January-13-2020-Regular-Board-Meeting-Segment-2
[00:00:00] Um, I'm just noticed, uh, Ms. Douglas had brought over our, um, sign up for public comment and I'm caging by them people in the audience. People may want to sign up, so, okay, I'm going to hand this back out here if you'll pass it around and sign up. We're in do public comment here. Next agenda item. And I'm going to use this time to, um, announce that I'm an attorney and I represent students and parents in the district.
And if a matter comes before the board, the materially benefits one of my clients, I would have stained from participating in the discussion or the decision making without revealing the identity of my client.
Thank you. And we will now move on to the consent agenda. Is there happened to be a board motion?
I'll move that. The board adopt the consent agenda a second. It's been moved and seconded. [00:01:00] Please call it Ellen Heights. Hi, pasty Thompson. Hi, Megan. Mala yes. Injure. Fetch. Yes, Kelsey Kane. All right.
All right now is the part of the meeting where we move on to communications from the audience, and I'm just going to wait while they're filling out that form for us.
Thank you. I've totally forgot about that. I was like, well, comments. Thank you, Dylan. All right. So this is the time of the meeting where we will take public comment. Um, while we're very happy to have people come and share with us their thoughts, their opinions, their asked, the requests, their wants. Um. It is unfortunately not a time where the board can respond, but we will make sure that we do try and get back to you and address your [00:02:00] concerns over the course of the next month, so.
Okay.
All right. Um.
So she sing. Please come on up. State your name, and as long as this is your address, I won't have you publicly state your address. Um, my name is Shika Singh and I'm a senior at Western high school. Um, this is my seventh year in the West Linn Wilsonville district. I would like to propose the hiring of the director of equity inclusion at the district.
This could possibly develop into a team of people at every school. We need this to promote equity in the district and ensure the mental health of all students because every student matters. Um, I could have significantly benefited from this in middle and high school. [00:03:00] I remember the first day of seventh grade in my science class.
I was seated next to this boy. He seemed friendly at first, but then the question started, what do you eat for dinner? Sorry.
Rice and beans, bugs. Why are your arms so here are you, where are you from? The other kids at the table avoided the conversation. I nervously laughed and tried to answer to the best of my abilities, has questions, maybe very uncomfortable, and made me feel like I didn't belong every single day. After that, I dreaded that class.
I tried to have a boring class. I would use long bathroom breaks and try to, um. Tried to scoop my seat as far as I could from him in class. You'd continue to make comments and ask questions of the same nature. Um, the problem finally was over when we switch seats, I didn't feel like I could tell any of my friends because it would make me feel more like an outsider and most of them were white, so I [00:04:00] didn't think they'd understand.
And it's not really something kids discuss with each other. And I couldn't tell my parents because. They have gone through so much more and my problems seem trivial. I didn't feel comfortable with the teacher of the class cause she was also white and I didn't think she'd understand or any other staff at school at the school.
I went to Roswell to confined in about the issue. His comments and questions may have seemed small and heartless, but I still remember them from six years later. Um. I'd say I'm a pretty, I, I have a thick skin because of my experiences now, I just let the little things slide because I have to choose my battles and it'd be exhausting to buy all of them.
However, the small things add up and they fully me chip and my confidence, my identity, and my perception of my self worth. I wouldn't have loved to have someone. I would, I could have reported my issue too. I had known that they would have done something about it. Someone to tell me [00:05:00] my problems are important and I shouldn't have to normalize my problems or have thick skin.
It isn't a competition, is it about who has it worse? And we cannot turn it into that. But if I'm being honest, I thought if telling a different story, a different story of mine where the racism, oppression and discrimination I face at school was evident. But this one matters to, um. But that's not fair because the little things add up and they shouldn't be normalized or accepted in any way.
I need an adult there at school that I could turn to after seven years in this district. I finally feel like I have those adults at school, but I have been told my senior year, so that's great for me. But what about the next kid? Thank you.
Thank you. Shaikha Moya Moses.
Hmm. Hello. Board members. I'm [00:06:00] also a senior at Western high school and I also wanted to express my desire for an equity and inclusion director for the district. Um, there are a lot of issues in our district that lots of students do not trust or feel comfortable with. Sharing with teachers on many, and also many teachers are not properly equipped to handle these situations because of the racial demographics of our district and a lack of training in specific knowledge that they'd need to combat these issues.
