but 55 buses, $500 per bus per day, 170 days, $4.7 million. Roughly, this saved the district $680,000. And uh it's it's it's a it's a positive to the transportation department to have done that to have developed that and taken those routes out of the system. I want to explain a little bit more about the tier system in Hopkins. This is a screenshot of the u the transportation software that the Hopkins department uses. It's called U Traversa and this is a screenshot of the fleet. Um it's it's only route 701 to 713. Uh Hopkins School District operates 47 general education routes. The the odd thing is 18 of those 47 run like routes 702 to 708. one route in the morning and one route in the afternoon. That's unusual, but it's due to student location and geography. >> For example, >> and remember secondary times. >> Yep. Yeah. >> Um and the other one, for instance, the the routes that run for equity options, they're included in this and they are solo runs because they're an hour and 15 minutes long >> in the morning. So, you can't do an early route and then in the afternoon they're an hour and 15 minutes long again. So, you can't do a late elementary route in the afternoon. It uses up a full bus, three of those. And there's there's also a number of other high school routes and west middle school routes that are in this boat. Now, I do have recommendation to mitigate a portion of of these single runs and that is um to combine and I'll go back to the map. West Middle School and the high school. is to combine West Middle School and the high school riding the same route because what we have now in the southwest quadrant of the district, we're running independent routes for West Middle School and independent routes for the Hopkins High School at the same time. Some of these routes follow each other. So my proposal is to or my recommendation for this particular situation is to combine West and the high school kids on the same bus at the picking them up at the same time. My uh it would involve a minor time shift and I'm prepping a report and I've got the the time shift but it's five minutes. the high school need should end um earlier in the afternoon than West Middle School. And I'll I'll explain that. In the morning, I would anticipate we could cut five routes out of the system if we do something like this. In the morning, you you'd run your West and high school kids at the same time picking them up. You would then take all of those buses. I'm going to estimate 10 to 12 of those routes. They would go to the high school, drop off high school kids at 8:15 and then go back to West and drop them off by 8:25. Then they're done. And then um in the afternoon, I would uh elect three two to three to four buses to gather up all the high school kids at dismissal time. And remember the high school a lot of this gets kind of technical. Five minutes means a lot. uh especially when teachers are waiting for kids to leave the building. Um you you want to be timely. Um so in the afternoon you would start at the high school with three to four buses, load up all the the high schoolers, bring them back to west where they would disperse and get on their bus home. U this does a couple things. The ride times down in the southwest quadrant of the district are very long for both West and OP and the high school kids. They're long. This would shorten their ride times. In fact, I would I would say create routes that are no longer than 20 minutes to service that area. Um, and it would also free up buses because they're shorter routes. you could put a a earlyrun elementary school in front of it and a late run elementary school behind it. So then you would be bet then you'd be tier three tier setup. That's that's one of the the route rec routing recommendations that I have in mind for Hopkins School District. Um and on paper everything I' I've looked at it and written the times every which way you could. Um, it looks like it'll work. Now, Isaiah, do you think it'll work? >> That's the important question. >> I I I like the idea. Um, it's kind of similar to what we're already doing for North Middle School. So, it's pretty much just adding the west piece. Um, the same as what we already have for North. The difference is North and High School are kind of on the same campus. So, >> and it's not uncommon, this practice is not uncommon. When I went to Weisetta back in the in the 90s, um they had uh they had Weisetta West, they had Weisetta East, and the high school at Central. >> And every day all the buses ran to the high school, dropped kids off, and then dispersed to the middle school. In the afternoon, 12 buses lined up at Weisetta High School. Six went to west, six went to East. >> I think our challenge, um Mr. is that often we have competing priorities. So, we're trying to really save on our resources and be super efficient. And at the same time, you know, we engaged in like a 2-year sleep study, which does um say that our older adolescents need um they they benefit when school starts later in the morning. And so, um, that's why we have our, um, later than 8:15 starts at our secondary schools. Now, I don't know if you can apply your same, um, framework to the late the later start times that we have for our secondary schools. >> Right. And, um, and I'll run these times past you. I I just pulled it out. I found it. Um, we've got the high school going from 8:35 to 320 and we've got the middle school and this is in my recommendation. We've got the middle school going from 840 to 325. So, it's very very similar to what it currently is. >> I think it moved up the high school by what 10 minutes. >> Yeah. But I would say the PM is the one that we have to think a little deeper about. the AM1 um 8:15 high school, we have to think about North, but the high school opens their doors up earlier. Um so for that earlier breakfast, so that one may not cause for like a time change in the AM. It may just be an earlier drop off versus a actual bail time change. I can say that. But the PM um may actually need the five minutes. >> Yeah, I thought I heard 8:15. >> Say that again. >> I thought I heard 8:15 drop off. 15 for a drop off, not a bail time change. So that's the difference. So the bail time could stay the same if we're able to drop off at the 8:15 time. So we we kind of deal with bail times or I'm sorry with drop off times more than we do bail times, but we understand that the bail times are very important. But for us, that 8:15 time is just a drop off time. If class can still start at the same normal time and we can drop off at 8:15, which we've heard from the high school sometimes they would like us to be a little earlier, um that could be helpful for the AM part. >> So, it's increasing our comfort level with more time where students are in the building but not in class in the morning. >> Yes. >> And maybe there are some structured experiences that we can offer students. >> Thank you. >> The routes will be a little shorter so that might mitigate the time change. um where some of these high school routes are starting at what time? Very early. An hour and 15 minutes before school starts. Um >> and that's a long time to ride a school bus. >> Yes. >> And some of >> especially in the metro area. >> Some of this is actually due to us moving the high school on that second tier. That's just where the bulk of our buses are. That's where the bulk of our students are. So what we we've been trying to do since that change is figure out a way to make everything work with what we have for all of our students. So I think that it hasn't been such an issue when they were on the first tier just because we could have shorter routes and spread them out a little bit more. But being in the middle, it's hard to have something ahead or behind it. So part of it is us trying to rectify something that we've done a few years ago. Um, and this is just a increased solution as we were able to look more into it to say, hey, it's a possibility to make this change and make some things that we've been working through easier for us. >> So, are there other recommendations? >> Yes, I go to those. >> I' I've got a list coming up. >> Great. >> Of additional recommendations. Um, I just want to make sure I'm covering everything. So, that was that was a discussion about the routing change that creates some efficiency uh going forward if if that's the way the district chooses to go uh with this routing change. Uh, that brings a close to my discussion of the two and three tier. And there's the uh the fleet again. And like I said, it is it is unusual for a school district. Most school districts have a better balance of of uh buses using or going through three tiers. Um there's always outliers in every district, but 18 is is is high to have single runs. And you don't get a cost break for that. There's there there's no because they have to put a bus on the road and a driver in that bus. So, uh, there there's there's no cost savings. Here are my here's the recommendations. Um, communication. Okay. We're all we're all in tune with everything. We're at instant communication with everybody. We want to get the transportation system to that point. there are tools out there that are available. Uh first of all uh campus integration um prior to this summer where another uh event that took place for the transportation department that uh was difficult to manage at at the particular time was a change in transportation software that occurred June >> pretty much >> June June or so. um it went to a different and I it's always recommended to do that in uh at least 6 months in advance and run it parallel with the current system. >> Um but anyway uh the canvas integration was lost with that change in software. So um we are do working diligently with uh with the our IT department and uh campus to get campus integrated. Parents should be able to go on on their students portal and find out here's my bus, here's my bus stop. >> Here's the time it comes. It's a week before school starts. We can send out an email. You can now retrieve your information in campus. It's it's vital to get it get to get that up and running. and we are on a a good path. We're meeting with campus and our internal IT tomorrow to continue this uh process. Um two other items that are within our transportation software currently in in the software. It's called automated uh vehicle location AVL and my K12 app. Uh basically automated vehicle location is GPS. All of our contractors use GPS in their vehicles. They're it's running now. We have the capabilities of gathering up their GPS information and integrating it into our software. So what happens is you've got a bus route and then you've got our written um structured route laying over it. We can monitor performance. We can check on time performance. We can check did this bus driver make this bus stop this morning? Um, and it's a it's it's I hope to have that going and I've kind of taken that off on Aisha's plate to uh to because she's got her hands full. So, I'm I'm working on that. There's a lot of thirdparty conversations going on because our two vendor contractors have two different GPS systems and we've got Tyler Tech. So, but it they ensure me that it's going to be in February that we'll have that up and running. Once we get automated vehicle location, the next step is my K12 app, which is what families can download to find out if their bus is running late or where is the bus? Uh um my child's not home yet. Where is the bus? Um, so that's automatic vehicle location has to come prior to my K12 app. We hope to get that up and going this spring, piloted this spring, >> maybe run it this summer, uh, to get it up and going for the start of school this this coming 26 27 school year. >> Great. I just want to quickly remind let everyone do a time check right now. Um, I would like to give some time for board member questions. So, um, if we're in a position where we could wrap up in five minutes, that'd be great. >> I am I'm all for that. >> All right. >> Um, and then, uh, routing and talked about implement pay to ride reinstate busing to 24 25 levels, but instead of no bus zone, it's a pay to ride situation. Uh, and these are my numbers I just threw in there. 200. Uh, a lot of this is mimicking what Minnetonka's done for years. Um, and they're at, I believe, $150 per student, then they cap at a family. And then open enrollment, further discussion is needed, potentially create hub stops. RFP is coming uh, which we go out, send out specifications. anybody interested to contract with the Hopkins School District, this is the time that they have the opportunity to do this. New bus contractors, uh sometimes that can be a good thing, sometimes that can be a bad thing. However, uh and we hope to have this situation finalized uh end of March, beginning of April. The earlier the better because if there's a new contractor, they need time. They have to buy equipment, hire drivers. uh cost impact. I don't see a great cost impact with my suggestions a little more efficiency created with the west and high school combination. The biggest unknowns right now open enrollment. What does the school district want to do with open enrollment? And what is going to happen with the RFP? What are what are rates going to come in at? That that is a that's a big unknown. None. >> Thank you. >> Impressive. Two minutes. You wrapped up in two minutes. >> Thank you. >> Um, thank you for that. That, um, that gives board members five more minutes to ask questions. So, um, really appreciate this, especially the historical context of where we were, the process we had last year, which I think, um, there was a lot of information thrown at us as board members. So, thank you for consolidating all of that and um uh yeah, I think these recommendations are really interested. Any uh feedback or questions from board members? >> Jar Andre. >> Yes, Director Xiao. >> Yes. Hi, uh Director Nisha and Tom. I appreciate you for being here. Um when we talk about transportation changes, you know, I understand and I appreciate that it's very complicated, but I also get very, very anxious. uh because execution has been uneven and uh we we've had I mean I think since I've been on the board a lot of situations where kids aren't getting picked up or they're late or people don't know where the routes are. So, you know, I think we really need to get it right and so we need to have a focus on execution and so your recommendations um I think are great but we we just need to have them happen right and so you know stuff doesn't go according to plan and we just need to I mean do you have a sense for like can you nail it like I don't you know it's maybe a hard question to ask but like if you can if you can execute it then that's great but if you can't and this is like a moonshot But then that's something that we need to consider as a board. >> I think from my perspective, we've we are able to execute with enough time. And so one thing that we've always had um conversations about is having enough time when decisions are made to be able to make the changes and implement them on time. And so I think that's where some of our frustrations are coming from is one the communication which a lot of that we are working through with our new with our new system. there there's like the my K12 app and things like that that come along with that. Um but also it's just having the time. We usually start routing even now for next year. Um we at least start preparing but we haven't had the chance to do that in a few years just with a lot of the big changes that we've had throughout the year different bail time changes or we may have started routing and had to switch a few months later and reroute everything. So we're just hopeful that you know without any big changes we'll be okay with time. Yeah. >> And and I'll jump in briefly. Um I don't see any of this as a huge change really. Um uh it's just uh it's incorporating the the kids that want to ride. We do the pay to ride. We've worked with the business office um and they said that yeah, that's not a not a problem. We can set that up and uh get that all set up well in advance. Um, and one thing I I do want to say is routine and stabilization in transportation is is a good thing. We want to create that. It's it's been there's been turnover in Naisha's office over the years. There's been changes from three to two tiers back to three. Routine and stabilization really is vital in transportation. And I think your the families would agree to it obviously too. >> I'll send you a holiday card if you figure it out. So it's a little extra kicker. >> You be on my holiday card list. