This meeting is a meeting of the board of education in public for the purpose of conducting the school district's business and is not to be considered a public community meeting. This meeting is an in-person meeting held at 870 Kfax in Benton Harbor. An additional live stream of this meeting is available at the following link. Questions may be
submitted beforehand to Natalie. Senior bhas.org board represented in person during the public comment section as indicated in the agenda. Board members may be contacted through the emails listed below. Requests for special assistance, including for persons with disabilities, may be sent to Natalie. Singerbas.org. I call this meeting to
order officially at 6:02 p.m. We'll begin by reciting the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God indivisible with liberty and
justice for all. In the absence of Secretary Triplet, uh Miss Singer, can you please call the role? President Robinson present. Vice President Bowen present. Secretary Triplet. Treasurer
Bradley. Trustee Rockax Martin present. Trusty Gavin present. Trusty Doyle present. Miss. All right. Next up, we have approval of the agenda. We only have one item of business today and that's the
MHSA state track meet. I'm wondering if the board needs announcements and comments this evening or do you want to cut that to save some time? We can cut that. I I'll make a motion that we uh approve the agenda. Oh, I'm
sorry. Maybe there's other You want to keep comments? Yes. Can we keep comments at the closing comments? Yes. Yes. Okay, that's fine. Okay. So, you a motion to approve as is? I make a motion to approve the agenda as is. Okay. And is there a second of support? Second. The
motion has been made by Trusty Gavin as supported by Vice President Burns. Any questions, comments, or concerns? Hearing and Miss Singer, can you call the role? Yes. Vice President Bowen, yes. Trustee
Rocket Martin, yes. Trusty Gavin, yes. Trusty Doyle, yes. Motion carried, all right. Next up, we have review of board of education norms. Those are available um noted on the agenda. I do not anticipate that uh we will have an issue
with our norms today. So, if there's no objection, I'll forego actually rereading those. Next, we have public comment on agenda items. Is there anyone here that would like to make a public comment on an agenda item? Hearing none, we'll
proceed. Oh, you comment as a community member. Oh, okay. Good evening, board. I come to bring me board. I come to you as a parent as my daughter goes to Ben Harbor High School. This is her 11th. She's in
11th grade. She'll be a senior next year. We have went to state for the last three years. And each year there's always an issue. I'm not happy about that. I would like for them to be celebrated for the accomplishments that
they have made. I do understand that things are happening and we have stuff going on, but when they do something great, they need to be recognized. I feel like it should have been a pep rally, something to celebrate these kids
because they're doing very well the last three years they've been the state. And what about the tent? It's crazy that regly tent compared to everybody else's tent, they look a hot mess. but they at the top of the
line and I just ask that we try to do better and be prepared because we can definitely know that these kids are going to state next year. Thank you. Thank you. Anyone else for open public comment
hearing? None. We'll proceed with mind protocol as of 9:13 2022. All com no all comments will be limited to two minutes per trustee per topic. Um we only have one order of business today. Under board business we have the MHSA state track
meet. Um and that will be attached to staff report S1. However, I will allow uh Director Jennings to come forth and do a quick presentation of the field trip. All right. Good
evening. I am Danny Jennings, interim athletic director here at Benton Harbor High School. Mr. Doyle, you are absolutely correct. I wish we had had a pep rally. Tomorrow we may be able to pull it off though. I'm going to try my best because
they deserve one and we need to do something about that tent. So, I apologize from the athletic department that this has not been taken care of prior to now, but bringing it to my attention has really moved me enough to say I'm going to do my best tomorrow to
do something to celebrate these girls who are leaving on tomorrow. Thank you. All right, so we have the girls leaving. They're they're going to be staying at the Avid Motel Hotel in uh Zeland, Michigan. and the track team will travel
to Hamilton High School for the state track meet. Five rooms have been reserved for the coaches and athletes uh at the Avid Hotel. A 12 passenger van has been reserved from Enterprise Reynolds in Misha Walker that we will
pick up tomorrow morning. Coach Gillespie will be the driver on the trip. Uh the five athletes are Jada Bean, Kiana Catchings, Diaria Evans, Diamond McCelvin, and Ivy Malone.
