##VIDEO ID:k2kluQ90RGI## e leading to gfw School District 2365 to order the time is 6 o' first and foremost can I get a motion I can continue you can continue okay can I get a a motion to approve the agenda items I make a motion to approve the agenda items second I'll second there a show of hands thank you uh at this time chairman Merkel and I would ask to have a moment of silence to honor the memory of Richard Helen drone a solid fixture as a gfw bus driver for of very many years in fact retiring just a few short years ago we are thankful to he and his family for the dedicated for his that dedicated service we shall not soon forget his laic dry sense of humor and his dedication to safely transporting so many gfw students I would ask that all presents stand for a moment of silence please all right thank you and now for the pledge of allegiance to the of the United States of America and the stand One Nation God indivisible withy andice so Vis are recognition in public comments I don't see any um the superintendent report all right thank you first just want to say thanks to the school board for uh allowing me to serve in this position excited about the year ahead and uh that's been off to a fast fast start here so soon as right the school is right around the corner here but thank you very much um just some updates we continue to work on Staffing our um Elementary principal will talk here I think she's all set we still have positions posted at the high school and uh are working on last minute details there um we have all our International te teachers are all in District so uh that's great news that they are here on site and they'll be attending our teacher induction workshops that will begin uh tomorrow morning at the at the high school we you'll start seeing some advertisements for substitutes and I just want to kind of make a public announcement of that that we struggle for substitutes in all areas across the district Care Professionals Cooks custodians teachers um bus drivers so we are have that advertised electronically but also putting it in our local papers for the next several weeks so hopefully we can bolster up that Sub sub list which is U pretty depleted right now um I put by your station tonight and maybe uh wait if you're able to throw this on the screen that logos um the district had been working with varsity at legs on the varsity activity uh about redesigning the logo with the change to Firebirds next year and we need to make not not tonight but we need to make some final decisions probably at our next meeting just giving approval to to this late if that's what it is but because there's some aspects of the new school building that'll have one of these designs built in the gym floor um so several other areas so we do want to approve them but um um these are all examples of possibilities someone asked do we have to choose one no we would actually approve a slate of these things so I would ask if there's something you don't like that might be easier but you'll notice it's very similar to the Thunderbird w i mean it there's just same colors um so we can approve this whole slate yes so we would have access so different organizations might pick one versus the other and and for some things the gfw in bold letters that that's going to look better or the circle design or the or the bird with the with the school in its talents here so um you know right now just initial comments I've heard people haven't been excited about the bird head down in here which I agree what is that is that um and then the personal comment of mind the gfw with the uh with the wings going up like this almost looks like Devil some you know from a distance so perhaps the one in the middle of here where the they More Wings going horizontally I would agree with that or it looks like it's on fire or or or it's on fire so our job tonight is to eliminate a few of these no just just is just to look at it we'll talk about it again at our next meeting and then U Architects are already asking do we have a final approval so they can get these designs to people who are working aspects of the building and and these so let's say there's six of them left up with or whatever so they could be sporadic throughout the whole website uh School the gym floor other spots on facility could one emblem versus another letterhead yep and again um you know different forms of that will probably have better appeal in a different setting than um so but there's there's what we have again it's very similar to our current logal same colors the the fire yeah I agree with the ones that uh you've got feedback on too and that member St just said as well couple go right away yeah and same with you know it's just the birden in there that one anything with just that bird head was pretty unrecognizable you know it has fighter birds in this CC but I think people much prefer gfw public schools and Firebirds with the full full bird image in so just information on that and U we we'll be back we'll be back to that in the future um I mentioned I mentioned teacher induction starting tomorrow that's for our our new teachers and non-tenure teachers so first second third year teachers and they'll be meeting three three days with with their principls and others in the district getting them connected electronically um everything that goes with us starting a new role as a teacher in a school district these days and then the following week on Monday we have our all staff Workshop um and that's all staff on Monday and then teachers Etc um the rest of the week Tuesday through Thursday um I did want to just kind of make a a note of policy issue is this was sent out last year but I wanted to publicly talk about it came up in a in our administrative meeting today uh cell phone policy you're aware the state legislature did mandate that all school districts would have a cell phone policy and I believe we need to have it approved by like Mark Mar 1st so it's not like it has to be approved before the school year starts but um I think I did put one of these by each of your seats tonight it's it's a letter that went out last year um clarifying the cell phone policy um and basically per our policy students are prohibited from using cell phones and other electronic communication devices during the instructional day they are cell phones and electronic devices are to be stored in lockers or other school approved areas from the start of the instructional day to the end of the instructional day um and I just