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. Um, I appreciate that that question, um, Director Xiao, because I think that, um, at least from my perspective, my expectation was that we were going to have a payto- ride option. >> Sorry, the reverb. My expectation when we were making decisions last year is that we were going to have a pay to ride option. Um, and so seeing this as a recommendation is great and makes me really worried that we were it was the expectation that we would have that delivered to us to families and it was not. So, it it raises my um alarm bells to see that as a recommendation because I I struggle to have confidence that that's going to be a reality. Um and and I'm and and I'm also just naming this um as someone who has a high school student. Um I love the idea of shortened routes. I think it's critical and really important for kids to not be on the school bus um unless they have to be. But I do as a parent worry about putting middle schoolers on a bus with high schoolers, right? Like you just it widely different um developmental stages. And just speaking as a parent, I wonder if that would be a consideration. Um So yeah, those are just my wonderings and my thoughts. And really I I think for myself in order to get excited about these recommendation in particular the pay to ride I would really need to know that this is actually going to happen for our families. I would say Tom was not here um during that first portion of when we went and implemented all of our no bus changes and things like that last year. And so as he come along, he's heard about what we were intending on doing. And he's heard about what didn't happen and how it didn't happen. And so what we've been able to do and he's been really working hard with that IT piece um when it comes to like our GPS and making sure those systems are in place and we are way closer than we were before if we're talking about just the no bus zone um pay to ride option. And so that it was more of we had to get everybody the no bus zone situation started up. We're past startup and now we're at a place where we know that we can implement it. We've talked to different districts. We've went through processes in time. I think may have already worked in some districts that have something similar. So, we are way closer and we know for a fact that in transportation that's something that we want to make sure that we implement for families. So, I hope that helps with we understand that it didn't happen and we wish that it could have happened and would have like we planned in in the first place, but we are way closer and we plan we definitely want to make sure that we have this for our families. um it is it would be helpful. I mean the logistics of all the extra pieces of it is a whole different story, but the process to get it done is really close. >> And then just sorry, just a quick follow up on that. Um so I'm thinking from a policy standpoint. So the recommendation is to keep our policy as it is and to actually enforce our policy, which we weren't doing. Um but the fix for families then would be to implement the pay to ride. Is that my understanding of this recommendation? >> I think what what Tom was saying from his recommendation is the fix for families would be essentially a payto- ride zone instead of a no bus zone. So families could choose to pay to ride from that one mile or however.5 or or whatever with the fee. Um so essentially we'd be getting rid of the no bus zone the whole area within um say even a block away from school. If you decided you wanted to get a bus, you could pay to ride. That's what Tom's recommendation is. And I know we didn't go into that in depth on the slides, but that is what the fix would be for families, >> but keeping the one and two mile parameters. >> So that would be so what we would the policy shift would be to um shift the language from no bus zone to pay to ride. >> So for elementary students technically, yes. If we want to call it pay to ride, whatever we want to call it, that's fine. But yes. Okay. Um, instead of it being a no bus zone, there's a certain area. So that one mile for elementary families, if you're within this one mile, let's take that. Um, you are in our pay to ride zone. If you would like to, you can pay to ride. >> Um, families may not, you know, want to or maybe they're in Kenza company or, you know, different things like that. But that is what >> the fix is for families in this situation. >> Okay. >> Chair Andre. >> Yes. I just wanted to make sure that you and the board understand that currently North Middle School and Hopkins High School students ride the same buses >> and some west also. >> Okay. So >> I would think it actually >> for that context >> a calmer environment with high school kids on >> Oh, >> believe me there is that they behave school bus drivers. They'll just share their headphones and >> and they've always rolled together except for the one year where we changed North's bell time away from what the high school's bell time was. That's the only time that they didn't ride together, >> which makes no sense whatsoever. >> No. Um and and so just quickly to clarify around that, the the understanding is that um our we would be able to keep our bus routes to 47 even with the pay to ride like we should be able to absorb >> that amount of ridership because I remember last year we were talking about well if we do that we're just going to add another bus and we're going to add another bus and we're going to add another bus. So, we're saying this is not going to be the case. It's still going to be 47 plus we'll be getting income from pay to ride. >> That's what I believe. Yes. Um, >> fantastic. >> With some outliers with open enrollment, >> right? Yes. >> That's that's the big question. >> Thank you. Sorry everybody. >> Chair Andre, I just have a quick question. I know we're limited on time. So, um, around this RFP. So, we've had two transportation providers, MTN and Lake Country, right? Do we think we're still going to need two or are we going to move to like one? And and then a a quick followup. I'm thrilled to hear about the um moving to the automated vehicle location. I if we ended up going with a new provider, does that put us back um in the progress you've made, Mr. Burr? M >> to so for the first part we we have one primary contractor which is Lake Country who was awarded the contract. MTN has been a contractor that has helped us in driver shortages. So it's we were fortunate enough to be able to utilize them to help us in a time of need when we didn't have the drivers to f fulfill the routes. Um typically we'd go out for one. We would like to find a contractor that can take on everything that we have. Um, all of our sped, all of our everything that we have, and it would be that one contractor, especially with us having the building that we have that they're housed in. Um, and that's the hope. I mean, we we could always look into other things, but the hope is to go back to the one, which is more simple, easier. Um, and then we would have that one GPS component that we'd have to deal with when it comes to the new contractor. I don't think it would set us back. It's just a matter of we make sure that stuff is in the RFP um like we do for all of our contractors, but we also just make sure what they're using or we could even require them to use a certain type of GPS or whatnot if they're going up for bid for for the contract. >> Okay, thank you Andre has a question. I thank you all so much um for coming to give this presentation and just for the interest of time I will just um email some additional questions but I have one specific question. So I know that start times was something that um some families struggled with like with the later ones. And so I know working with that's working with for my family is that um there is a a before school um aspect and the busing for that is seamless for us. And so um I know there's a few kids who get on that bus. So if we in um if we implemented a before school program for some of the later schools like Alice Smith or Metobrook, will that resolve any issue at all for um for busing capacity for families or routing issues? >> I'm not sure completely. It all depends. It could shift either way. Um it could increase buses or it could take some away. It really depends. um you the bus that you're talking about was added um on one of those high school buses that didn't have a first tier and we made some adjustments to make it work. Um give or take it it actually depends if we looked at it and and we could see it would essentially be adding a first tier for someone else. So it's something to look into. >> Thank you. Mhm. >> Any other questions, thoughts? Um, okay. So, what I hear, um, that the board needs to do if we accept these recommendations and I think we might have more questions. Um, but we need we do need to look at our policy again to make that no bus zone to pay to ride transition. Um, and then I'm also wondering and this would probably be a question for the monitoring committee which we'll be sure to address is is there anything in our policy that um would make our solution or our fix for open enrollment um nonpracticable? like do we need to shift policy at all for that and we can look at that in the committee or um just to make sure that we have options when we're talking about open enrollment because I heard that is another recommendation we need to look at that >> is that correct >> shift policy just I just can you clarify what would we be shift shifting the policy into I just I'm curious >> so I hear a recommendation that we address open enrollment and the What I heard is that going to the hub >> idea of having adding in a few buses um for students to get on that are open enrolled. Is that accurate? >> Yes. >> Yes. So, I'm wondering does the board need to do anything policy-wise so that we can >> I think we should check just to make sure because I'm not sure if it would be a policy change. I think it would be more of a a practice change. I think we follow the the statute policies already. Um it's just a matter of as a board are we what would we like to do? um when it when it comes to open room families and the if the numbers are increasing, do we want to put more resources to the hub stops or not? >> Okay. >> Chair Andre, one more thing if I may. >> Um there is Minnesota statute that requires um Hopkins the school district to provide transportation within the attendance area of the school for open enrolled students. So would the hubs be within the school boundaries or are you talking about hubs outside of the school boundaries? >> Yeah, they just outside and the big thing there is you cannot charge you can create a pay to ride system within the district but you can if it's outside of the district. >> Okay. >> Thank you. So we will at monitoring committee uh vice chair Roer we can look into that. >> Thank you all. I appreciate it. Thank you for the recommendations and for answering our questions. Um >> thank you. >> I think we have some really great things to consider and discuss and to to look at to solve some of these issues for our community. Really appreciate it. Thank you. >> Thanks to you both for the time and the work. >> And we get a whopping three minutes break back here at Welcome. I'd like to invite my board colleagues back to the table so we can get started. We're a little bit past um the 700 pm hour. Um I want to be mindful of people's time this evening. Okay. And so I will go ahead and get started. Um I will call to order the general meeting of the Hopkins School Board for January 27th, 2026 at 7:05 p.m. Thank you all for being here. Our first order of business is open agenda and we um have the first part as public comment. The Hopkins School Board believes that hearing from our community members is crucial for implementing vision 2031. If you wish to contact the board, you can do that via email. Instead of coming and uh providing public comment at a meeting, you can do so in two ways to provide public comment at a meeting. The first is voicemail. Um do we have any voicemails for this evening? We do not have any voicemails and I do not believe we have any in-person comments either. So, thank you everybody. We do appreciate um hearing from our community members. So, please um consider public comment or um contacting us via email. That then takes us to our student board representatives report. I'm thrilled to see three of our board reps here at the table and I will turn it over to you. I will start. My name is Iris Moore. I'm a sophomore student board representative and this is my second year on the board. First off, I wanted to talk about choir stepup night. Um, this is tomorrow. High school choirs will sing a song called Turn the World Around with current eighth graders who will hopefully then join choir next year as a freshman. Um, you may you may remember from last board meeting that I talked about band step up night and the orchestra festival which happened um band happened two weeks ago and orchestra happened one week ago. Both of those concerts went really well and I'm sure choir will as well. Next up, I wanted to talk about bilingual seals. Um, this is your last chance this year to sign up for the bilingual test. You can earn the bilingual seal in a few different ways. One of which is through taking this test. The bilingual seal is an award that shows that you are able to write, speak, and comprehend in a language other than English fluently. There are different tests for many different languages to earn the seal. There are three levels of bilingual seal that can help you earn a scholarship. Um, which are silver, gold, and platinum. Platinum being the best score, silver being the lowest. Though, um, those are only for scholarship scores. You can also get a bronze score, but is unlikely you'll be awarded anything because of that score. um it's equivalent to a two or lower on an AP test. Um in a similar strain, AP test registration is open. This is the second window of the year. So if you took an AP course first semester, this is your last opportunity to sign up for the AP test, which will be in May. If that is the case for you, then you will be feed I believe it's $50, but I could be wrong. Um, if you are taking the AP course this semester, uh, then you won't be feed, but it is your only chance to sign up for the or for the test. Um, and then Eloise was not able to be here tonight, but she did have something very important to talk about, so I'm taking that over for her. Um, she is leading this, though, um, the entirety of student board is helping out with it. We are distributing red cards stating your rights and a script um to say if you come in contact with an ICE agent. So these will be dis distributed hopefully next week at um at lunch in English, Spanish, Somali, Mandarin, and Mung so that students and families can have a physical card that says everything they need to know and say if they come in contact with an ICE agent. Um and then lastly, I wanted to give my teacher spotlight, which is Mr. Leipa. Um, as I'm sure you're aware, all of the classes have just changed because of the new semester. So, I haven't fully gotten to know any of my teachers, but so far, Mrs. Leipa's class seems really fun and interesting. >> He's my HP pal teacher. And in the two class periods we've had, we've already analyzed a poem, started a new book, and learned a bunch of some obscure, some more common interesting literary devices. Both class periods have been super interesting and enlightening. So, I can't really I can't wait to see what we learn in the rest of the semester. >> Hi everyone, my name is Adena. I'm one of the ninth grade reps and it's my first year on the board. I want to start off by mentioning that today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today marks the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Ashuititz and it's a very important day not just in Judaism but for everybody to remember. Um I'll start with my teacher spotlight, Mr. Therrell. Mr. Therell is the teacher for the DECA club and teaches my business and management