Um this was clearly something that as athletic director I was unfamiliar with in terms of the process. Um I've I have I have been involved in other circumstances where we've attended the Final Four. Uh, coach Gillespie has
coached in several state meets and we have not been made aware that this is how the process goes. Um, so when I was made aware on yesterday, which is the first time I heard that this needed to be presented before the board, we started to try to get things in order,
which obviously is 11th hour. So it wasn't wasn't going to come out clean and smooth. And I'm gl I'm thankful that you guys were able to come together to do this emergency meeting so we can get it on the agenda. Um I did call around
today. I talked to about nine athletic directors about their policies and procedures and processes on how this works. There's been several different things stated. Um I'll just share a couple if you don't mind.
Um, uh, Jason at John Glenn over in the Detroit area, he did say that they present to the board about every overnight trip. However, they do it prior to the season for the sake of in case this happens and they get the approval. Um, Kevin Goro at St. Joe said
what he does is he makes the superintendent aware, superintendent makes the board aware. Uh Fred Smith says over at Bangor that MHSAA tournaments, he never makes anyone um aware about an overnight trip
because it's the MHSAA tournament. Uh but if it's a regular season event, then he would make them aware because they do things such as softball trips during spring break where you have to present that to the board. So, I was just what I was trying to find out was how bad of a
job did I do in this or why wasn't I aware and am I just an anomaly who's not aware? But I just feel like I wasn't aware but now I am. There won't be another situation where we won't come
before the board for overnight trips. I know it happened like that with field trips because obviously I've been a part of the Black College tour forever. However, I've not been aware of it being a part of athletics. Again, the boys have gone to the state tournament. You win on Friday, you play on Saturday. I
know that they haven't come to present between those two games, but they stay overnight. So, that's what my experience has been. However, I understand that it is in the policy, which uh Angela made
me aware of yesterday. So those of you who are policyh holders and people who have to hold us accountable, you're doing exactly what you're supposed to do. I'm just speaking from my perspective of someone who was not aware before yesterday.
I have a quick question for you. Yes. Two questions for you. The first one that I have is um were you able to secure uh permission slips from parents? Do you all primarily do permission slips for
the out of state tournaments? We don't. I mean, it's overnight, but overnight we did um put together a permission slip. Okay. And then the second um question that I have, I just want to make sure. So, they were always
going they were always going to the tournament. It just was that they did not it just wasn't presented to us. Am I understanding correct? Well, they have to qualify. Am I correct, Mr. Right. But I'm saying you were planning for them to go tomorrow. Yes. Okay. Absolutely. Okay. Any other questions from the
board? I do have a question. Um if if you did not get permission from the board, what would you what would what would have happened? So what I tried to pull off yesterday was we take
a school bus tomorrow, come back and then go back on Saturday. So, they would have had to compete against state winners, against people who qualify for state, and they would have had to make those double trips. They would have had to make those double trips. That's the
only thing that I knew in my power that I would probably be able to pull off for the sake of ensuring that those girls got a chance to compete. Thank you. Any other questions? Uh, Trusty Balance, Vice President B. No. Uh, Trusty
Doyle, I just want to thank you for um doing the work, getting it done for those girls. And my experience, when they go to state, we didn't have to do none of this paperwork. We We've never done this. This is
something new. So, not necessarily new, but we haven't done it in the previous years. So, you did don't be too hard on yourself. You stepped it up and you're here tonight with everything we need to make sure they go and I really really
appreciate that. Thank you, Vice President Bones. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. You don't really pay attention until it's brought to your attention um about the sports and the overnight trips and everything of that nature. To my colleagues, I do think we
need to change the policy. anything dealing with sports. Once we get that in the beginning of the year, whatever is necessary, we need to do the policy. My question is, um, Trusty Doyle talked about the tent and everything. I remember back in the day, Bitten Harbor
area schools used to be sharp. You know, they had the matching jogging suits and the windbreakers, the bags, all of that. How is that looking for the athletic department? I'm glad you asked. So for this tenure, these five months that I've
been active in this position, it has been such a whirlwind and so many things that had to be cleaned up and so many things that I had to learn on the fly that I have not gotten a chance to order any gear. I don't even have anything like people come such as the custodians
and people who help out just want a t-shirt. I would love to be able to give them one. I haven't ordered one garment because everything I've done when I hit the door every single morning, I'm busy for all every hour and every minute that I'm here on emails, on phone calls, and