want to emphasize that publicly because there's always an issue and I've had that experience in other districts where we had a onetoone policy and there's there are several intents with going a one toone policy in our Chromebook that that device gives all students an equal platform for achieving their educational needs and at the same time we have control of that device where they can visit using that device um Netflix is blog Prime video all you know different streaming sites things like that um but when a student brings their cell phone into a classroom or some other like brings their own personal iPad or or May a laptop Compu computer we don't have the ability to control what that accesses and that's why I want to emphasize this that um you know our students have that Chromebook and that's what they should be using during the school day certainly if they have a laptop that they want to use uh to do their work at night have added but during the day we we need to make sure that we are kind of controlling the the uh what students have access to through their devices at school so just a reminder of that this was sent out last fall I know and and it will be sent out to uh students and and parents again here as we get closer the school years so we're are we uh we since they were ahead of the curve maybe on having a policy in place well I I think a lot of districts had a policy of some type some might have then uh others I've seen are it's up to individual teachers to Monitor and some teachers would have student place a cell phone on the front on the teacher desk when class starts that gets to be a hassle you're worried about ringing you know have they turned them off um so I think yeah this is a little bit ahead of where most people are at I don't think we're going to have to modify this to to much degree when the um the time comes policy needs to be approved last year we did have a cell phone policy already where it was not to be in like out on the desk in the classroom but keep in your pocket or someplace not visible and if I remember right from Mrs Jacobson she said that did work quite well there was a lot less uh well interference or problems that way bottom line they they should be leaving them in their lockers just so so it's kind of out of sight out of mind during the school day um I know parents sometimes get concerned I can't get they're still called to the office and they can get a classroom and it's a matter of minutes so um is there any communication on their Chromebook like if it's an absolute emergency that they need to get a hold of their parents is there anything on the Chromebook that's a good question they could I suppose shoot an email is there a text speech we have domain locked for any outside sources for younger students so if they try to email somebody that has a different domain other than gfw schools.org or receive it will not work the upper classes that's open a little bit more because of scholarships and uh communicating with colleges so for the older kids they do have some access to email the outside otherwise that's going to have to be directly through the office okay and uh that's just one yeah eliminates a lot of variables that includes Apple watches and stuff too it is yeah I think Dr Smith great job of explaining exactly what uh we're running into at the high school and Mrs Jacobson would concur right now last year I would say that we were a little bit gracious with some of the bring your own device some kids had their own laptops that they wanted to use they felt that it just gave them a little bit more Independence however if you look at the policy that's in front of you right now it also says other electronic devices and we have plenty of students that are fully aware and capable of all of the capabilities of their personal laptops and the majority of our students are pro books and we had a very small percentage of students that were using their own devices um all those students that were bringing their own devices there's there's opportunities to do things that are outside of what we have control of and we just can't have that it it opens the door for a lot of things so if it gets to a point where smart watches are becoming an issue that again that was be an electronic device we would ask them to please turn in they can pick it up at the end of the day they're using a Del time or remind them of something it's understandable there's actually School modes on those devices as well too but asking a student to turn their watch onto School mode I imagine that's not go over well either so Chromebooks are the go-to device we have plenty of Chromebooks to outfit students and I do think think you need definitive policy exactly what is going to be um not tolerated but allowed during the day and if it's not allowed it's not allowed so there isn't any great area in there right just making it consistent corre across the plane field and that's why Mak it easier bringing it up tonight and yes I hadn't thought of Apple watches but it's an electronic device and they can really do anything that that their phone can do so that that would be considered an electronic device so stay in their locker during the day um a little bit of Intel that I have is that uh some teachers um are very lenient we'll say with the with the policy so I think it we'll have to make sure that it's it's uniform across the board with all teachers um and the kids know which ones they can get away with which ones they can't trust me policy only works when everybody is is in enforcing so that's something we need to emphasize with staff too and Mrs Jacobs it's really made her heren known on that policy as well staff members that are not adhering to that y she makes she will make that know okay it's it's too bad because it is as a parent that works in the metro area or and a parent in general you know doesn't matter where you're at to be able to communicate with your child so I struggled with it last year but um you know there's an office that has a phone and they parents can be get a held of um school we made it fine right and uh um I can I can see the distraction for sure uh just look at any one of my children while they're at my house and they're sitting two feet away from me and they don't know I'm talking to them let say I get it um so I know there's people that are not going to like it but it's I two tin cams in a long can I ask another question was your update um with sub qualific for substitute teachers what qualifications