I know many people would benefit from this position and the position would foster learning environment that is safe for all. Many students at our school feel they can turn to their peers so they don't bring it up to adults. But, uh, I know there are also some kids at our school who don't have the peers.
That are strong, that will stand up for then and we'll help them through these issues. So a position like this would be a great resource for the district.
thank you, Maria. Is there any other additional public comments? By all means, please come up [00:07:00] and if he would just say your name and then also your address for the record, please. Amateur Shahara two four, five, five political places. Lessen it and will when his mom and I did not,
no, I'm speaking tonight, but listen to these red girls. So we moved here from Eugene after living there our whole lives and raising the girls in a very diverse, open, loving community. And. We moved here when I got a job at, on a bill as the historian, and it was the great move for me. And my husband came up and he's an attorney at legal aid services Oregon now as well, making this move, thinking it was great, you know, a great change for our girls.
Um, more opportunities. And we looked and visited a lot of school districts and neighborhoods and my husband fell in love with West Linn and of course. Great ratings grade school. You think this is best place to [00:08:00] come through your kids, and this is what so many people I know think as well who have relocated here from out of state or for other jobs.
And it's definitely been not that experience for any of my girls here. And what they're asking for is important. I would say it's . What has happened is that my eldest tests, Oh, come a lot here. I'm a very strong, brave, fearless advocate for herself and for others who are struggling with issues. And I just pulled my middle school daughter out.
I mean my ninth grader out of West Linn high school because she was not comfortable there for many of the reasons the schools are talking about. And my sixth grader is at Rosemont. Um, she certainly encountered a number of things as well, but hopefully  what can we think our big sisters are doing [00:09:00] to help this?
Thanks mate.
Thank you. Um, any other comments? All right. Thank you everyone for coming and speaking with us this evening. We appreciate it.
All right. Yes. Good. I just recognize that, um, not only are there continually courageous students who come and speak to the board, and I know it's not easy to, to share your story. Um, but we need you to tell us your story, to tell us how things are going. And I also want to recognize that there's some teachers, um, in the audience who care deeply about you.
That's why they're here. Okay. And, um, so I wanna appreciate those three when I, I know you've had a long day at school to be here tonight to support your teachers. So appreciate Connor, Jackie making for being here and also, um, principal Newman, [00:10:00] um, for continuing to be here and, and listening really hard and intently and deeply to your students.
So thank you all for being here.
All right. Um, we are moving on in our agenda and as I had explained early on, um, Jada reapply with, uh, see us, uh, C E S D, um, had another engagement before ours. So at this time, I'm going to make a few shifts in our, um. Agenda. And I'm gonna move down to item 10 a, which is our district audit report. Since we do have mr Sevino here to share with us.
So good evening. Um. This is Sabino Arredondo. He is a CPA and partner, what we'll call Redondo. He [00:11:00] does our, uh, artists for fiscal year 18, 19. It's complete on December 18 and submitted to, uh, Oregon department of education for review. I got the report from Oregon department of education this morning, say, and best, they, no question, everything.
Look at and congratulation. So yeah, it's, uh. Thank you so many. Thank you everyone. Um, again, my name is Sabina ardando and I'm a partner with Wilcox, hard on doing company. Uh, we're the district auditors. Um, before I begin, I like you think a superintendent, uh, liquid and some leave in business office for their work during the audit process.
Um, they allow us to come in here a couple of weeks during the year and bother them and provide us with a lot of information that we asked and in order for us to get that report done timely for the district. So thank you very much. Really appreciate your work during [00:12:00] this. Um, this process last year I took a little bit of time to review the audit process.
Um, and explain what we do during the audit process. And, um, there's, um, I like to briefly kind of mentioned our two, uh, the, the weeks that we were here and what we were doing. Um, we began the audit, believe it or not, back in June of 2019 and it's, uh, we spend a week here in reviewing the internal controls of the district, reviewing.
How would the business operates? How they performed his daily functions. So we start documenting from who opens the mail and the business office, who makes the deposits, how are employees being paid? And it's a very important part of our audit process as this is what we use to develop our audit plan, um, after that week.
And we do the, the items that I alluded to. Uh, we come back, uh, at the end of October to perform the actual [00:13:00] fieldwork of, uh, of the audit. Uh, that's the time in the audit where we actually test the numbers for the district. Uh, things that, that happen at that time is we review your bank reconciliations provided to us by the business office, and we will confirm those bank accounts with your banking financial institution.