class. Um, it's only the second day of the term, but so far we've learned about the core pillars of management and what they mean for a business. Mr. The always communicates clear with his clearly with his students and ensures that they have everything that they need to succeed. Next, I want to talk about the end of the term. Last Thursday was the final day of the second term and the first semester. And to celebrate, the student council provided donuts at every entrance for students as they arrived to school. Um, looking ahead, there will be a boys tennis clinic for grades 7 to 12 on January 31st. It'll run from 2 to 4:00 p.m. in the North Middle School activity structure. It's a great chance for students to practice or see if they're interested in tennis before the season starts in March. Lastly, I want to highlight the DECA competition and awards ceremony. DECA is a business competition where students from many schools present projects and participate in interviews based on their chosen career path. The competition was held on Sunday followed by the award ceremony on Monday. And I am proud to announce that 37 of the kids from Hopkins qualified for the state competition. >> Thank you. >> That's impressive. Hi, my name is HSA and I'm also a freshman on the board. Today I wanted to start by talking about the upcoming interest trip meeting to go to Egypt that's happening on the 29th at 5:00 p.m. at Hopkins High School in the West 121 room. The trip is basically for past or current AP World History, AP European History, or AP African-American Studies students interested in the trip to go to Egypt in the spring break of 2027. The second thing I wanted to talk about was the SMAC volunteer opportunity. Smack stands for student multicultural advisory committee. They aim to create a safe and supportive space with opportunity to directly impact the safety and security program at Hopkins High School. Interested students can fill out an interest form to be provided with further further information in the news newsletter that's sent out. The next thing I wanted to talk about was that next week the high school will be signing up for next year's classes. Students will be able to fiddle around with their course requests through Infinite Campus. Just like last year, it's recommended that each student sign up for 16 credits each year, though it's not needed to graduated. Lots of interesting courses that are available at the high school include culinary, psychology, and even keyboarding. And finally, I'd like to spotlight my math teacher, Miss Han, for creating a positive environment and giving us time to do the math problems she gives us. We're still picking up. So, today we did an equation of the day and examined some graphic data. Thank you. >> Thank you. Appreciate those updates. Um, super impressed that 37 um, DECA people made it to the finalists. Um, any other comments or questions? >> Um, cheer and I do have a um, thank you. I I really do appreciate your board reports um, because it just gives us like real time insight about what's happening at the high school. Uh just wondering how can we as you know like as board members as a district best support you right now just given the current climate of everything that's happening in Minnesota. Um I want to make sure that we are supporting you all 100%. Um I know as adults we struggle right but as high schoolers you all may be struggling a bit more and I don't want to miss the mark to provide you with what you need in this moment. >> Yeah. Thank you. I think right now a lot of students are just really scared and the best support that we can offer is I think information and like making sure that every student knows that they are valued and they are wanted in Hopkins. And I'm saying this as a white person who is a citizen of the US. So if like someone else also wants to comment and say what they would think as um someone from a different perspective, then that's obviously wonderful. Um but from what I've noticed, I think the biggest thing is just to be transparent about what students um like what their rights are, right? And that's why we're distributing these cards. if ICE agents come to school, what's going to happen, right? So, we're trying to get this information out about what our policies are at the high school and the district and things like that just so that students are informed about what could happen um and everything that they should be prepared for, if that makes sense. >> Thank you, Iris. Any other perspectives? Um, I would just say I mean obviously everything Iris said was um, perfect. Um, I would just say like keep continuing your engagement and your communication with the students. Making sure like Iris said that every student knows that they're valued and that they just know that you're going to be there for them whenever they need it. >> Um, I think so far this has been great. I myself after everything that's happened the principles have reached out to students and stuff with emails about things and how the support they can get if they need it. I think currently this is like personally what I think is like such a great way to show not only students but sometimes even parents that like get to see the emails that were sent to the students that hey Hopkins likes everyone. they're all the same and everything is, you know, like that. Um, I think like Iris said, information. I think some people aren't as informed as others. Some people again like watch the news like 24/7. Some people are just trying to like lock in and just like trying to hide everything. Nothing's happening. But I think information, especially like direct information, like face-toface information, >> um something like this, if we had people like come in and we talk to them like this, I think this is like the best way to put it into like real words for them. >> Thank you, >> Jared. >> Yes. >> Hi. Um I I will say, you know, these are certainly dark days, but uh one thing that gives me hope is uh um seeing and hearing uh our students uh standing up for ourselves and each other and being kind to each other. Uh I know you had a a walk out and uh I'm really really glad that you did that. um because I think it's important to get the attention of adults and say that this is not normal and uh I really appreciate all of you for uh doing that. So, thank you. I wholeheartedly agree very very I'm always proud to um to represent Hopkins students but increasingly so every day um you show us how to be in community with one another and um very very proud. All right. Well, thank you for that and thank you for being with us this evening. You of course we welcome you to stay. We always um appreciate your input, but understand that you may have other things to do with your evening. So, with that, we will um turn it over to Dr. Mary Perry Reed. >> Thank you, Chair Andre. Um I was just looking for a photo from my phone. I should have included it in the slide deck, but it's a photo of nearly a thou well probably not a thousand because the auditorium seats about 900, but 900 of our high school students who were debriefing in the auditorium after the the studentled protest. And um just to see the facial expressions of our students and really engaged on the debriefing, listening to the adults who were guiding the debriefing, it was a really strong reminder of how our students show up during important times and also show up for each other. So it's a small little photo. Um oh, is the slide deck not working? >> No, that that cord doesn't really work anymore. So I get to join you up here. >> Okay. Yay. >> Thank you. >> So, um, we normally have a student recognition before the board meeting begins and we were going to recognize our AAA award winners, but they are busy people just like our student board reps. So, neither one of them were available for this evening. So, I did just want to do a quick shout out to our two high school seniors, um, who are this year's triple award winners, Lucy Johnson and Levi Less. I'm not sure if that's how we pronounce Levi's last name. Um, but the triple A award honors high school seniors across the state who maintain a GPA of 3.0 0 or higher and participate in Minnesota State High School League sponsored athletic and fine arts activities. So, congratulations to Lucy and Levi. It's a big award. On this next slide, you'll see examples of our kindergarteners engaging in our new math curriculum. Our students and teachers really love the new math curriculum. This curriculum invites students to talk and write about math, to listen to each other's ideas, justify their thinking, and critique others reasoning to develop their own mathematical understandings. These kindergarteners are at Alice Smith in Miss Largo's class. They're practicing their adding and subtracting skills by using counters and 10 frames. And then in addition to addition and subtraction, our math curriculum will require kindergarteners to represent and compare numbers, recognize 2D and 3D shapes, explore measurement, spatial reasoning, and patterns. So, kindergarten is a really important year for developing mathematical thinking. This next slide is about assessing student writing. So two years ago, we piloted dictating sentences in all classes across grades K through two and administering the same writing prompts in all classes across grades 2 through 5. And these are now required writing assessments. These common writing assessments are aligned to standards. They include clear administration guidance, multilingual prompts for immersion, and opportunities for student reflection. And they are used by teachers to better understand student writing and also the impact of instruction based on feedback and best practice. We are exploring a similar approach for back to the writing slide. We are exploring a similar approach for middle school that would support student portfolios, balanced assessment, and student agency over time. And then the long-term vision is for students to build a meaningful writing record across grades that reflects growth, strengths, and personal voice as they prepare for high school and beyond. Here on this next slide, you'll see Oh, Iris, there you are. You'll see um actually we had probably close to 40 students, high schoolers in this room, S182. Um these students join district leaders and reps from Fielding International and Site Logic, our architecture and construction partners for the bond referendum. And these students shared input on what the school's physical spaces could look like for the next generation of learners. Students participated in a gallery walk to review images of learning spaces from actual schools around the world and shared what inspires them and what could be improved in our own high school and also what would best support learning. This gathering is one of many opportunities for students and the Hopkins community to help shape school upgrades and renovations that were made possible by November's voter approved bond referendum. We're very grateful to our community for investing in modern, welcoming learning spaces, not only for today's students, but of course for future generations. On this next slide, you'll see Miss Nelson. Rachel Nelson is one of six academic counselors at Hopkins High School. Drawing on prior experience at Minnotonka High School, Miss Nelson believes student seminars are an effective way to build relationships, share information, and ensure students are prepared for high school and post high school planning while also reducing the need for repetitive one-on-one counselor to student meetings. After aligning with district leaders on the college and career scope and sequence, Miss Nelson and other counselors help integrate mylearning tools into a comprehensive 612 post high school planning framework. Seminars are intentionally sequenced throughout the year. So seniors in September, juniors in November, freshman in December, sophomores in January. So we're grateful to our high school counselors and also our college and career specialist, Dr. school for designing this structure to ensure that all students are receiving the post high school guidance and support that they need and deserve. I would like to thank our Hopkins Education Foundation, HEF, for launching the Hopkins Strong Relief Fund, which has now raised more than $167,000. Wow. putting us more than halfway to our $250,000 goal as we continue working to meet growing needs for food, rent, utilities, and other essentials for our vulnerable families. Support has poured in from more than 670 donors across 40 states, Washington DC, and even internationally, reflecting this really powerful sense of collective responsibility for our families. Many of our immigrant families are facing extreme challenges and through this partnership with the A food shelf, the fund will be able to help those who need it most. And as many of us know, the momentum was strengthened by a generous matching donation from Paige Beckers, whose leadership and generosity inspire our community. So, thank you, Paige. Thank you, HF. Thank you ICA and all the parents and community members who have been helping to make this a vibrant opportunity. Okay. And then this is my last slide because I'm trying to make meet a time limit. Am I meeting it? >> You're meeting it. >> Awesome. Then we have Mr. Kappell who will help with a program spotlight. So I just um we had our students earlier talking about how they are doing during this radically uncertain time. We are monitoring our staff and students very closely. We're monitoring our student attendance and staff attendance very closely. We are currently offering as described in an email to staff and families on January 15. We are offering flexible learning pathways to any student or family who does not feel safe coming to school. So please know that students families can call the point of that just call your school. They will know who the point of contact is to get students connected to a flexible learning pathway so that that cont continuing learning can occur. And we also have a really organized district-wide parent network probably close to 200 or more. I don't want to um say a number because I actually don't know how many hundreds of parents are involved in this really organized uh network that's connected districtwide but also proises provides a base of support for each of our 11 schools with a parent coordinator who is the point of contact for each school principal. So this network of parents is available to provide that very unique or individualized support that students and families and even staff might need. Then we talked about safety protocols. So um to date federal agents have not attempted to um enact immigration enforcements on school property. Um, so important to know that if staff encounter federal agents at our schools or in our parking lots or at the, you know, external doors, then staff know and they've been informed multiple times across all of our sites. So, so staff have been informed to contact the administration who will then call local law enforcement and we talk with our local law enforcement um partners about what they will how they will engage with federal agents and they're prepared to take over those conversations to try to just you know get everything um um taken care of off of school property I think is the most important thing so we can keep our students and staff safe and then also bus drivers have been informed that if they see agents at bus stops they are not to let students off of the buses. So we do feel confident that staff are well informed at this point. Families I think is a different story. So, I think it's a good idea to send reminders to families um either written or in social media just what the protocols are and um where they can get some resources if they want to know more about their rights or safety protocols, um educational support opportunities, things like that. And then we did want to let our community know that if a student or family is questioned or detained or um um deported, we we do not share that family's personal situation and private data with our broader community. We do share information if we have permission and only on a needs to know basis. So, we did receive a few emails um when a family recently was detained and now, you know, it's it's more well known because it was in the news. And so, families asked, "Well, how how come