do you need to have to be a substitute teacher so there is what's called a short call sub essentially you need a four-year degree and you can apply for a short call what's called short call sub um my wife did that for years um didn't have a teaching degree but she could go into a classroom and sub for a day you know couple days at a time not anything extended um so that's an option for people here around here that don't have you know a teaching license per se but otherwise we're looking for licensed teachers um and you can be licensed in any area and sub really in any area although most people say if they want to sub I want to be at the elementary or I'll do high school usually differentiate their so okay and then um we met a week ago for agenda setting but um any update on or any we way on the open positions that are at the high school the two yeah talking with the business position we we've made an offer and we'll find out tomorrow if we have a teacher there okay um Spanish um as I said it's still posted but right now we're really looking that we're going to have to start the year with online as the option so um principal Jacobson has been meeting with an online provider through cell Central service Cooperative um and uh so that's what we're at right now but we're Contin continue to post that position I I doubt we're going to see anything now but maybe second semester there would be possibility somebody could come in second semester which which would obviously be our preferred methodology there if we could have somebody in house and that's that's all I had on going report open hous is uh shortly yes um help me the 28th is that right 6 through 12 and then Elementary has it Wednesday or it Wednesday I'm sorry yes Wednesday I apologize I'm actually gonna mention that in coming up here are there any other questions for superintendent oh good update thank you okay moving on to the elementary principle all right you think as an elementary principal I would have an outdoor voice but uh Mr wner says I need to use more of an outdoor voice so I will do my best um anyway good evening um just as Dr Smith talked about um principal Jacob and myself look forward to meeting with new staff members on August 20th and 21st this week and um we'll have new staff induction days and then all non-tenured staff will will come on August 22nd which is Thursday this week um our teacher induction days will include sessions on the use of gfw online programs multi-tiered systems of support curriculum and the optimal learning environment on August 26th um next Monday all staff will gather at the El Elementary and have the opportunity to meet for a session with youth Frontiers and on August 27th our elementary teachers will receive training in Everyday Math we also look forward to welcoming two amate interns Susanna from El Salvador and Emanuel from Spain um they are both college students who want to learn about the education system in the United States and they will be here for the school year staying with host families and assisting in our kindergarten and first grade emersion classrooms back to school letters have gone out and parents have begun signing up for their child's meet and greet appointment meet and greets are on August 28th and September 3rd with the first day of school being the 4th families will have the opportunity to visit with their child's teacher meet the Specialists tour the school and get any questions that they have answered um our building looks great thanks to Mr Weir and his staff and we're looking forward to seeing our families again in those stes um we did complete two weeks of our targeted our summer targeted Services Edge for 36 of our kindergarten through fourth grade students um teachers and pair professionals did a wonderful job of engaging the students through Hands-On activities all students had music classes in addition to reading and math and I want to thank our Edge staff and also Mrs fom for teaching extended school year during that time as well our PBIS team met our T Bird way team um and we planned activities for the year along with continuing to honor community and student superheroes this year the elementary is going to have a go for the gold theme classrooms will be reaching for gold throughout the school year in various ways oural staff have begun working onal lessons and planning an organized recess time for students that will give students organized game and free time options I want to say thank you to everyone who attended our musical Annie tber Community Arts um put that on and it was an amazing show with many people volunteering hundreds of hours of their time to make the show a success over 900 people attended the four shows that were offered and the cast had a great time putting on the show for everyone I was actively involved in purchasing costumes props and ticketing for the show and it was made possible because of our grant from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts thank you yes thank you and going on to middle school and high school we have no one uh the Dasher report is in your packet you do not have a school board representative so on to board reports the executive executive committee we do we have an executive um yeah we it's a pretty short meeting um Dan and I got a chance to sit down with Dr Smith and get to know him better um I look into a couple of things and looking forward to working with him otherwise we just worked on the agenda and that was that Finance facility and long range planning committee I believe George was president at the last meeting yep um mainly we talked well we met with uh w and uh talked about how School building was going and so far they're like barely on time budget wise we're sitting okay yet um there is a couple of small changes that have been getting made uh nothing too drastic Wednesday I remember what day but we met with the city of Gibbon and they approved the uh coming so they're going to start boring underneath Highway 19 here pretty soon to start getting sewer and water over there um the water permit got passed from the state so we can do irrigation or whatever we need to do in the ball fields to get that work done I believe believe that water was one of the things they their priorities to get over there too correct yeah they want to get that done before well sooner than later because they need it over winter inside the school um but they were hoping to get the water in soon enough so they could get their grass seated down