We also, because the district receives so much money from Oregon department of education, we confirm those balances and those amounts remitted to the district, um, with them directly. Uh, we do the same with, um, uh, the County for property taxes. We will talk to the attorneys. We will test your debt payments to make sure they're being paid timely.
Um, and, and on and on, we go. Um, and, um, it is a time where we then start developing our opinion on the financial statements. [00:14:00] Um, I liked, I always liked the pouring out the, the audit, uh, the capper, um, comprehensive. I had no financial report. It's 114 pages long. It is. Representation of management. Our job as auditors is to give an opinion on those financial statements and we do the things, all our audit procedures, and then we form our opinion and our financial statements.
So you have, uh, somewhere, I think you should all have two bound copies. One of them is the actual financial statement report. The other one is our report to the board. Uh, on the, uh, financial report there, there's three opinions that we give. Um, and I would just wanted to mention them briefly. Um, the, there's an opinion on the financial statements and that's found on page one, two, three.
And, um, if you were to turn to pages one, two, and three, um, the [00:15:00] bottom paragraph of page one is our opinion. And in it, it says, in our opinion, the financial statements referred to, uh, present fairly in all material respects. And that's the highest level of opinion we can give us auditors. It's an odd modified opinion, meaning we went and did perform all our audit procedures, and we found that the financial statements to be in good order and it's what are put a keen opinion.
Um, and so that's the, our opinion on the financial statements. There's also, eh, towards the back of the financial statements, it's page one Oh three and one Oh four our second opinion. And that's our opinion, uh, required by Oregon state regulations. There we list the items that we test required by Oregon state statutes, and, um, the district was in compliance with all those items, except there was one finding that we noted for you on page one or through one Oh three.
It [00:16:00] was a over expenditure, um, on a, in a couple funds, uh, and you'll find that on in paragraph the bottom paragraph there. Uh, and this is, uh, this is my second year reporting and I've looked back and it appears that the district, this is something that happens and that we continue to work with suddenly to kind of give her advice and throughout the year to make sure that, uh, that's something that the district can be proactive on so that there's not a violation in the future years.
Uh, so that's our second opinion. And then there is, our third opinion is on the federal grants. Because the district received sober $750,000 in federal monies. Uh, you are required to do, have your federal programs tested on an annual basis, and those are report there is found on page one Oh seven through one 10.
Um, and. This year, we tested the special revenue, I'm sorry, the special ed, uh, [00:17:00] education fund. And, uh, because federal monies, uh, there's, uh, compliance requirements that come along with it. Uh, we are required to test those compliance requirements, and we found that there were, um, no findings and, and they are federal.
We have issued in an unmodified opinion. And your federal grants as well. So we have your audit, the financial statements. We have an aunt on modified opinion, a clean opinion, your or opinion on the state regulations. We had one finding on a budget over expenditures and then on your federal grants we have issued on an unmodified opinion.
So that's kind of the. Summary of 114 pages worth of numbers, which are, there is a lot of good information for you as board members there, uh, to review and, and historical trends and so forth that you can take out of that. But those are the ones that I [00:18:00] wanted to sit and review with you. Uh, this evening.
Uh, the other thing, the other report that you, that I have is that report to the board of directors. And there are some items there that I, I just like you briefly now. Uh, we, because we come in, review your procedures and internal controls. I think an important aspect of our audit is to come back and, and give you some guidance or some recommendations of areas that we see that the district can improve.
Um, no. No district can run a perfect internal controls because there's not enough funds and there's not enough money or people. Um, but this year, if you look at that report on page three, we have three recommendations for the district and one has to do with, uh, procedures for verifying changes in bank accounts to either vendors or employees.
And this came about, um. Not because we found something. It's because [00:19:00] a lot of the districts that we're auditing are getting bombarded on a daily basis, especially the business office with requests, fraudulent requests from the outside saying, please change my bank account, direct deposit. We want you to deposit it to now this account.
And then this is happening from a vendor side to aK  a you need, instead of ACA checking the account, uh, to, to Wells Fargo, please move it to U S bank. That's happening quite a bit. And especially as you go into a big bond project with construction, uh, they're targeting those areas. Um, we are recommending that, uh, the district on the vendor side have a procedure in place where they require those vendors to a.