we weren't notified?" And unless um unless families are in a need to know basis, for example, if it impacted a specific classroom or a specific school, then we'll share information. but um not more broadly than um like I said on that need to know basis. So I hope that makes sense and with that I'm going to invite Mr. Kappell to come and provide a program spotlight on AVID. So AVID stands for advancement via individual determination. It's it's a it's a nationwide program that has helped thousands probably hundreds of thousands of students um acquire the organizational and academic skills that help them be more successful in advanced high school courses and then obviously apply and get into college. So, um Mr. Kappell is our wonderful AVID coordinator. He's also a Hopkins High School teacher and we're grateful for all the work you do for our students and community. And I'll let you put a program spotlight on AVID. >> Thank you. Um I appreciate it. Um again, my name is Matt Kappell. I'm the AVID district director. Along with that, I uh teach science actually not at the high school anymore at our virtual edu school. Um so um so that's my role and that's my 31st year here in the Hopkins district. >> Welcome. Um the mission statement as you can see um AVID's mission is to close the opportunity gap by preparing all students for college and career readiness and and success in a global society. U I want to emphasize that that AVID uh while we strive to make sure that all of our students um have all of their options for them post-secary including admission to 4-year university um we are not limiting our students or steering our students to any one particular path. We encourage career readiness, um job readiness, two-year technical schools, any of that. Um but we feel that the skills we teach would serve our students well in all of those uh all of those options. Um currently in Hopkins, we have AVID in three of our buildings at Alice Smith Elementary. Um and then at Virtual Edu and at Hopkins High School. In all three of those buildings, um, AVID's goals and purposes are to, um, build strong academic habits for all of our students, our executive functioning skills, and to help build, uh, the traits of our Hopkins scholars. We really truly believe, um, in holistic and confident scholars for everybody. Um, and we think the skills centered around, you can see on on the presentation, the acronym is wicker, writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading. Um and students with strengths in those five areas can be successful in any of their post-secary um pursuits. Um and so in all three of these buildings, we really strive to uh build skills schoolwide in those five areas. At Alice Smith, they focus specifically on vertical alignment and vertical growth of rigor. um so that students are encountering um when they go from preK through five at Alice Smith, they're hoping to see the same types of things in the classroom, the same type of teaching techniques, the same type of strategies um but increasing rigor uh as appropriate from preK through five. Along with that, at Hopkins High School and virtual edu, we have targeted AVID elective classes um for students who need and want support in some of those areas uh in a more targeted fashion. Uh we have two sections at each grade level at Hopkins High School 9 through 12 um serving um about uh 50 students at each grade level. So total of 200 students. Uh we have one class at virtual edu serving about 25 students. Um those students again receive targeted support um in three areas. Uh we call it opportunity knowledge. Um what are your options after high school? Why is being successful in high school important? Um, and how do we um then prepare you to handle um rigorous coursework to help build your resume for post-secary uh options? Um, and then student agency. How do they become advocates for their own needs um both uh with their peers um as well as with adults that they encounter? Um we've had some really great successes over um over the last um multiple handful of years. Um I wanted to spotlight a couple of recent successes that we've experienced. Um our students um particularly enter their junior and senior year in our AVID elective classes receive uh coaching for the ACT test. Um and this year's seniors um showed a tremendous amount of growth um in their ACT scores when we compare their first attempt at the ACT during their junior year to their second attempt in October of their senior year. Um and so on this graph you can see um students that are not an AVID at Hopkins High School showed around 2% growth in their scores between their first and second um attempt at the ACT. Uh whereas our AVID students uh you can see depending on that subject area um scored between five and 14% growth um depending on the subject area of of the test. And so we're very proud of that. um the a successful ACT score not only opens more college admission um possibilities for students, but it also opens more scholarship opportunities for students. Um and so uh they're highly motivated to uh show success and growth uh in the ACT because hey, more money is good, right? Um so we're very proud of our AVID um our AVID kids for uh for that type of success. Um, and then over the course of the last three years, um, every single one of our AVID seniors has been accepted to a 4-year university, at least one. Um, that does not mean that they attend. Um, we obviously don't we can't force them to go to college, but we, like I say, our goal is to open all the doors for the students so they can have the choices um that they deserve. Uh, and so uh, every one of our seniors over the last three years has been accepted to at least one. Um, and not only that, but um, as we track our AVID students um, through their college experience, Hopkins AVID students stay in college 10% higher than the national average. So, not only are our students qualifying to go, not only are our students attending, but they're staying and persisting in college. Um, and the national statistics show a huge drop off after freshman year. A lot of kids go and realize it's too hard. Um, but Hopkins AVID students are going and staying. Um, so we're very proud of those statistics and uh and we're um very proud of our our AVID kids in the AVID program um as it's existed at Hopkins High School now for 16 years. Um and it's in its uh first year at virtual edu. Uh we look forward to that success at virtual edu as well. >> Thank you. Ending on a high note. >> Yeah, it's a great that's a great way for me to I'd be h I'd be happy to answer any questions if you have any. Great. Well, I didn't know if you were done or >> unfinished. >> Trying. Well, thank you. Um, as a parent of kids who went to Alice Smith, I'm a big fan of AVID. I think it just sets kids up for success in life. Um, so, um, really grateful that you're here and able to highlight the program. Any feedback or questions? >> Chair Andrees. >> Director Xiao. >> Yes. Thank you. Nice to see you again. I was I went I saw you at AVID graduation. Um and I think I asked you there and I'm going to ask more formally here. >> How can we roll this out to more kids and what's the bottleneck and how can we alleviate that bottleneck? >> Um that's a great question. Um if we were looking to do this at more schools, um which I would love to do personally, um there is a um there's a yearly fee for each school of around $3,500. um that covers the professional growth that is offered and the materials uh for AVID for each school. Um and so I I think our next natural steps would be the two middle schools um to begin to build that um and feed into the high school appropriately. I would also love to to go to other elementary schools as well. Um but uh if I was to prioritize, I'd say the middle schools. um for the actual elective class itself um um we would love to see some um growth within the sections. I'm not sure that more sections are appropriate. Um it the the target audience for the AVID kids are students who um are considered in the academic middle. Um so it's not intended for everybody. It's not intended for straight A students. It's not intended for students who have special needs that we can't service in a mainstream classroom. Um, it's intended for students in the academic middle who are very underrepresented in the college level. Um, so we do have a target audience for our elective classes. Um, not that we eliminate anybody based on any of those things, but it's the the students that tend to succeed the most there. Um, so I would love to see our sections grow, but I'm not sure how I'm not sure how many more students would actually qualify for that targeted elective class. for the buildings. Um I I would love for Hopkins High School and for Virtual Edu in terms of buildingwide um you know professional growth and and um and development and and and learning for the teachers around what are effective strategies and how do we build consistent strategies between classrooms um is a is a tricky thing given all of the requirements that our teachers are under. Um but I'd love to have time with our staff to help build that cross um crosscontent collaboration. um where we can talk about consistency and um making sure that what students see in Mr. Leip's class can be the same as what students see in a science classroom. Um so that students aren't jumping from classroom to classroom having to learn different ways to learn if that makes sense. >> Chair Dreston, can I ask a question? >> Vice Chair, >> thank you so much for um your presentation. And I always appreciate let's um I always appreciate college access programs because I went through one and which is my question um for you just a two-part quick question. One, do you know of any college access programs that still exist? So for example, I went through a program called GAAP um that helped me um get a pathway into Minnesota State University Mano. And so I went there right after high school through that program. So, I don't know of any programs like that exist anymore um that you may know of. And then just really quick then too, do you partner with community organizations such as like the Minneapolis Urban League who have a program called Black Gyms where they do go to H.B.CU CU tours every year, but they also prepare students um and I think it's now offered to um students across the metro um to support them with secondary um college uh education and resources. >> Uh those are great questions. Um for the first one, I'm not aware of specific programs. I know that we work our the AVID program works closely with Michelle Coul um our college and career readiness person at the high school and and she um funnels those opportunities to our to our makes our AVID kids aware of those opportunities. I don't know of any specific ones. >> Um but I know that Michelle works Michelle has her ear to the ground on those and she works with our AVID teachers to make sure that all of our students are informed in that not just our AVID kids but all of the students. >> Um in terms of the second one, I think that's an area of growth for our program is community partnerships. Um, I I think that that um um I know that um I I think when we talk about opportunity knowledge, I I think that many of our students are sometimes limited by financial constraints about seeing H.B.CU or going to to see schools or opportunities outside of the state. Um, and so I think that's a next level of of opportunity would be for us to partner with groups like that, um, who I'm aware of and and I and I know their mission and support it wonderfully. And I I I hope that that we could use that as an area of growth for us. We don't do anything now, but I think that's something we're working toward. >> Thank you so much. Can I ask just one more little quick question? Sure. um if uh I know that AVID is um correct me if I'm wrong that it is implemented within several different school districts or is it within like different areas and so how is it may come out of our budget I'm still learning about this but how is AVID funded like do you all have like donors >> for um right now it comes out of our our buildings budgets okay >> um so virtually edu Hopkins High School asmith fund the that yearly fee out of their building budgets Um um I know that a great majority of districts around the metro um will fund it through their A&I ANI dollars. Um we used to fund it out of those dollars and and a few years ago it was moved to the buildings as we move to more building based budgeting. >> Um but I know that if you were to ask around um many districts around us offer it Robbinsdale does and Burnsville and Apple Valley and um um uh Minneapolis and St. Paul. All of those districts fund that out of ANI dollars. >> Okay. Thank you so much. And I'll reach out with more like questions and maybe a connection to a community partnership if you're interested. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you for being here with us this evening. I appreciate it. >> Thank you, Mr. Kappo. >> Thank you. Mhm. >> Um and then that uh takes us to approval of tonight's agenda. I would look for a motion to approve the agenda for this evening. >> So moved. >> I have a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. Okay. >> Any opposed? The chair votes I. And the agenda for tonight is approved. And that takes us to our consent calendar. These items uh provide the board with information considered to be more routine in nature. If the board deems an item to be necessary for additional discussion, a motion will be made to move the item to new business. I did want to say before um we consider approving the consent calendar that there were two um changes to two of the items. I wanted to highlight those changes for our community. They were in the minutes. The first is item A, which is approval of the minutes for the organizational meeting conducted on January 13, 2026. Um we the um minutes were altered because our um committee approvals um and assignments were um were not listed correctly um because we did not um approve that particular item. So, a vote to approve the consent calendar tonight would be approving the committee assignments that we did at the January 13th meeting. So, I wanted to make everybody aware of that, but that's also what you're approving by approving the consent calendar. And then there was also a necessary change to the approval of the minutes for the special meeting conducted on January 20th originally. When the minutes were posted, um, Clerk Thompson was not listed as not attending the meeting. The, uh, minutes have been, um, updated to reflect, um, did I call you clerk Thompson again? Director Thompson's um, absence from that meeting. Um, I will get it right probably by the end of the year. Um, so with those changes, um, I would look for a motion to approve the consent calendar. >> So moved. >> I have a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> The chair votes I. And the consent calendar is approved. And that takes us to the treasures report. Treasurer Hartland. >> Wonderful. Thank you. Um, good evening everyone. And for the next couple of meetings, I'm going to review some topics we've touched on in the past, both because they're either timely or because we might have new community members joining us and we have new board members. And so, quickly, I'm going to touch on the district's use of PECards, um, which is how our departments and buildings purchase some of their supplies. And the district has made several proactive moves to stay ahead of the danger of fraudulent spending. And um some of our metro districts have had some issues with that. And so um one of these ways that we have increased rigor and transparency around that is by um instituting the use of pecards. And the district worked hard to reduce the number of cards we have active. So, from an original number of 140 cards, we're down to fewer than 40. And PECards are credit cards essentially, and they get paid after the fact. And um we have approximately one PECARD per building, one per department, and then just a couple key people with spending power. And the owners of all cards have to go through mandatory training before they can get one. All PECARD transactions require the submission of receipts and documentation. And so they need to be approved by the head of their department. And then finally again the