early enough this year for the uh softball and baseball fields but that doesn't look very promising right now or that's going to happen but it might things can change yes so the work going on right on both sides of 19 by the ballroom is City infrastructure sewer and watered for the general public that maybe listening and they know what's going on okay um just just a clarification and U so Gas and Electric were at that meeting I didn't attend that George was at so all of those utility providers were there and they're coordinating that work so yeah you'll see big holes on both sides of 19 by the old given Ballroom site and uh they're getting everything pulled over to they're talking about startingly put pre-cast walls up the end of September um I have I didn't remember if they said anything about block walls when they were going to start putting those up they didn't mention it that that s that meeting here the only place we have black pulse is probably inside isn't everything outside pre-cast almost everything I don't don't think I think there's a section well might be pre-cast and I have to look at the plans but there's a section where Deming construction will be putting um exterior brick on otherwise it's actually there out there displays of yeah but but otherwise the brick look is actually right on the pre-cast so it's going to come that way but there's an other section where they're actually their Masons will putting that brick in so um I think that's more toward the center Front entryway area so so I think what you're seeing is actually the pre-cast wall they got two samples out there samples so that's that's all pre-cast so but some of that yeah there's some brick yeah but that like you said that comes in the pre-cast so it's a different area but maybe Mr Warner can answer this but I I haven't seen yet and George you and I talked about it um having PR Ka um update our website with a you know what's going on this week or um they were going to work on getting that updated so there's actually some time frames showing on our website what's going to kind of be happening in the next couple months but I I guess I didn't see anything when I approached about the same thing okay so so right yeah did say they would put something together so we could have that out there but uh yeah and so as George mentioned so key things that are happening right now obviously they're hings in Foundation moving toward the back of the building they have sections a b and c pretty much done and and Mark has some great overhead shots of work that's going on out there um and then once they're done with footings and Foundations underground the plumbing is in in some sections and will continue to move throughout the building uh next major thing would be architectural steel will come hope hoping the mid September early sep that that's on site and once that's up then the then the preast panels will come the end of September first part of October so ultimate goal is to have it enclosed certainly by by December um so that work and then it'll look like nothing's happening out there and there'll be 100 people working inside the building um I'll I'll reach out to Krauss and mention that schedule because they didn't talk they did talk about putting something together that we can put out because I know people are curious about perhaps a BL reminder by along anything else regard tog okay policy committee basically the policy committee is on Hiatus now Y and we will be starting again in September that our plan to yeah we calendar on the 26th next week Monday yeah so there is a meeting there yep I thought work session might comment was we might go with this yeah yeah I I do have it on the agenda but I'll take a look and see if it's necessary to meet at that time that's one that you shorten up hour already right ceri okay so nothing there the um Community engagement committee Mr there was really no meeting we had nothing to talk about so Business Services I think competive grants um just just to update at our last meeting and I think I sent out some information I said we had received a grant and yet I was trying to get into the system to find out what it was it was a grant for believe it was $24,000 that supports our immersion program um and I think Emily mentioned a larger Community Schools grant that had been applied for we did not we were not selected for that Grant and other grants I'm I'm working on that Ted Grant which is a transportation Economic Development Grant we had a meeting with bad officials last week in si County um Tim Becker with the highway department participated in that as well um I have asked a city of Gibbon and sidley county for letters of support for that Grant and uh and it's on the agenda tonight for a letter of support from this board uh the grant can provide up to 70% of the cost of the project uh we've had estimates ranging from 350,000 to 5 00,000 to to complete the turn lanane work that is uh necessary for out out in front of the new school um so it's certainly worthwhile effort to submit a proposal and see what happens um it is an economic development Grant so it's a little bit of a Twist to it so we need to talk about the jobs that are being maintained and retained not creating new jobs necess necessarily because of the move into one School site but we will be talking about the possibilities of potential development at this site and the and the winter site as well for for business or um or residential what whatever the purpose may be so so that Grant is due early in September so that's been kind of on the top of my list um besid besides getting school going principles thankfully are handling the majority of that work here okay the consent agenda excuse me Vice chair Breeze I wanted to let you know that there is a correction needed um that we could if possible add to the consent agenda regarding the July 15th minutes I did not put in in our donations who the donation was from so I would like to add that if possible and it was $1,000 donation from Sarah Berg for the middle school and high school robotic program can we add that to the consent agenda to add that in minutes I certainly think so do you need somebody to make a motion to do that to amend the consent agenda to add that yes please get can I get a motion to amend that I'll make a motion to amend the consent agenda to add um a donation to the July 15th minutes thank you I'll second and all in favor VI and ready questions or concerns about the consent agenda before