Can't do it through just internet or email, that there's a secondary, whether either they come into your office or there's a phone call or there's something done in addition to just an an email to the [00:20:00] district. The district on the employee side already has such control, which is a good thing. They require the employees to come in if they want to change their bank account, you come into the business office and either bring the change form and a piece of ID.
So, uh, I think we want to make it, we were recommending that a step further on the vendors as you go into your new projects coming up. So I'm not, we didn't find anything. We just being a little proactive with what's going on with the district. Um, this year, the district also, the business office implemented a new, um, student body, um, accounting magnet.
And we, um, believe that, and I mean the surrounding area in all your school districts, that training should be happening in order to get them up to speed. Um, the, the business office typically in a school district has a lot of internal controls, very tight, where we as auditor see the risk is under outlined areas.
You [00:21:00] have somebody who may not be trained to be an accountant, to look for areas performing the functions of an account. So training, oversight, that type of, um, uh. Helps with limiting the risk. Um, the one good step that happened, the, the procedures are now in place. Now. We, uh, we're recommending that additional training and monitoring is ongoing on a either quarterly basis or either semiannual basis.
So, and the last, the last recommendation is under federal grants. Um, we are recommending that you add the district ad. A second review on your requests reimbursement request. We didn't run into any issues with the federal, with your requests, but we, we always think it's prudent to have a second set of eyes looking prior to hitting that button and sending it to ode or, or the federal granting agency just to have, uh, somebody else make sure there's no [00:22:00] mathematical error or an implant.
So those are our three, three recommendations that we're bringing up before we have this, this with a song, Lee and her team. Um, and I think some of these things may already be in the works. Um, and we will continue to work with the business office and give them ideas of implementation. So, um, those are the three there.
Um, the other required communications that we're required to report to the board. On an annual basis. And that has to do with whether the, uh, management is difficult to work with. Where they, you know, uh, opinion shopping. Did they go out because they don't like what I have to say to do they go out somewhere else and try to get another audit firm to say, well, we should do it this way.
Um, or were they difficult to work with and so forth? And I'm, as I said before, they were very professional and provided us with everything that we needed. So, um, that's my report. I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have. [00:23:00] I have a question, but I do want to say this is. Exactly the kind of thing that I would want from an auditor that helps us not only know whether we're doing well and meeting the obligations for the various governmental bodies and and for our citizens, but also what can we do to be better.
And so I really appreciate that.
Hi. Um, thank you for your, your work on this. Uh, I did have a question. Um, you referenced deficiencies in internal control that are material. Um. Are the three things that you identified, are those what you would consider to be the material deficiencies? They're not material weaknesses. They didn't lead to a finding.
Okay. And then material weakness would be where your internal control is such that it didn't, if there were some fake it cost, it costs a fine. So [00:24:00] you didn't find any deficiencies that you thought were material? No. Um, as a board, um, what do you think in this report is the most important thing for us to pull from?
It. The the biggest risks for, for, we audit a lot of school districts and we, where we see a huge risk is on the student body side for the, like I alluded to, because the, you have folks that are not trained accountants trying to run their educators and they do a great job, but they're trying to do. Um, that, that type of work.
So that's one of the biggest risks, risks that we see is on the student body side. The other risks that are for districts are on your compliance with federal grants because you have multiple agencies looking at it. Part of the, the audit goes to Oregon department of education. They review it, glad to hear it.
They was there. They didn't have any new thing. We, it also gets uploaded to the federal clearing house where [00:25:00] somebody else, another set of eyes take up, takes a look. At our report. Uh, so typically where we find findings as auditors is our new federal grants and or on your student body. So it would be typical, uh, for us, the school district as well.
I was looking at the letter in our materials. I don't, it's on page 82 of our materials. Is it December 18th, 2019 letter from you to the board. And it says that in the third paragraph. Quote. However, as discussed below, we D we identified certain deficiencies in internal control that we consider to be material weaknesses.
Close quote. Um, was that a typo or was that later? Correct?
Mm, yes. That's, that's not a tip because if this are not material, cause if it's a material weaknesses, it goes into our, um, financial, it goes on our, on our different report here. [00:26:00] I believe that's, that sentence shouldn't be in there. So, yeah. Okay. Yeah, I'll, I'll, I'll verify that with you and get back with soundly on that one.