business audit the business office and those transactions get audited by external auditors. And so this is highly relevant on our current check register. Uh there's a lot of Amazon expenses and I'll I'll touch on those in a minute. But I do want to point out that both department heads who are approving purchases and business service people can go in and see the actual items purchase, not just like an Amazon receipt. And I can inquire into any of those purchases as well. Um, with the exception of it and building and grounds, um, every other card has a limit of $10,000. it and building and grounds routinely have to make larger purchases and the nature of their departments is that they um sometimes respond to emergencies or like immediate needs and need a little bit more flexibility. So if you exclude those two departments, total PECARD purchases are well under 1% of our budget. And in fact, Harris, our card serer, just finished their annual review of our credit limit usage. And so based on past spending, we went into this year with an overall credit limit on PECards of $1.4 million in the district. And we have dramatically cut that spending over the last few years, both because of budget cuts and being really prudent with the dollars and also from moving as many expenses as possible into kind of more planned purchases that are done via um like purchase order. And so we actually received a recommendation that we cut that credit limit by more than half. And so that's currently being considered. Um and so that is kind of just a brief update on how um some of those purchases are made and it's relevant because I mentioned a wealth of Amazon purchases that are on our current check register. And these are PCard purchases. They are all actually from our previous school year. There was an issue in Oracle with paying Amazon. It was a technicality on how our old system interfaced with Amazon and when we made the decision to move away from that system and back to Skyward. Then we didn't complete fixing that issue and so a pretty large effort had to be made to move those expenses to Skyward and tie them to the previous year. So they are all coded correctly. Um this is actually only about 50% of them. you'll see the next batch next year. So, it was a a pretty significant um effort on behalf of uh business services. And then also in the check register, I'd like to point out that if you see a set of exactly duplicated expenses, almost always that is the result of reissuing a check. And so the entry because of this report in Skyward, it does not show the voided check. And that was kind of a strength of Oracle is that they did do that very clearly. um checks need to get voided for a variety of reasons like if the check is lost or if it has some kind of clerical error. So for example um arbiter sports on this um check register multiple invoices were covered by a single check that did have to get reissued and I can go in and see the voided check. So, um there's a couple instances in this check register of uh such an occasion. And if one worries you, you can always email me and say like, did this get duplicated? Um multiple times I've inquired, you know, on every other check register. So, I make such an inquiry to business services to see if that's an actual duplication. And occasionally it just happens to be like the same dollar amount and just looks the same. But generally it's due to a reissue and we have the appropriate documentation. Um and other expenses um we paid $20,2140 to Breck School for their textbooks, textbooks and educational software. $16,150 went to the city of Minnitonka for traffic studies as we plan for changes to our parking lots and parent dropoff lines for some of our schools. Our arbitrage payment to the IRS was $133,161.7. That was related to our capital project fund. And so we owe taxes if we earn profit from the investment of those funds. So that's a kind of a special case. $386,000 was paid to Lake Country, our busing contractor, and of that $16,176 was for transportation. two charter schools within our boundaries, not even for our our own students. We paid $68,780 to Mayo Systems. And that invoice is titled App One HHS. And so anytime you're looking at our check register, if it says app one or app 2, those, you know, can go up to any number in the teens. Certainly, I've seen those will always be for building construction supplies or service providers. and that is associated with our kind of long-term facilities maintenance plans. We have to submit plans to the department of education and then we have to you know each of those numbered applications and plans require that you know our invoices tie to that particular project. So you'll see that app a lot. Um $16,328.94 went to the North Henipin Community College to pay for PSO credits to our high school students. Uh that's a direct benefit that the district covers. So our students have yet another way to earn college credit at no cost to them. And as a final note, I shared um a fund directory with all of you um school board members. So it has notes about the numbers of the funds, kind of their title, and then I'm working on continuing to add the main sources of the main expenses and the main sources of revenue from those funds. So, that's something that I've had and should have shared with you before, but if you remember on the check register on the far left column, it does list the fund number that the various expenses come from. Uh, please let me know if you have questions. I'd be happy to talk about it more. And with that, I move that we approve total dispersements in the amount of 2,468,41122 for the period of December 1st through December 31st, 2025. >> I have a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say I. >> I I. >> Any opposed? The chair votes I. And the treasur's report is accepted. Thank you, Treasurer Hartland, as always for an excellent report. >> Um, that takes us to our first item, first and only item of new business, our fiscal year 24 audit update. Um, I would invite um Mr. grease to the table and turn it over to uh Dr. Mary Perry Reed. >> Thank you, Chair Andre. Um well, I think for some framing and also Dr. Lightfoot, do you know if Emily and Jessica are >> they are >> okay? Okay, great. So, um just a quick framing and then I'll turn it over to is it Andy Grace? >> Yes. Okay. Um, so I would like to um share with our community that school districts are required to submit their audited financial statements for fiscal year 24 to the Minnesota Department of Education by December 31, 2024. So, we are relieved and happy to reach this point of completion with our FY24 audit. Um, and we regret that it's more than a year late. And I um want to just um profusely thank our business services professionals here in Hopkins public schools, our CISO and CLA partners um on all of their audit prep work and also um our partners at KDV for reviewing and finalizing the audit. And I want to welcome our new um business services controller. She's maybe attending virtually. We don't see her face, but Emily Westerm is here with us and we're excited to have her and she will also play a role in prepping future audits. And um thank you for being here, Andy from KDV and Dr. Lightfoot who um after our uh former director of business services transitioned out, Dr. Lightfoot has um stepped in um really at the ground level to help us assess our current budget and fiscal landscape and um work with the team to identify all of the things that needed to be reorganized and strengthened. And so there's been a lot of um work to this point and um this audit will give us a roadmap for continued improvement and improvement is what we're focused on. So thank you for the work that you've put in to date and we look forward to hearing from you Andy. >> All right. Well, thanks for having me here tonight. Um yeah, we are nearing the completion of the audit. So I wanted to take the opportunity to provide the preliminary audit results here tonight. Um again it is for the year ended June 30th 2024 but I wanted to start by highlighting the independent auditors report that will be included in the district's financial statements. Um this report talks about what our role is as your auditors as well as the role of management and that management does have the ultimate responsibility for those financial statements and it's our job as your auditor to provide assurance as to whether we believe those financial statements to present fairly in all material respects. A reminder that is uh reasonable assurance not absolute assurance and that's based on an audit performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards as well as government auditing standards. Uh based on the work that we've done we do anticipate u issuing a clean or an unmodified opinion on the district's financial statements and that's the best that we can provide as your auditors. In addition to that independent auditor's report we have some other communications. One being our report on government auditing standards. That report talks about our consideration of internal control over financial reporting. Uh we do not provide any opinion or assurance on uh as to the effectiveness or the design of internal controls, but we are required to understand your internal controls to be sure that we're effectively um assessing risk of material misstatement and designing our audit procedures accordingly. Uh as part of that process, if we do become become aware of any deficiencies in internal control that rise to either a significant deficiency or material weakness level, we are required to report those in writing. Uh we had three findings to report internal control deficiencies. Um one was the lack um lack of segregation of accounting duties and that was uh related to some overlap in certain accounting functions as well as noting um the timeliness and review of um journal entries as well as bank reconciliations. There were also prior period misstatements that were identified related to previously issued financial statements. So that indicates that the internal controls were not able to identify and and detect misstatements in a timely manner. So did report that. And then lastly um noted that procurement policies were not uh effectively implemented for um certain transactions. Uh in addition to the internal control findings, we also have an area for compliance findings. We had uh one compliance finding to report for this year and that was the implementation of software prior to getting uh review and approval from the Minnesota Department of Education. The next report that we have is our report on the uniform guidance and that is our report on federal programs. Whenever the district expends more than $750,000 or more in federal awards, which which the uh Hopkins Public Schools definitely has, it does trigger a single audit or a compliance audit. And that was um is um specific to the major federal programs that were selected. So um child nutrition program, title one and the education stabilization fund programs were selected. Uh we do anticipate provide pro providing an unmodified opinion on compliance with those programs. Uh we did have two findings, one being a um compliance finding and the other being an internal control finding. Uh the internal control finding was around um time and effort documentation to support uh the time allocated to certain federal programs. And then the compliance finding related to the education stabil uh stabilization fund um and that was the prevailing wage um requirements that we did not see um documentation for two other uh elements of our reporting. One being our report on Minnesota legal compliance. The office of the state auditor um issues legal compliance guides each year each year and those are um there are certain guides that are specific to school districts that list certain state statutes that are applicable and that we're required to report on in terms of any non-compliance that comes to our attention as part of our audit procedures. Uh we did have four compliance findings. So one being the u the reporting requirements in terms of the timeliness of reporting for the June 30th 2024 fiscal year. Uh we also noted instances of EUAR's co coding not being consistently followed and then we had two findings related to um some reporting requirements. One being the broker acknowledgement C uh certification and the OPED trust uh investment reporting. Uh lastly did want to highlight our communications letter that includes all required communication in accordance with audit standards. Also it provides a legislative summary and some emerging issues to um consider for future reporting periods as well as a financial analysis that includes some charts and graphs. So, we have that to highlight here tonight as well. But before digging into uh into any of those, any questions or concerns on uh the audit results for the June 30th, 2024 fiscal year? >> Any questions from my board colleagues? >> Chair Andre? >> Yes, Treasure Hartland. >> Um thank you for being here tonight. Um we definitely are anxious to get this um completed and uh discussed at the board table. So, we appreciate your efforts and your presence tonight. Um I hear that you are anticipating issuing um a clean audit report which is a relief and then on the other hand you still have these findings and so I understand that those findings are not particularly grievous if the if overall we are being issued a clean report. But you know when I hear like um you know lack of segregation of accounting duties or procurement policies not effectively implemented. It feels like those could cover kind of a wide range of um types of happenings that you might have uncovered and I was wondering if there is any context that would be helpful for the board to understand. >> So when we take a look at the internal controls if we be again become aware of deficiencies in terms of policies not being followed for example. So, um the the last finding on um the internal control section there, you know, we did note those instances and and if we believe that those that condition could result in a potential material misstatement, we you know, that that's kind of that um criteria for reporting. So, it it it's really more towards the processes and procedures, not necessarily towards the numbers themselves. I don't know if that helps to give some clarification there, but um yeah, any any further clarification needed there? >> No, I appreciate you giving context that that is a practice that could result and so therefore it's a signal for us to tighten up or to review that and not necessarily that an actual >> correct >> must have happened and you said there in the full report there will be more details about that. >> Correct. >> Okay. Thank you. Uh, Chair Andre. >> Yes. >> Uh, thank you. Um, and thank you for this preliminary report. I I guess this is more a question for uh Dr. Mary Pier Reed and and Chair Andre. So, um, we we don't have the actual audit yet and and so what I had heard you say earlier was we had this scheduled. It's not quite in our hands yet, but so I guess my question is after we have a chance to receive it, review it, if we have more questions, what would be the avenue uh to ask those? So, what we're anticipating for this evening is to hear the preliminary report and for the board to accept that report and then we will be further reviewing the findings and providing response to the findings which get included in the finalized report. And once Andy signs off on it, then we would include it in the agenda for the first board meeting in February. And it can either go on consent and we could have discussion at that time or we could include it as um in the I think there's uh what do we call >> the incidental reports at the bottom and um that could also yield uh questions from board members and a conversation and if there's another suggestion for how to make sure that questions are addressed then I think we can be open to that but that's what we are anticipating. >> Okay. Yeah, I think that's fair. It sounds like whether it's on consent or in incidentals there would be a forum after I've had chance to kind of read it, think about it to be able to ask some questions if that is possible. All right, that makes sense. Thank you. Um I guess just one question thus far when you mentioned the finding around the EUAR's coding requirements um can you