on business that involves athletics. So, I haven't had the opportunity. However, school is about to be out. This state meet is the last thing that I have on the agenda in terms of sports. We're going to do a banquet and then I'm going to get I'm going to hit the ground
running getting those things such as a tent and everything else in terms of gear and any way that I can make this program more flashy, flamboyant and look like Benton Harour has always looked because that's what we missed and that's
what I know. Okay. I'm trying not to because I don't want them to say I'm overstepping my boundaries um lines, but I'm hoping before school starts I'll see some gear and everything. So, you will. All right. Thank you. Congratulations.
Thank you, Trusty. I can't mine. I know you mentioned banquet. That was going to be my question. I know they always do one for the football team and probably one for the basketball team, but if we do an athletic banquet, can we just include everybody, celebrate everybody
in that and uh give them their awards and their accolades? So, let me tell you what we've done and what we plan to do. What we what what we've done since I've been in this position is we did we celebrated all winter sports, okay? At
the same time in this uh cafeteria, okay? We included the middle school uh winter sports so they can be a part of seeing the high schoolers get awarded and rewarded as well as receiving their flowers amongst the high schoolers. I
think that it went over very well. I want to do the same thing for spring sports where we celebrate track, baseball, softball as well as middle school track at the same time. And I like to do that every season um every year for all the sports sports
in season. If we did all of them, Miss Rocket, we would have to be in here for eight hours to award every athlete. So, I think we probably wouldn't want to do that. All right. So, we'll go ahead and wrap up. Dr. Bus, did you want to present the staff report or did you want me to read it? I can present it. Okay.
Yes, sir. You have something to add? Okay. Go ahead. It's 6:16. What's your deadline? [Laughter] First, I'd like to say this. It's always interesting that we ask everybody but the coaches.
Coaching this one for 30, basketball here for 30. So, girls track team, boys track team this year. 73 kids out. 73 participated in these two events. Ended up with 60. And that's
because we didn't have home meets, but thank to you all we will have home meets. We had do invitations where you only have two or three an event. So, Dr. Buts, you get to participate this week, but you can't run next week. So, they don't show up to practice because they know they not
going to run. We've done this for the last five years with nowhere to practice. Volunteered my first year here back asked for nothing. That's why he doesn't have an order for him. If I asked for nothing, he was my junior high coach asking for stuff. I said, "We
going to wait till we get what, coach?" That's one reason why we got order forms coming. I try to work with the board. I have tracked parents, middle school track. So, we have been successful with
nothing. We just prepared for the state on Upton Middle School's track. So, we've been putting the work in. And when you want to celebrate, it's also hard to throw a banquet because softball and baseball don't get finished till after school. So, we have to pick a date in between the
tournaments. So, when you consider stuff we don't have, I didn't ask for because you got a big bill coming if you want to fix the track, Mr. Bowen. Does have it like you want. There's a lot of gear needed that we just don't have and didn't have. And yet, I asked for nothing, but I know most of the
rules and I thank you for that. All right. Thank you, Dr. Buts. Go ahead and proceed with Staff Court C1. subject mhsa track states track um meet trip date May 29 2025 reason for board approval the board shall approve field
trips and other district sponsored trips that are planned to keep students out of the district overnight or longer or out of the state and analysis the Benton Harvard High School track and field team is requesting permission to take five high school students and four coaches to Hamilton High for the MHSAA Division 2
state competition on May 30 31 born, 2025. This will be an overnight trip requiring students and coaches to stay overnight. During this event, students compete against top athletes from across the state, demonstrating their skills in the events for which they qualified through regional competition. This
experience promotes physical education, personal growth, and school representation at a high level of athletic performance. The objective of this trip is to support students athlete development, promote leadership, and build school pride through participation
in state level competition. The total The total cost of the trip is $3,618.13. Policy reference policy 2340 field and other district sponsored field trips and other district sponsored trips. Funding source general fund
strategic plan reference learning environment. The Benton Harour Area Schools would develop, maintain, and implement with fidelity a multi-tier system of support that enhances the culture and learning environment. Recommended action that the Benton Harour Area Schools Board of Education
votes to approve the track team's trip to the MHSA state track meet for the total cost of $3,618.13 as presented. All right. Is there a motion to approve staff report? President Robinson. Yes.