So. Because it's the last paragraph. During our audit, we noted certain matters that are opportunities to strengthen turnip controls and operating efficiencies. So, um, that's, I believe that's, that's not the right sentence. Yeah. Good catch by the way. I'm glad you're reading it.
All right. Any further questions for the board? Thank you very much. Thank you for your time and efforts and energies and for working so well with our financial department in preparing this audit. So thank you. I just want to follow up. What do I, I know, say ended up plus, um, uh, [00:27:00] uh, combined, uh, on the bucket.
A bunch of fighting. Like we had a budget violation for fiscal year 18, 19. So when you look at, we have one over 1 million. Uh, also budget in, not all the backtrack, but, uh, spending an appropriate in special revenue is, uh, we have student success act. That's the, the two year grant, fiscal year 16, 17 and 1819.
Um, it come over to a million, but when we have a new account and Kemo and bore both, she and I, we did not know the money what a second year that come in late in the second year. So we do a lot of, um, spending charging in the general fund at that time. And then when the money come in, we ship it, do special revenue.
And then in the general fund, we have about over [00:28:00] half million. Um, I was spent in the function, we are 1000 function for injunction on 2004, uh, support, student support services and, um, over half million, um, of I spend in maybe induction on a function and under spend in some students opposed is because.
During the first year, I were talking with dr, which I wasn't how, um, I could not have the post op how to score and spending that kind of stuff. So by April, I present a restaurant solution to a board member asking for, um, approve and my resolution dress solution on a appropriation transfer. And then, um, I mentioned off the scone that may 15, eight cut off spending day we spent, Oh, no way to
[00:29:00] So when  come, when we close the book without a school, we close the book. It's, um, under the overspend. So when I contacted you by, no, and I say, is it a tie for me in July to do the unpro appropriation, a fund transfer. But it's too late. I have to do it before June  so it's a lesson learned for me this year when I went out to visit school, and then I will continue to visit business school and department to inform them that may fit, didn't really have full cut off day.
So when every expenditure on daily spend by that day, then on June. But I will low ball, make them, I can present the appropriation transfer and by then we capture everything. So, uh, hopefully by next year,  and I did number last year, um, uh, director high to asking me. I do remember the audit report do, [00:30:00] he's saying this.
This is too. How do you go through, stop about blackjack violation? And I look at you and I say, I will remind in school, but again, it's in my first year of learning. So now I understand our spending habits now so we can work together better in the future. And then, um, Bardo Coleman owned a, uh, board report.
The first one is we have in the past, we how school and how different, um, a lot of different school, how different bank do banking with this year, when I went out to visit with secretary and principal, I explained it to them that it's like a parent who had a mortgage and car insurance, what one company.
And then when you have a teenager. They need. Joe came out and know how to ride a car and then do know Joe, say mom and dad, I'm going to declare in the independent. I'm going to how my own insurance with another company. But [00:31:00] that's not no doctor nature. I did not know. It caused him even more money to be independent that way.
So my com communication with a school principal and our department building is, we should do. Wonderful. So the Detroit, where you us bank, August school, should you us bank, they can win. When we under one umbrella, it cut out a lot of costs because when they do banking with different bank, it change traction.
Your bank jar their money, but when they bundle what grows in the U S bang. Oh, about the Scott week. So this year we've been take care of that. Um, and then like, uh, sip, I know mansion. We require staff. If they want to do the changing, the direct transfer, a direct deposit, and they check, they have to come to see us in person with two pieces of ID.
The [00:32:00] robot relation or passport or, um, employees ID, um, student body fund is continue to improve. Um, they'll go, luck coach have a wonderful suggestion for me too. Um, for this year we will get the secretary to get though in one of their early schooling release and provide in depth join in for them. So like half of a day join in for them.
We have and how that form or joining with them? Yes. My staff and I just run to their school and they're in my cow bandy here and there. But they've not enough. And, uh, we will, we have a procedure now what their device that the second step we own it is send out a training material to them. The next step, we will gather them together and go through their training materials to get there.
So hopefully we will improve. And later on in the future, if we have money to fund for this account and their [00:33:00] position to oversee all of the student body fund account that will be more efficient. And last, the federal grant was a, I told only upgrade with a soprano. It's a very great suggestion that I did not think about it.