just expand upon that does does that mean like we categorized it differently than MDE would have or or just curious your take on that. >> Sure. So um it was specific to the use of finance codes and so that kind of identifies the certain streams of revenues that are coming into the district that have to be spent on certain activities and those EUARS codes were not being consistently used. So there are some outside reconciliations being done to kind of get to the final numbers but it should have been done through the use of finance codes being consistently used. I think the the transition in the finance system probably had some um impact on that, but we did we weren't able to completely verify certain activities solely based on the use of finance codes because they weren't being consistently used. >> Okay. >> Chair Andre. >> Yes, Treasure Heartland. as a very brief followup to the um you know time to review it. CFAC will also our citizens financial advisory committee will also have a chance to review and question this and I believe the board audit committee will as well. >> Um I just had a a quick followup on that. um eupfars. So what I heard is that um it's that the reconciliation wasn't able to be done using financial coding solely, but it was reconciled external from the coding. >> Correct. >> Okay. Thank you for that clarification. Any other questions? >> Chair Andre. Yes. >> I just wanted to address your question, Treasure Hartland. So, we do have a SEFAC meeting on Wednesday, February 4. So, we'll be um providing this um audit update. And then what we don't have scheduled, I think, is a a board audit meeting. So, we'll want to get that scheduled. >> The audit committee. >> Yes, the audit committee. >> Um that that goes to my question. So, um, for myself, I guess I'm eager to to know what our timeline is for this. >> Um, knowing that we were hoping it this would be something we could vote on tonight. So, just wondering, are we days away? Are we weeks away? Are we months away? Like, what's what's the timeline? >> So, we received the final draft of the financial report about a week and a half ago. So, we're just working through some final audit procedures to ensure that we've kind of completed the each element of the review process accordingly. Uh, and we do anticipate that next week we would have our final reports available for issuance. >> Great. Thank you. >> Chair Andre has a question. Thank you uh for providing this information. I uh appreciate it. Kind of a followup to Chair Andre's about like timeline. Um I besides the challenges of like maybe like staffing differences, what are some other challenges that we see um in getting this complete? Cuz I want to just make sure that you know if we have a timeline that we are sticking to it. So you know that we don't get like any additional fines or that it doesn't impact our budget or it doesn't you know impact um you know anything with the district. Just wondering. >> Can you say that one more time? So, just wondering like um besides like staffing challenges, I'm wonder I want to know like what are some additional challenges um that may impact the audit being done like within the timeline that we are anticipating? >> What what could happen? >> Yeah. Like what are some additional challenges? >> We are still working through the review process. So again, we've we've had the final report um final numbers for about five business days. And so we've done a significant amount of work leading up to that point. The first draft of the financial statements we received in October. So we were able to do, you know, a significant amount of work with that document, but we did not receive them another draft until just, you know, five, you know, about a week and a half ago. So, you know, if something were to come up as part of the completion of these final review steps, that could potentially delay things. I don't anticipate that, but that is a possibility. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. Sure, >> Andre. Yes, Director Heyman. >> Um, I think my question kind of piggybacks on um Treasurer Hartland's question um as a followup to slides four and five where um you've identified the um internal control and compliance findings. Could you help distinguish which of those control and compliance findings are relatively minor or common versus any that you found that you would consider higher risk and needing immediate board attention? >> Um these the the three internal control findings are at the highest level. So material weakness is the highest level that would I think warrant board attention. >> Okay. And can can you um provide any um context as to what those were related to or or why what the material misstatements were um specifically around the procurement. I'm specifically curious about the the procurement policies and the compliance finding the software um finding. So for example, I think that that Minnesota statute requires MDE to approve software implementation prior to implementation. >> Correct. >> And so I'm curious what where where the compliance missed the mark there. Did we not get permission? Did we get permission late? and um the Minnesota Department of Education, we did not see evidence of approval prior to implementation of that software. >> Okay. And then with respect to the procurement policies, um any um light you can shed on those as well? >> Sure. So um the board has a policy 354 around program consultants which we evaluated associated with with the awarding of the contracts associated with the implementation of that software and it did not appear that those policies were followed for those procurements. >> That's specifically with respect to software. >> Correct. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, yes. Yes. >> Yes. Hi. Um, so when when we say the software, do we mean Oracle? >> Correct. Okay. Thank you. >> Great. I think that we can continue with the presentation. Thank you. >> So, the final um pieces that I wanted to cover tonight are just some of the trend data um in the communications letter. And you know obviously we're a bit removed from that um particular reporting year. So I'll try to make it somewhat brief but wanted to highlight um first the state aid sources. Uh the general fund does rely you know over 50% of the revenue in the general fund is made up of state sources. And so the most significant component of that is general education aid. So just wanted to look at the history of that here over the years. Uh noting a 4% increase there for 2024. The other component of general education aid is enrollment. Uh and so we started uh wanted to take a look at the trends here um in terms of resident ADM. So these are the students within the district boundaries and how that's changed here since 2020. Uh we do see that you know since that time frame there's been about a 3% increase or about 210 um uh going into 2024. From there um there is a conversion to a pupil unit number. That pupil unit number is weighted. uh there's a 20 uh% premium for secondary students. Uh but it also takes into account the open enrollment process and that open enrollment process um does provide uh you know information in terms of residents going elsewhere as um non-residents coming into the district. Uh that net um um open enrollment number was a net loss back in 2020 um of 128 and that grew to a net loss of 360 here for 2024. uh the um enrollment has dropped since that time in terms of pupil unit served from 7,591 back in 2020 uh to 7,565 here in 2024. Uh also providing a chart just to show the rate of change over those years. So there have been periods of of increases as well as periods of declines over that period. And then that leads us into general fund revenues overall uh over the last five years and here in 2024 we do see it at the high point in the years presented at about $141 million. Uh the most significant increase in occurred in that state sources line item um comparing 2023 to 2024 it increased from 68.4 million up to about $78.4 million. Uh majority of that increase um is due to special education funding increasing during that time frame as well as that increase in SEP um um formula allowance as well as the um um pupa units served during that time period. Uh local local property taxes also increased with an increase in levy and then the other sources have been elevated since uh the 2021 time frame because that does include federal sources of revenue. So all of the co 19 um funding that's been um spent during that time frame uh continuing here into 2024 uh did cause that to be elevated to the highest point in the years presented and in 2024 at about $12.4 million. The next chart I wanted to highlight is the budget to actual results. Um the original budget called for about 134.1 million in revenue, $134.1 million in expenditures and anticipated basically a break even budget. Uh that budget was amended for anticipated increases in revenues and expenditures, but again still anticipated about a um a break even budget with revenues and expenditures at about $141 million. Uh actual amounts came in uh just under budget uh under budget by $81,000, but there were some significant variances between categories and a majority of that had to do with certain revenue streams being budgeted in one category but ultimately being required to be reported in another. Uh, for example, local property taxes came in over budget by just over $2 million and that was due to the tax shift being uh not being budgeted in the correct category there. And then other local and county revenues uh that was overbudget by about 1.8 million with uh better investment earnings than anticipated also being conservative for those uh returns as well as being conservative for for donations. Expenditures came in at $137.6 million, so about $3.4 million less than anticipated. Uh majority of that variance occurred in um regular instruction coming in under budget by about $4.9 million with less salaries and benefits and open positions. Uh special education also was under budget due to those same reasons. And then we did have some offsetting variances in sites and buildings. Um as well as capital outlay. Uh there were um uh certain there was certain activity that had to be recorded from an accounting standpoint that was not included in the budget. Uh you can see down there towards the bottom there's an other financing source of about $3.7 million and that was due to uh the commencement of a finance purchase agreement which does require the recording of the related revenue associated with that as well as the expenditures that weren't budgeted for. So you do see that capital outlay line item being um overbudget as a result of that. Uh pupil support services was also overbudget by about $1.6 million with transportation costs coming in higher than anticipated. The net result was an overall increase in fund balance of about $7.1 million. We also provided some additional information just for comparative purposes as well as some addition additional perspective. Uh one being revenue per student served. U overall the district has been uh above statewide averages as well as averages uh for similar size districts and that was and that's mainly due to um that property tax line item uh which um uh is a bit higher than um that comparative data. We also do provide the same information for expenditures per student and as we do see revenues come in higher um per student uh uh you'd expect to see expenditures per student kind of follow. So you do see that similar trend there. Uh next wanted to highlight the general fund operations over the last um two years comparing 2024 to 2023. uh most categories in terms of program expenditures were fairly consistent between the two years but we do see you know increasing costs going to special education which did did see an increase from about 14% up to about 16% in 2024. The next chart highlights the overall general fund operations over the last five years and did want to highlight uh here in 2024 that there was an overall increase in fund balance of about $7 million. Um there was a significant um increase in the capital projects levy restrictions. So the the bottom part of the chart highlights the different components of fund balance. Uh the restricted components being um certain revenue streams that are restricted by the state of Minnesota and the department of education to be spent in specific areas. Uh the majority of the capital projects levy related expenditures were allocated to the capital projects fund. So uh that did leave a significant amount of unspent capital project levy dollars here for 2024 leaving a balance there of about $5.5 million. There was also a spendown of other restricted categories. So operating capital was spent down basic skills uh as well as the learning and development category. So the the remaining variance occurred in that unassigned fund balance category uh which increased from 11.6 million to 16.3 million here for 2024. Uh in addition to that I did want to highlight just the board's policy as it relates to the unassigned fund balance. So there is a policy in place to maintain a minimum unassigned fund balance of 6% of the annual budget and based on current year results that unassigned fund balance represents about 12% of expenditures overall. So the district is in compliance with that policy. The next chart highlights um similar information but it is calculated a bit differently. This um combines unrestricted fund balance as a percentage of unrestricted expenditures. And there's some comparative data from MDE just to give you some perspective in terms of how the district compares to um all other traditional districts. And the district has has been historically below um those averages but did see an increase here in 2024 with the overall increase in fund balance. The next two charts that we have is to highlight the food service fund as well as the community service fund. So uh the revenue streams in this fund has varied especially with the co 19 funding as well as the state um funded meals as well. And so we did see revenues in the food service fund increase to the highest point in the in the years presented at $5.1 million compared to $4.8 million in expenditures uh did provide for a surplus overall. Um and then there was a prior period restatement in this fund. So that um related to the allocation of interest earnings by fund that was corrected and that uh resulted in an ending fund balance for the year at about $1.1 million. Last fund to highlight is the community service fund. This fund uh did see an increase in revenues as well as an increase in expenditures. Ultimately did provide for an increase in fund balance increasing fund balance to just below $6 million at the end of 2024. That's a high level look at the financial results and some of the trend analysis and like to open up for any questions on those. >> Thank you. Any feedback or questions? >> Chair Andre. >> Yes. >> Uh thanks again uh for the time. I I think I have two questions on this section. So, first of all, in the pie chart on slide 21, um it it looks like one of the one one of the big slices of the pie that that went up is is that capital outlay. And so, can you just explain that to me one more time? It's like we paid something to get more of a revenue stream. Is that am I getting that right or not quite? The majority of the increase in that category in capital outlay is the result of a finance purchase agreement to purchase a capital asset. And so there was actually no cash resources expended there. It was just an item that was required for recording in in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. So, it's it's kind of an odd it it's it's it's a um based on when those particular capital asset purchases occur and those aren't necessarily an operational item. So, you may see variances in terms of the significance in that area from year to year. So, yeah, looking at the bottom of um the budget to actual results, there was about $3.7 million in that activity that really kind of drove that up in 2024. And do we have an idea of what that capital outlay was? >> I want to say it was technology equipment related, but I'd have to double check. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, thanks. I I I think I get it. It's just a little tricky to understand. So, just one more time, you purchasing a financial asset, you said. So, if you're purchasing, let's say, a a group of um um computers and that, you know, those computers cost $3.7 million, but you're paying for it under a lease over a period of time, accounting standards require that you recognize the full cost of that um agreement in the year that that agreement commences, even though you're paying over over a period of time. >> Okay. All right. Thank you for that. Absolutely. I appreciate it. Um and then uh the last question I have was um so on 24 and 25 you show us snapshots of the food service fund and the community service fund. Are are there any other funds that would also have this type of layout like in the final audit? Um so you know the only other funds presented in the financial statements um you know relate to in terms of governmental funds are the debt service fund and the capital project funds. Usually those are a bit more um set it and forget it in terms of you have a set um debt service requirement. You have a set levy to cover cover for that. And so it's um a a little bit less to monitor and oversee in terms of um you know operations. these funds, you know, um do do require monitoring in terms of kind of going back to like a capital project fund. Usually you're you're dumping in bond proceeds and then doing a project and then it's kind of done from that standpoint just for more significant activity. These are actually operational, you know, type funds that have certain activities that, you know, you can see over these time periods have generated a fairly significant fund balance. So that is something that we've seen across other school districts as well, specific even to food service. there's just been additional funding being provided for meals served. There's some co 19 money during that time frame and there are some limits in terms of the amount of fund balance that you can have in the food service fund. So that most districts are kind of starting to kind of look at that and realize gez we need to kind of see how we're going to utilize those additional resources and a lot of looking are looking at capital related you know improvements to kind of help spend those. Um the community service fund is another one that's you know kind of interesting over the years presented because it has seen significant increases in in fund balance overall. So I think the district is kind of already in evaluating you know future programming and how that you know will be utilized going forward but there there's a bit more decision- making I'd say in these funds we we did highlight those. >> It makes total sense. Thank you. >> Sure. >> Chair Andre. >> Yes. Director Heyman. >> I have two questions. Thank you so much for um the concise presentation. I appreciate it. I look forward to reviewing the entire audit. Um I have a specific question about slide nine when we're talking about average um daily membership and pupil units served. Um with respect to I just want to make sure I'm I'm understanding and reading this correctly. The That's the total number of residents that are eligible to come to school in this school district. Is that correct? Okay. And then the resident PUN going elsewhere, that is the um the total um the total amount following students that have opted to go um somewhere besides Hopkins School District. Correct. >> Okay. And then um the non-resident PUN, PUN, excuse me, coming in, those are open enrolled students. >> Correct. >> Okay. So, if we're looking at this correctly, in 2024, for example, um we essentially, and I'm going to air quote, lost 2,621.31 um pupil units and but gained 2,260.56. Is that right? Correct. >> So, is that a net loss or how how how um how should we be looking at this? >> Yep. That's a net loss. And so, you know, just forformational purposes just to kind of understand the activity of residents, where they're going, where they're being served, you know, how, you know, some districts might have um some sort of effort to try and attract more students. And sometimes that can be a gauge to see, you know, how have we done with that, you know, in terms of attracting more students. Um, but you're correct that that is the right way to look at it. There was a net loss of 360 for 2024 and that's varied, you know, um, back to 2020 was at a net loss of 128. So, it has grown a little bit since that time. >> Thank you. >> I have one more question if it's okay. >> Sure. Um my um other question is I think you mentioned at the beginning um about the prior year's financials um that um you maybe had to make revisions to the prior year's financials and so I understand you're expecting to issue an unmodified opinion of the financials but I guess I'm curious if there were changes that you had to make during the audit um with respect to um the prior year financials that have you know uh materially impacted this year's. >> Sure. So the financial statements will show the beginning fund balances as previously stated and it will clearly identify all of the restatements that were required for the errors that were identified in previous years. And there's also a footnote disclosure that will go into some more detail on those, but the yeah, the two areas were yeah, the allocation of interest earnings and there was a receivable balance that appeared to be overstated. >> Great. Thank you. >> Chair and K, a quick question. >> Yes, Vice Chair Roer. Um, so just a really quick and you may have already mentioned this so please forgive me but I'm just looking at the general education aid formula allowance and I'm just looking at um year 2024 and then 2025 I see there is a 2% difference. Can you just explain that just really quickly like how the difference? >> Sure. So this is set by the legislature. So, you know, it those 2% increases have been pretty consistent over the years. And, you know, the reason to to highlight this, yes, there was a 4% increase for 2024, but costs have just continued to increase in excess of that. So, it just kind of helps to show some of the challenges districts are facing in terms of trying to maintain a similar level of service with, you know, Yeah. Right. >> Thank you. I think sometimes our community who's listening don't always understand it um in the way that we do. So, I appreciate you uh giving that quick synopsis on that. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Well, thank you. I appreciate you um being here. And while we're at the table, um I just want to tell the board and the community that it is very important to this board that we have our audits completed in a timely manner. Um, and I appreciate that this is before us today and um, want to be clear that we are um, in um, partnership with Treasurer Hartland looking at being transparent about where we're at in the 2025 audit so that our community can follow along with us and where we're at in the process. So just wanted to um ask again um for that assuming that you will be part of that process um and have been part of the planning and and seeing what pushed things back in 2024 and how can we plan for and be mindful about being timely with 2025 as much as we can be. >> Sure. So, um that process is ongoing in terms of scheduling. You know, the um audit schedule um for us is something that we've worked on since the fall time frame. And so, it's really been dependent on the wrap-up of this 2024 audit, but we do have time scheduled within this um next three months to be able to get um the 2025 audit on the schedule with anticipation that it would be completed in the May to June time frame. >> Thank you. I appreciate that. >> Sure. >> Well, thank you for being here this evening and for this report. I think um I speak for all of us when I say we look forward to being able to approve this um and getting it done and off to MDE. So, thank you so much. >> Thanks for having me. >> Thanks, Andy. Thank you, Nick. >> Thank you. And with that, um, we will move to our board member reports. Um, we will take a moment. Um, I would invite each board member to introduce themselves. um just give a little update um on any things that you have encountered in the district and or educational opportunities. And um I will did I start over there last time? I'll just start with clerk Wilhelm Garbers. >> Thank you, Chair Andre. uh you know two weeks in and so grateful to be a part of this work in this moment and I think just the couple things I want to say I want to begin by saying on this international uh Holocaust remembrance day um that never again is an ongoing invitation to all of us and in this moment uh as well as we're in a space of human rights and these sorts of things being an ongoing hey do does everyone's rights equally matter I'm so grateful for the people of this district in the way that they're showing up and being community to one another and it's just a deep honor to be a part of this community. That's my only report. >> Thank you. >> Um hello, I'm Kai Thompson. I have uh three kids in the district, fifth grade, 9th grade, 10th grade. Um I think just quick mention on Borderport. um was able to go to uh both the orchestra festival and the band concert with all the grades. And I I mean what an awesome event. First of all, the um conductors who were running it um were able to just very subtly uh talk to the older kids and say things like, you know, how many of you also participate in a varsity sport? And you know, a bunch of them raise their hand. How many of you also do this? a bunch of them raised their hand. And so like to show these younger kids who are also there like, hey, you can still do music but also be well-rounded and have time to do other stuff. It was just really a brilliant way that they did that. And and it was so cool to see, you know, fifth grade level, sixth grade level, and just the progression from year to year was just unbelievable. And um so it really kudos to them. So uh that concludes my report. Thank you. Oh, my name is Rachel Hartland, currently serving as treasurer. It is my I'm beginning my fifth year on the board and I have three children in our district. I have a sixth and eighth graders at um North Middle School and a 10th grader at the high school. I use she her pronouns. Um there's been a whole variety of musical events that I've attended. Um the middle school musical has begun as well. Um the citizens financial advisory committee and the board audit committee have met recently to discuss some of these items that were before us today and to talk about you know the necessity of us doing our very best to get totally caught up so we're submitting audits on time and kind of the last thing that I want to say is that the legislative action coalition last board meeting I issued an invitation to all board members to come on the 30th um to join us for our breakfast. All of our legislators are currently attending to various uh community issues and civil rights issues in our community and the legislative action coalition made the decision to postpone that breakfast and so it is a bit TBD at the moment but you guys will all receive an updated invitation. >> Great. Thank you. >> Good evening. I am Roary Puri Reid, superintendent. I'm in my ninth year as um superintendent and I have a senior not in the Hopkins school district, but I have an eighth grader at West who's very excited to go to the high school in a semester. She's counting her days. Um hello everybody. My name is Shannon Andre. Um I have been on the board, this is my seventh year. Um, and I also have a senior um who is at the high school and um involved in Oh, and I also work at Gatewood Elementary. Um, and I wanted to say my senior is involved in the one acts. So, the um the Hopkins High School puts on a series of one acts and you can go see them. Um, I think there's four in total. three or four. Um, and you can see them Friday and Saturday night. Um, one time only, no repeats. So, you're going to want to make it this week um starting at 7:00 p.m. And also, one of those one acts is a competition and they had the Hopkins High School hosted the um section competitions for one act, which was amazing to go and see the energy of these kids coming from all over the metro. Um and so supportive of one another, >> each other on >> Yeah. in just this amazing way. It was It was great. And part of it is um they do all the the hair and makeup and they have to change the sets and they do it all. The kids do everything. So it's it's really cool. And our um Hopkins one act um advanced and is now part of section finals. Um so maybe I'll give you an update on that if if there's time. Um and so just wanted to give that brief update. And then I also wanted to mention another um two of my board colleagues talked about the music um department here in Hopkins which is very strong and I give so many um uh kudos to the amazing directors and people who run that program across um choir, orchestra, band um and we have been in Hopkins really lucky that because of that strong program we have sent so many um students to all state um over the years and I think last year we had the most students represented from any area high school in all state and so I wanted to share with you an update that came out for this year's all state members um it does impact eight of our students who qualified for All State this year. And um this is from the director of um the Minnesota All State. Um and I'm just going to read it verbatim. So to my Minnesota music family, my MMEA community, and all who care about the future of our field, this has been an incredibly painful and destabilizing moment for our community. Many students, educators, and families across Minnesota are navigating real fear, uncertainty, and emotional weight right now, particularly those from immigrant communities who are feeling unseen, unsafe, or unsure of what the coming days hold. Within this climate, we are also grieving the recent deaths of Alex Prey and Renee Good, two community members whose loss has deepened the sense of instability many are already experiencing. In moments like this, we cannot pretend things are normal. We cannot move forward as though nothing has happened. And we cannot teach young people that tradition matters more than their safety. We have a responsibility to acknowledge the gravity of what is happening around us and to protect the people entrusted to our care. After careful reflection, consultation, and a formal vote of the MMEA board of directors, which authorized this decision, I am announcing that we have made the decision to cancel this year's mid-inter convention and all associated all-state activities due to ongoing safety concerns affecting our community. This decision was not made lightly. We understand what this gathering represents. We understand the months of preparation, the anticipation, sorry, the pride. We understand the disappointment this brings to students, to families, and to educators who rely on this space for connection, affirmation, and renewal in a profession that already carries tremendous weight. We know what is being lost and that loss matters. Students matter, educators matter, families matter. That truth is precisely why this decision was made. We are not simply cancelling an event. We are refusing to teach young people that their safety is negotiable. We are refusing to pretend that excellence matters more than humanity. When safety is uncertain, continuing for the sake of tradition does not serve our community. Protecting people must come first. And when young people are watching how adults respond to crisis, our choices teach more powerfully than any lesson plan ever could. Music education is not not just about music. It is about sanctuary. It is about belonging. It is about creating spaces where people are safe enough to be fully human. We ask students to be vulnerable in their art. That vulnerability deserves protection. We ask educators to pour their hearts into others. That labor deserves dignity and care. If any student or educator is entering our spaces carrying fear because of who they are, where they come from, or what their family is facing, then we have work to do before we gather in celebration. Fear cannot be normalized. Violence cannot be accepted. No community should be forced to live in anxiety simply to exist. And still this moment does not call for retaliation or division. It calls for something stronger. It calls for wisdom, for restraint, for shared humanity. So here is the