I'd like to move to approve staff report S1 C1. Oh, it says S1 on the electronic copy. Okay. So, which one should it be? S1. Okay. Go ahead. I'd like to make a
motion that we approve staff report S1. Is there a second or support? Second. The motion has been made by Trusty Gavin and supported by Trustee Doyle. Um, any additional questions or comments that haven't already been made? Hearing none, Miss Single, please call
the vote. President Robinson, yes. Vice President Bowen, yes. Trusty Rocket Martin, yes. Trusty Gavins, yes. Trusty Doyle, yes. Motion carries. All right. Any additional comments from the public? Hearing none, we'll proceed. Uh,
board member announcements and comments. Trusty Gavin. You say Gavin. Mhm. Okay. I want to thank the board for coming out tonight. I know that you all had plans and you made this a priority, so I
appreciate that. I want to thank um Coach Gillespie for your years of service um and the work you've done with our girls in spite of all the obstacles. This should be a movie.
um you know what what they've overcome and and uh the hurdles pun intended the hurdles that they jump right so and thank you also to um director I want to say
Jennings our athletic director for doing your due diligence to looking to find out you know what is going on around what are best practices in other places so that we can have that information and incorporate ated and it's right in alignment with our recommendation to
identify all of the consistent field trips at the beginning of the year and approve those field trips that we're having. Um, and so you added that extra input in terms of if you you know that there's a chance you're going to stay just kind of add that in there so that
they can do what they need to do. So I think it's a learning curve. It's a learning opportunity and I would just request that, you know, as we're understanding that we have new people in new roles that we look for ways to provide grace in a way that doesn't
penalize our students. So, I'm super super um excited and grateful for our youth who are representing us very well. I congratulate them and I look forward to seeing big posters of our state champs uh no matter what happens
somewhere in the building. Thank you all and have a beautiful night. All right, Trusty Doyle. I would just like to thank everybody, thank the board for coming out and making this a priority. I'd like to
thank Coach Mike. I really appreciate all that you do because you are an exceptional coach and I appreciate you. I need you to know that. Director Jennings, I apprec I really appreciate I do the due
diligence, the getting it done so they can attend. And I totally understand that you're new. I understand that you're new and I I grant you so much grace, but I do I do appreciate you. Okay. Thank you. And
Way to go, girls. All right, Trustee Rocket Martin. Yes. I thank you, too, for your due diligence and um for making it your business to find out what you're supposed to do. I also want to
encourage uh Coach Gillespie, you know, after this year, you should have a state-of-the-art track down on the field. So, I I'm glad of that that we finally um you know, under Dr. Bus's uh leadership finally got that taken care
of and focused on so that we could take care of that also. Um for the cheerleaders, do you guys do anything for the cheerleaders? Are they included in the because that certainly is athletics for sure. All that talk things they have to you can't do the conversations back and forth in your
closing comments. Yeah, good. So, I'm glad everybody's included and um and everybody will be celebrated. I'm so pleased. So, um and know this that it's not a
problem, at least not to me, to get our board together to support our kids. This is why we were elected and this is what our job entails and this is what we do and this is what I enjoy doing. I love to support the kids. I love the kids in
Bitten Harbor and um and any way that I can give back to them earn for it. So, congratulations and we wish you well. Bring those trophies home. All right, Vice President Bowens. Um I