I would think in grant account and. I should be able to go through the process, revealed a financial report and submitted. That they're very important for either me of the asset and director of fiscal services. Have a second eyes and review and  before we ask him for money. With that, I would like to read the letter that the email confirmation that I received from ode this morning.
Hello. Certainly hope you are well, good news. The fiscal year 1819 audit revealed for the West Linn verse, and bill  had been complete, everything had been reconciled, and no action required on your part. Nice job. [00:34:00] And then feel free to contact me with any questions that, uh, that's a nice message to receive.
Thank you. Yeah,
thank you. It is indeed a nice, nice question. Um, for those who've just entered the meeting, we had a small change in our agenda and the order of things. If you are interested in the content of the discussions we've just had, they will be available online and you're always welcome to email. Any questions or concerns you have to the school board.
Um, at this time, we will move on to item nine, a two, our interdistrict transfer parameters.
Thank you. Chair monitor. This is an annual decision that comes before the board regarding interdistrict transfers. Um, [00:35:00] you received a memo that described the. Policies that guide our interdistrict transfers and the recommendation from staff to once again, um, restrict transfers into the district to only those avenues, um, that have statutes, uh, requiring that districts receive transfers.
Um, and then also limiting. New transfers to non-resident students currently attending school in the Western Wilsonville school district, or siblings of non-resident students. Um, so again, transfers are about receiving students as well as students who can leave the school district and go to another district.
So this is very similar to the decisions you've made in the last three, four years that we would, um, restrict interdistrict transfers into the district by those conditions. And then once again, for families interested in [00:36:00] transferring out of the district. Last year, we approved 25 requests and staff felt that that was sufficient.
Um, we did generate, um, a wait list, but then sometimes what happens is families either finish and move out, and so that frees up a spot. So we're very attentive to those and we were able to take care of the needs of our families. So we'd recommend the same number again. Um, we have processes in place for receiving those requests through timestamp and waitlist.
And, um, our executive assistant and secretary of the board, Kelly Douglas, um, manages and monitors all of those requests coming in and out, along with our assistant superintendents who oversee that level as well as principals. So, again, you have the recommendation before you. Uh, that gives stipulations for, um, what kind of transfers in and what kind of transfers [00:37:00] out, um, staff would recommend that you make next year.
But certainly it is a decision for the board to make. I am not seeing the language of what you're looking for, but I am moving to approve the interdistrict transfers for 2021 and the intra district. Right where the transfers into the West Linn Wilsonville school district as recommended.
Oh, second. All right. It's been moved and seconded. Is there discussion? Any question? Um, so we're allowing 25 students who would like to, to transfer out of the district. How many did we have last through that? Requested that. We use all 25 spots. And do we have a sense of if we didn't put a living on it, how many we'd be receiving?
Where there many more after that weightless, we had, uh, a [00:38:00] very robust waitlist. Uh, and then I. The first 25 go out based on how the school board votes, and then I have a wait list. And then I'm very, um, diligent about contacting all of those 25 families in making sure they absolutely used them so that if they did, they could give it back to the next family on the wait list.
And they were all used in their worst. Some that did not get, that did not get the release either. We're talking like two or three, two or three. Okay. So that was one of our recommendations, and I should have noted this as a change on page. Uh, I guess it's 71 in your packet, but no. But the second point with re releasing is that quite a few of our requests come from seniors.
So the family has either moved in and would like to continue their school district, or they've moved here and they, their family is attending already. And quite a few of those 25 [00:39:00] slots are taken by seniors. So what we'd like to recommend is actually not to include seniors in the 25. Just allow those to happen.
Um, and then have the 25 slots be taken from. You know, juniors and below. Um, but to just allow seniors to, it just make sense. They should finish at the school they've been attending and it not be something that has to be requested and be thought of in the 25. I believe doing that alone would be more than sufficient and probably even have some spaces available.
Do you recall how many were seniors? So, so that would allow for, um, it would people ask me to leave the district, do we. Out board process where you ask them what's going on? Yeah, we do. Um, if we're able to, um, there's often a call from the principal to the family to say, um, you know, we just received this email or this notification, um, of course we wish you well, but is there something that.
[00:40:00] We could have done or that you would have liked to see changed? Or did anything happen that would be important for us to know? I'm always extending, you know, if we could change something, would, would that help? And so there's always that conversation. And sometimes that conversation changes things and people didn't realize, maybe they.