invitation. You do not need a title to lead. Leadership lives in classrooms, in rehearsal rooms, in hallways, at dinner tables, in neighborhoods. Oh, sorry. Just went away. um um in neighborhoods. Each of us has the capacity to be a safe presence for someone else, to notice who feels unseen, to choose care where others choose indifference, to protect dignity where others abandon it. We also recognize that many in our community may need space to process, to ask questions, to grieve, or simply to be heard. We encourage educators, schools, and local communities to hold space for thoughtful dialogue, especially for students who are carrying heavy fear, confusion, or uncertainty in this moment. That is how communities heal. That is how trust is built, rebuilt. That is how young people learn what integrity looks like. This decision is not the end of our community. It is a recommmitment to its deepest values. We will gather again. We will celebrate again. We will build again. But we will do so with greater intention, stronger care, and a clearer commitment to creating environments worthy of the people inside them. Because music education is not about shaping musicians. It is about shaping spaces where people are safe enough to become who they are meant to be. That is the work. That is the responsibility. That is the standard we must hold. And it's signed. Christopher Rochester, president, Minnesota Music Educators Association. >> Thank you. >> And that is my report. Well, that's hard to follow. That was such a thoughtful letter um statement. My name is Brooke Roer. I am serving in my third year on the school board. I have two incredible children in the district. Um my board report is very similar to um chairing Dreon's and my colleagues. Uh I wore my sweatshirt today because I'm so proud to be a motan. Um, we are dang I'm dang proud of Minnesota. I'll keep it PG for um our listening ears. But I am so proud of the way that our community have just shown up over the past few days. Um, we have been like in unity, solidarity. We have been working together to ensure that our families are safe and protected and to keep politics out of the classrooms. Um that is one of the bigger thing my one of my bigger concerns is to make sure that this is not impacting students um where they are unable to learn. And so um I just thank everyone who are showing their um commitment to ensuring that our state just remains a um one that is full of humility and one that is accepting of everyone. And I want to just let people know that whether you're protesting on the lines on the front lines, whether you're grocery shopping for your neighbors, whether you're just sharing love and words of support, it's all action. It's all direction. It's all love. Um so don't make don't let anyone make you feel bad for what you're not doing. Um just know that uh it's it's all um contributing to the greater good. So, thank you community Hopkins community and thank you Paige um Buckers for the the uh the awesome donation and the match and the Hopkins Education Foundation for all of your incredible work. I am so excited to support that um the foundation and everything that they do because they are truly dedicated to supporting our students and it shows in all of their events. Um and so which their gayla is coming up. Um so if you received the postcard, make sure that you register. Um and that is my board report for tonight. >> Uh hello, this is uh Jim Jao. I'm also on my third year on the board. I've got two kids in the district. Uh a fifth grader almost going to middle school and a second grader in the Shing Shing program over at Eisenhower. Um I'd like to just share a little bit. Um I'm on the district safety committee and uh we had a meeting on the 22nd and um it was with the chiefs of police of Minnetonka, Hopkins and I believe fire in Minnetonka. Um and so uh we had a very frank uh discussion uh about the uh kind of geopolitical kind of happenings around and but you know I just kind of wanted to make community aware and to really highlight as well right these are the chiefs of police of our of our cities and they are very very very busy right now right there's more uh federal people in the in our metro area than there are police and So they're getting called to Minneapolis. They're getting called uh even here, right? So they're they're overstretched and yet they took the time to come to our school and talk to us about protecting our children and how we can work in community and together to be safe. And so um you know, I think they understand, uh the measure and the the things that are being asked of them and being asked of our schools. And it's certainly not fair, but uh I think the partnership that we uh strike uh is indicative of, you know, just all the adults in the room, every educator that shows up, every uh parent that is on patrol, everybody is pulling in the same direction. And we will uh as I said to them, um you know, there will be a day when this passes and um we'll all rebuild together. So, thank you. My name is Johanna Hyman. I have two little boys in the district. Um, both at Metobrook, a kindergartener and a third grader, and I hope they're not still up watching me on YouTube. I wanted to use my board member report time to acknowledge that today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. A day to honor the six million Jewish people and the millions of others, the Slavs, Roma, people with disabilities, religious leaders, persons um targeted based on their sexual orientation and political beliefs who were targeted for systematic murder during the Holocaust. As a Jewish parent and a member of this community, I believe this day matters not only as an act of remembrance, but as a call to action for education. The Holocaust did not begin with camps or gas chambers, both of which I have personally seen with my own eyes. But it began with subtleties first, dehumanization, propaganda, lies treated as truth, and with silence in the face of hatred. As educators and as a school board, we have the responsibility to ensure that nothing as atrocious as the Holocaust ever happens again. We must commit to ensuring future generations understand Holocaust history clearly and honestly so that evil never rears its ugly head again. >> Teaching about the Holocaust is not only about the past. It is about cultivating empathy, critical thinking, and a commitment to human dignity in the present. Particularly with recent immigration enforcement actions in our state, raising fear and uncertainty for many families. This day reminds us why we must teach students to recognize dehumanization early and to stand for human dignity and the rule of law. Today, we remember the victims, honor the survivors, thank all of those currently standing up in our community against the ongoing dehumanization of our immigrant communities, and recommmit ourselves to education as one of the strongest tools we have to fight hatred and bigotry today. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you all. Um, it actually is nice to have a chance to give board reports. So, um, I I appreciate you all taking the time to do so. And, um, with that, we will go to our incidental reports. Um the purpose of these reports is to provide the board with information andor data focused on the various facets of um different educational priorities in the district. And I do really want to urge um board members and the public to take a look at these because they do provide really important information. Um the first is the the homeless student update for 202526. um which gives us a really good snapshot of our students and families that are um experiencing um housing insecurity. And um I just wanted to quickly also highlight a couple of dates that are upcoming for the second report which is the community education enrichment update. Um, we have, um, the summer registration opens February 13th at 8:00 PM. So, um, I know that lots of families love the summer opportunities in Hopkins. Those include Camp Royal, uh the middle school enrichment and um field trip weeks. And then also for the kids and co, the 2026 27 registration opens on February 16th at 8:00m. Um so I just wanted to call those out and make sure that people are aware. Um there's also a really great um update on adult enrichment and whenever I am knocking on the doors and I am talking to people about school board I hear inevitably I don't have any kids in the schools and I say but you are part of community ed um and we serve you as well. So make make an oper make time to to really look at these reports because they do provide really important information about our district. Um so with that I would look for a motion to >> Oh yes. Yeah. Sorry. Um I just had a quick question or about the McKenna Vento >> Vento. >> Yes. Um, and I'm, you know, and maybe this is just pondering, um, but are we expecting an influx of unhoused or underhoused uh, students as the parents can't go to work or uh, pay rent and things like that? Are we expecting a an onslaught or not an onslaught but a increase in the number of homeless students and and are we considering is there anything that we can you know connect the the two together and help be like okay if if this is happening to you because of c circumstances you know with ICE or whatever that we we we can direct you to these things. Um just kind of wondering if we could make that connection for some of our families. Yeah, I think that part of what um the fundraising through HEF is addressing is that rent um rental rent assistance for families that need it or for housing. Um I know that a provides um help in that area as well. So families can certainly reach out to a part of what the fundraising is going for. And then I would also urge anyone um all of us as elected officials, but certainly people in our community to advocate for the state legislature to um or their municipalities at minimum to install a a moratorum on on rent. Um we certainly were able to do that during the pandemic and I think that locally this is um a crisis that rises to that level. increasingly we are going to see families struggling to pay their rent. Um and right now for a lot of families that is their only safe space. >> So it it is urgent and thank you for for bringing that up. Um, I think that we we don't know what's going to happen, but certainly our community is already responding in tangible ways, >> but um, definitely speak with your representatives and with your local electeds to ensure that we are proactive in helping our families stay in stable housing. >> Karen D, can I do a follow up to that? So um director Z I am um on the and this is for the whole board too. I am on the executive committee for heading home um heading home henipin and so there is a we do have meetings I have to look at the meeting cadence but I am the voting member uh for the the district and um we do have meetings that talks about like what Henipin County is doing to address some of these issues like it's it's not just respective just to like homeless students but they talk about housing in general across like the state and so if any of you would like me to um connect you to um the meetings. I'm more than happy to share them on your calendars cuz that is a space where um you can come and ask questions and learn and understand more about what's uh what's going to be like the next steps in regards to addressing homelessness. >> Yeah. I mean, my concern is that last mile, right? Like help seems to exist, which is great, but how do we get that information to where it needs to be? Like how do we reach that last mile? And that's I don't know I don't know if we school has mechanisms and I know that we have privacy concerns. So like I totally understand that it's a double-edged sword but what can we do to get that information all this good stuff and resources in the hands of those who need it who probably are not you know they're worried for their personal safety they're not thinking about next month right and so how do how do we connect those dots for them? Yeah, >> one one of the things that's really helpful is um a does a lot of this work in the community and they are coll-located in most of our sites. So, there's already a relationship developed and um at least I know at Gatewood they are they are involved in meeting this moment for our families. >> Chair Andre. >> Yes. And just to further add context, we do create um work intentionally to create the conditions where families increasingly feel comfortable contacting their respective schools and then when a contact is made then they're there we have a social worker at each school and all of our social workers are directly connected with our Mckin Vento coordinator and so the supports are there and really the there's work that we do and this is ongoing work to create the condition so that families feel comfortable reaching out to the school and that is often the first necessary step and once that contact is made then we are ready to go and preparing for um for this kind of support to be articulated so that we can meet it. Uh, cheering Kaiser, another question for for the um, as I'm thinking about the fund that was just recently established from he are is there going to be a priority for uh, immigrant families or is it for any family who may be experiencing like loss of income or who have been impacted by the um, by the recent chain of events that's not related to like their race. Like do they does it is there like any identifying factors that make one family more qualified than the other? >> I think he is working in partnership with ICA. >> Okay. >> And so that would be probably unless you know Dr. M period Reed. Well, and I'm I know Lindsay has um frequent Lindsay Leeman who is in the audience has frequent contact with ICA, but I believe that they have specifically shared that they ask minimal questions so that families regardless of their immigration status >> can get their needs met. So, I I don't think there are a ton of requirements or questions asked. Um, so I believe the goal is to have a very are you saying something, Lindsay? >> Do you have some information about this? >> Like really lowering those bars for entry so that families can get support. >> Okay. Okay. And obviously we're focused on making sure that our that our immigrant families have that support, but there may be other families who who also need specific support. >> Hi everyone. This was not the topic that I expected to be speaking about this evening. Thank you for having me. Um yeah, so like Dr. Mary Perry Reg said, minimal questions are asked. Um I know ICA is just um still finalizing that application um set of questions and in order to be sensitive to famil family's privacy um families will be asked in an application um just to indicate a reference because we're balancing of course needing to use those funds how they were intended. Um and so a reference point um is designated at school sites. there's just one person um also for security purposes um that a staff are referred to. That's my understanding currently. And then that staff member will just verify no identifying information about students um but just yes, no based on what that family has shared um that they do indeed have a student enrolled. and is it that person's understanding they can verify they have been impacted by the current immigration enforcement um activities. That's my understanding. That's the extent of that check. Um but again, those questions are still being finalized. So I can't say that that will be what is asked once that becomes available to the public. >> Thank you, Lindsay. >> Thank you. appreciate you answering a on the-fly question. >> Absolutely. >> Thanks everyone. >> Good to have you here, Lindsay. >> And with that, I would look for a motion to accept the incidental reports as presented. >> So moved. >> I have a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a couple of seconds. >> Lots of seconds. >> Uh lots of seconds. Um any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> I. >> Any opposed? The chair votes I. And the incidental reports are accepted. And I would look for a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> I have a motion. Is there a second? >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor, please say I. I. >> I. >> The chair votes I. And we are adjourned at 9:06 p.m. >> That's a fun everybody.