we look for an approval I get a motion to approve the consent agend I'll make a motion to approve the consent agenda a second I'll second all in favor raise your hand to action ID and a resolution a to approve the truth and Taxation meeting date and time which is December 16 2024 at 6: pm and here show of hands you approve this yeah we we should probably just have a motion motion to approve in second and then pres and I I'll just comment every year we have we're required to have a truth and Taxation meeting um it can be done in conjunction with another meeting but it can't start until 6 o'clock so we the 20 the 16th is a regular meeting that month so we'll start with the truth and Taxation presentation and then go right into the regular meetings I'll make a motion to approve the tment taxation meeting for December 16th 2024 at 6m I'll second it all in favor B to approve the change of September 16th 2024 board meeting to September 23rd 2024 can I get a motion to approve that I'll make a motion to approve the uh September 26 board meeting to September 23rd and a second second and again all in favor raise your hand C approve a memorandum of understanding for a GF WEA agreement regard to health insurance we need to read any of that could I just speak to it before we before we take a motion um so um this was I believe included in your packet but um currently our our practice for married teachers within the contract they each qualify for a heal Insurance contribution and uh this mou really doesn't change what was happening in the past um it just clarifies it um for for IRS purposes that they're not getting any more or less than other teachers uh so we we did have a a meeting with with the Union just uh because there had been some concerns from school district Den just the way it had been happening um we wanted to make sure it was done appropriately for IRS purposes so our teachers didn't get into trouble and we didn't as a district didn't get into trouble so this clarifies that essentially we're combining the the insurance contribution toward one policy so one of the teachers will hold the family policy both contributions will go toward that policy if they're short if the policy costs more than the district contributes uh it would be deducted from the policy holders paycheck if it is if the district contribution more than covers that then that extra would go into that policy holders HSA so it just clarifies that so everybody is aware how that's going to be handled moving forward I would recommend approval of that m that sounds like it's probably pretty standard Statewide and yeah and again it just nobody wants the IRS not going right right and it was handled this way in the past but it's just it's formalized this way I'll make a motion to approve the mlu for the GF WEA agreement regarding health insurance second I'll second all motion and finally D which is a resolution item yes and that I I didn't have it ready when the board packet went out I just hand handed that out at your station and night this is from a from a template that mot recommends we use for for the Ted Grant um basically it says we we have committed up to $150,000 toward the local match we've actually in our budget have more than that in there but the hope is that we secure the Grant and uh and would lower our cost down to at least that 150,000 um and it it confirmed that whatever the grant doesn't cover the district will cover and we obviously have an obligation to to make that happen out there um and we're we're not in violation of any federal state laws um so it's U just a a level of support and I did change the one for vice chair Breeze to sign tonight because I heard Dan may not make it back so I had two copies available so I've got his signature so Emily and and vice chair Breeze will sign both this and theou so this is the the cost of 350,000 of the half a million dollars you're talking about ear today right so so yeah so we have money in the do we have $350 to $500,000 in the budget the budget right now and and I should clarify the grant says they will cover up to seven the max they'll cover is 70% okay and then it depends on um it's a limited pot Statewide so how many applications rise to a certain point level um so they could prate things if we were selected that's why I put up to 150 that would be if we if it cost 500,000 and we got the full 70% anything is a beneficial after yeah yeah anything we can get through this grant proposal means we have those dollars to use for other wants and needs that we have out there yet we need to read this in its entirety you can um summarize it you don't have to read the whole I think we just summarize it maybe if you read the last be further resolved the last one now therefore be it resolved okay with regard to this resolution now therefore be it resoled that school board chair and School Board Clerk or their successors in office are here by authorized to execute such agreements and amendments theto as are necessary to implement the project to projects on behalf of the applicant so I would ask for a motion to approve this resolution I'll make a motion to approve uh resolution and a second I'll second and Julie you will call the RO re is yes yes Miller yes Turtle yes grome yes stare yes any further business concerns when do we meet with Carl Anderson they come to our meeting next that's a good question have they been coming regularly to the full meetings or to the work session quarterly to a business meeting okay recall the last time they've been to this oh June June usually it's just been they've been giving you reports and then you've been kind of filling Us in on the meetings and we as too many large changes or as all things are progressing I'll I'll ask if there is that something the board would desire to have them here in in person and on a quarter or something that probably be a good idea keep us up yeah once a quarter this I think would be good but it' be nice to get a little bit more updates upates not to contact them about the schedule that we can put out there yes and then I'm trying to get their website updated y y are people go to the we I mean I didn't see it before I came to this meeting so part all that's out there is you know the camera camera so you can't see anything that's very limited Mark's got the pictures and our next meeting is a work session meeting on September 3rd there's no further business got I get a motion to adjourn make a motion to adjourn a second I'll second all in favor