Well from another state and didn't realize, Oh, in Oregon you can do things, or I didn't know that you'd make that change to my child's schedule or consider a classroom placement change or, you know. So I think once we have that conversation, some of those minds are changed, but, um, often families tell us that they've already had some of those conversations and they're ready for a change.
If I may. Majority of them have never attended our schools. Okay. The high school side, they, they just want to finish out their senior year at their neighboring cities is the priority for the seniors. Yeah, and I was asking mostly because we had a parent tonight express pretty [00:41:00] disheartening Taylor from moving a child from a school.
And if that's a pattern happening, you know, more than ones that certainly would hope the district as a way of monitoring that. Yeah.
All right. Let's call it provoke please. Halen hides. Hi, Kristi Thompson. Regen millitorr. Yes. Ginger Fitch. Chelsea King. Aye. Okay. So this information will now go on our website so that every, everybody has clarity around, um, how the transfer process works and which schools are open or closed, and also how many transfers out.
And Ms. Douglas also maintains, along with mr Kihlstrom, maintain, um, the accuracy of that website for our community. So thank you.
Well now move on to our division 22 assurances. And dr
[00:42:00] this, this item is an annual, um, item. And I'm standing here because you'd have the memo, but it's required that we have it recorded in the minutes that. You have heard this and can ask questions and discuss it. I'm the division 22 assurances are. Okay. Checked off to say that we have followed a process that's described in the memo for going through and looking at the standards that the district needs to comply with.
What we've opted to do is list areas where even though we're in compliance with everything, there's a beyond compliance approach and there's three of them that we noted. Um, one of them being the health and sexuality education just as we, um. Agreed. Last February, we have an ongoing task force to continue the development of lessons and [00:43:00] materials for that.
Our next works stakeholder session is January 23rd with that. The other one is, um, PE minutes, whereas we are. In compliance because we are this year reporting on last year, the way this works, there is an increase in minutes and ode is looking at and around the state. Um, there's recommendations being made of how our minutes used, where the intent of this was to ensure that children have.
The activity that they need to be healthy. It's looked at now as, maybe that's just not minutes of actual physical education class, but how are physical activity opportunities incorporated in the school day and that we are part of a work group. I'm working on that as well. And then the third one is.
Talented and gifted education. The state of Oregon requires that we identify [00:44:00] students. We have updated our work with that because we wanted to make sure with equitable and inclusive practices that we had better measurement. So we literally changed the assessments that we're using and to broaden our range and actually deepen our range of what giftedness this.
In the three areas, the work that has been slowed a bit just because we have not committed as much of our resources to actual professional learning this year is the program itself, and that is something that we look at completing next school year. Even though we do have those who have started at, we're still working on it, we've just slowed it down because this year we are not calling groups together as much and using the time for professional learning.
And that is the instructional practices, the curriculum practices, and the opportunities that students have [00:45:00] within the school day, um, for looking at, um, education that, that meets their needs and the needs of gifted students. So that's. That's the focus that, that we are have right now. And, um, those three stand out.
So I'm just checking to see if you have questions.
I had a question about the, uh, PE time. Um,  the memo said we're increasing our PE time, but I'm just wondering. It's about some specifics. I mean, how much you've increased it. Um, are we at the level that the state requires right now or do we have some more room to go? How close are we, that sort of thing. We are not, um, this year, um, we are going to be reporting next year on having 120 minutes a week for K five students and 180 minutes a week.
For middle school students and then it increases to [00:46:00] 150 for K five the following year and 225. But since that legislation was first introduced, there has been around the stage some consideration, um, largely because it's not just a matter of staffing, but a matter of how would we actually provide. That those PE minutes, if it's just PE classes.
So for example, it's been rewritten now to say 45 minutes a week could and probably should be activities that maybe take place between classes during classes. Because the, the idea behind this is that sitting for an hour at a time and working in, in a workshop setting or doing academic learning without that break is what's needed.
The state has passed the compliance piece of this just to give districts time to develop. What should this actually work like? There's also been a lot of [00:47:00] programs developed for ways to actually look at what the activities couldn't shake be, but those are the actual numbers that we are expected to have.
But what that 150 minutes to 180 looks like there is some flexibility there that is being worked with. So we're in compliance now. But eventually the bar's going to raise me up to meet what the meet that we are actually not in compliance, but we don't report on the compliance till next year, where to be working towards it this year to the 120 minutes.