wasn't supposed to be here today. I was supposed to be in Kalamazoo at a graduation and um Trusty Gavin and me talked to she said, "Can you make it?" I said, "Well, I got a graduation." And then when I looked up this morning, I said, "Crap, I gotta come to the board meeting because it's not going to be
enough votes." So, I'm glad I was able to make it anything dealing with our children. I'm so glad of the leadership of this board and getting the boilers replaced and getting the track field replaced and getting the gym. No one alone can fix it, but we all can do a
little bit. So, I'm glad about the leadership of this board for doing that. And um congratulations in advance. Um and Tiger Pride is what it is. So congratulations. I'm counting on you, Coach Day. Um I mean Mr. Jennings, Director Jennings,
sorry. Um years ago, and matter of fact, not even last year, I seen the kids from a neighboring school district getting on a charter bus football. And I said, back in the day, Britton Harbor used to you know, you could had a wear your suit and ties and everything. And it was that pride and you seen them all athletics
and everything. So, I'm excited about restoring that pride and that trust and everything. And congratulations. I actually have a cousin that's participating in the track meet. So, I'm counting on you guys and look forward to seeing a trophy and a picture in the
hallway. All right. So, I'll keep it as brief as possible. Just want to thank everyone um the board and Dr. Bus and Mr. Mason um for your efforts and Miss Singer for your efforts in joining us this evening. I thought we may only have four, but I'm pretty impressed that we
had five out of seven present. So, thank you all for giving your time and thank you to uh trustees Gavin and Doyle for bringing it to our attention. Um we appreciate you all and your efforts that you've given to Ben Harour Area Schools as Tigers. We value you tremendously. We
look forward to great things. Um, I thank do uh, Director Jennings for stepping up into the athletic director role. Um, you've inherited quite a bit and came in in the midst of a storm. Um, but sometimes God appoints a
captain who he thinks is capable of managing that storm. So, I know sometimes you wonder why you, but I would say if not you, then who? So, thank you for your efforts. Um, I wish the girls the best of luck, uh, in the
tournament. And, uh, one quick clarification, uh, the board previously voted on our MASB membership. At that time, we only had an estimate based on last year's amount for our annual dues. We have the letter and the invoice has
been sent to the district office. So, the renewal fee for MESB membership for this year is $3,828.37. I'll be passing that on to Miss Single, but wanted to make sure to update you all on that. And then lastly, just wanted to make sure you all know that I have we have an appointment scheduled
Friday. Um I believe at one via Zoom with uh townships. Um what is it? Compliance. Which department is that? In reference to our three buildings. Um, so there's a Zoom scheduled with myself, uh, Chair
Bradley, Dr. Buts, and then I think the, uh, compliance officer. So, I'll give you guys an update on that after we're able to meet, but just wanted you all to know that I responded and I'm on top of that issue as well. And that's all I have. So, I'll ask is there a motion to adjourn?
Madam President, I make a motion to adjurnn. Did you have a comment? I'm sorry. Okay. So, I'll take tr uh, Trusty Doro's motion. And is it okay to use you as a support? Yes. Okay. Any questions, comments, or concerns? Hearing none, Miss Singer, can you please call the vote?
Yes. Vice President Bowen, yes. Trusty Rocket, yes. Trustee Gat, yes. Trustee Doyle, yes. All right. This meeting is adjourned at 6:29 p.m. You all have a great evening. I did want to
I did want to say you know what I had to offer you guys your athletes they got a scholarship