And we are looking at some of our, um, resources and how we look at the combination of resources that we have for next year to work towards that you expect at a time. It's time for us to report that we will be in compliance. We are planning to do that, but I want to make sure that, to clarify that, we're not saying that will, it'll just be through making PE classes longer.
It could be through combinations throughout the school [00:48:00] day. For example, one grant that was written in this school district, the state, slow down and look for promising practices for several years, and one of them was in K five when children arrive at school and they. Go to the gym that there could be, and maybe it would be a stronger way to start the school day.
some organized physical activity that could be creative, that could offer a chance for them to socially interact and some of these things. Now there's also looking at how it fits with social emotional learning activities. And so that's one where the state has now said those minutes could and should.
Count. So that's why the state of Oregon has said, we're not going to ask for a compliance piece for this year. As of right now, they're saying next year at this time, we will want to be looking at how we are increasing and moving towards that. [00:49:00] I think a key takeaway of that is that there's continuing to be a broadening of the definition of that increase, because you can imagine most districts responded and said.
We can't double that with staff gymnasiums because it was pretty tight with, it has to be PE classes taught by PE teachers and 197 school districts kind of gave their response around, you know, how do we provide that additional staffing location. What are we giving up during the day in terms of literacy, math to now do this.
So fortunately, um, ode heard that as well as legislators and there's been some coming back to the table. So, um, you know, people are looking for continued definitions around what else can serve as this idea of increased movement. For children, what is it? What is the spirit of this law is? And, um, when it [00:50:00] comes down to it, um, while the original author of the law really did want to see more PE, um, is now come to a place, and this is Peter Courtney, where he's willing to think about movement for children as dr  had mentioned, that could happen various times throughout the day.
So as that definition keeps getting worked on, districts are now finding. Ways that they can feel, they can be in compliance but better understand what, what they would do without feeling. They have to build more gymnasiums or hire more PE teachers. So, and just the flexibility isn't just to get the minutes in, but it's also, as this has been evaluated and research for three years, the findings that just adding another PE class may not get at the intent of the legislation in the first place.
That's a good question on the tech, um, identity that the tag, and forgive me if I heard you, did I hear you correctly in [00:51:00] saying that that's not a focus this year? We have been working on it. We ha we are in compliance. Um, we actually started over a year ago working on revamping our identification. So we have a new identification process, new identification tools and forms that we are using.
However. We believe that we, the part of the work that will not show up in division 22 but we felt obligated to report to you is the actual program, what the students, once they're identified, actually experience. And that's the work that is still ongoing. And that has been slowed a bit this year, just as we have not put as many of our resources towards the actual professional learning.
But that's the area that, that it's within. Okay, so you just, there's been a shift away [00:52:00] from, I mean, you're not putting, you're not spending as much time that you're still working on it, and that's something that you plan to focus more on next year. We plan to continue that. Yes. We have slowed some professional learning this year and the work that we were doing in talented and gifted was one of them.
And as we put more of our resources into. FTE in classrooms. And I think that was reported on last spring. So board members will remember in the budget message last year as we thought about reducing the staff. You remember those, the 20 FTE licensed, classified, and then we said, where else can we make reductions?
And we talked about maybe not starting some new renewal work, um, or doing as much professional development, but just. Wrapping up those things that were already midstream, um, like our math instruction and some of those other pieces that folks needed to finish up this year, but not starting anything new.
So this was one of those that we just paused [00:53:00] and said, well, we're in compliance. It was work that we were doing internally to better have identification tools for gifted and talented, as well as updating and renewing. Um, the programs and the options for students once they are identified. So we will do that work and, um, that could be something that we report on, um, next year as we get that up going again for the board's interest.
Thank you. That was my, that was my question of why had it been delayed and I didn't have, cause that happened before I was on the board, so thank you for assistant principals and instructional coordinators. We have work groups that are going to work on it this year. We just know of the interest in that and heard it.
It has never been, and it's not a compliance piece, but we believe that we actually, for our community, need to talk about what the actual programs. Thank you. Thanks for that clarification.
Action is needed on this item. And if you feel that, um, but we do need to always [00:54:00] report to the board that we've done this work. So if the board is satisfied, well, we'll thank dr  and I'm seeing some nods. Okay. Thank you. Move on. B.