Please >> here >> thank you. Um just a note to those coming in the back, we have started the meeting and we um can't have signs in the room while
the meeting is taking place. Thank you. >> All right, we will stand for the pledge of allegiance, please. 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. >> Sorry, I forgot to signal you. >> I I even wrote it down. All right. Uh, this meeting of the Briner School Board is being conducted in accordance with Minnesota statutes
13D.02. This meeting is being recorded. Access to the recording is available on the school district's YouTube channel. We'll look for a motion to approve the agenda. >> I'll make a motion we approve the agenda.
>> We've got a motion by Director Breen, a second by Director Ward. Any discussion? If not, all those in favor of approving the agenda say I >> oppose the same. Motion carries. We have a number of celebrations and
recognitions tonight that I would like to kick off. We sincerely thank our amazing volunteers and community members for the time, energy, and care you share with our schools. Your commitment creates a meaningful difference in the lives of our students, staff, and
families. Because of your support, our district is more than just a place to learn. It is a strong and connected community. This week is staff appreciation week. We are so proud to celebrate every
incredible person who makes ISD 181 run. We know this work is challenging and demanding and deeply important. You show up for it every single day. The heart of our district is its people and we are grateful beyond words for the passion
and commitment you bring to our schools. Congratulations to the following students on being honored as Sorwell's 2025 students of character. Colin Peterson at the BLC, Simon Carter at the LEC, Grace Eni at BHS, and Caleb
Rodomacher at BHS. Sourcewell recognize high recognizes high school juniors and seniors for their quiet leadership within their communities and schools. And a thank you to our student board members, Eli Borg, Lily D. Roer, Grace
Angi, Cameron Kramer, Preston Miller, Austin Nichols, Haley Petri, Caleb Rodomacher, Leah Sukup, and Rebecca Sukup for their time, perspective, and dedication. They've made meaningful a meaningful difference in representing their peers and strengthening our school
community as representatives on our schoolboard committees and we'll be honoring them uh in person >> on Thursday >> on Thursday. Congratulations to the following Brainard High School Fine Arts and Activities Award of Excellence recipients and lay person of the year
for theater, Caleb Obert and Vincent Johnson Ding. Game design, Wesley McKe. speech. Haley Petri and Abigail Smith. Creative writing, Cecilia Hanky. Orchestra, Paul Samberg, yearbook. Olivia Blacklance, Lily D. Roger,
Addison Heraggus, Elelliana Turkot, and Miley Ike. Video production, Angelina Thomas, concert band, Helen Kerbal, choir, Haley Nash, Pottery, Easton Dirks, Giata Lundren, and Olivia Hyatt, and lay
person of the year, Dave Pritchette. Congratulations to all the to the following annual all sports recognition awards winners for the 2025-26 school year. Bud Schmidt award the assistant coach of the year went to Brenda Sannis. Irwin TC service award went to Paul
Ruff. The female Warrior athlete of the year Kora Clow. The male Warrior athlete of the year Owen Robertson. The Warrior Athletic Hall of Fame class of 2026 inductees were Kyle Berg, Mike Boran, Steve Kohl's, Carl Shurmer, and Ally or
Allison Smith. And congratulations to the following Brainer School District staff for being recognized at Sourcewell's educators of excellence program held in April. Teachers of Excellence, Sarah Baker and Niswah, Brian Bordwell at BHS, Adam Extrand at
the BLC, Jenny Hall at Garfield, Alex Hirs at Baxter, Shannon Moran at Riverside, Katie Reynolds at the LEC- Atlas, and Michelle Toliffson at Forest View. For pillars of excellence recognizing Jenny Barnhart at BLC,
Trisha Hughes at Baxter, Ilda Johnson and Niswah, Lana Rosena at Forest View, Sarah Schaefer Riverside, Cheryl Schmidt at Garfield, and Sam Wickland at the LEC and Atlas. And I'm going to invite Dr. Stelmach up to share some of the Forest
View celebrations. >> All right. Thank you. I have four different celebrations to speak to uh regarding Forestview Middle School students. The first is a huge congratulations to our Forestsview 8th grader, Jonathan
Stey. He was recently um performed in the honors band at Weisetta High School as a part of the Minnesota State level honors band on April 12th. That's quite an achievement. he was selected as one of the top 80 student musicians in the
state of Minnesota. So, um we've got a long-standing tradition of sending students to the honor band and he joins um those um the Brainer Dispatch. We have a uh community connections tradition highlighting the creativity of our
students with their design and ad um feature in the dispatch. and three of our Forest View fifth grade students um were selected. First place on team 5B, Tenley Rutman. Second place from Whoops, excuse me. First place was Annabelle
Hullbrook on 5B and Tenley Rutman is on 5C. Second place and then third place 5B Adeline um Goslin. Shout out to our teachers for promoting that activity when it comes through. Then congratulations to Forestview Middle
School for hosting the first ever region five civics speed on April 27th. We had 17 students that qualified after an essay round um that our teacher Michelle Bjorkland worked with them on in their time to thrive class. 14 of those 17
students chose to compete in the regional be that was hosted by us at Forest View. Participants were Aiden B., Bennett I, um, Mey I, Riley K, Samuel K, William K,
Allison K, Isaac M., William S., Henry S, and Ren Z. And then the top three places um were Forest View students. Maddie Pram took third place. She gets to go on to compete at the state civic
B. Fern Schmidt took second place. She goes on to compete at the state civic bee and placing in first place was Justice Anderson. He scored 100% on the two computerized quiz rounds. Um and he took first place to compete in the state
uh competition that is held in June. And then our final award to speak about is math masters fifth grade. A while back I spoke about the sixth grade. Mrs. Hansky um led our students and worked with them to help them prepare and be ready for
the math masters over at Sourcewell. Team Alpha took first out of 17 teams. Milo Kaiser, Lily Morgan, Seth Soldier Strand, Lexi Miller, and Jameson Zamers. Team Beta second out of 17, Connor
Keepers, Chase Lord, Brady Herman, Annie Hullbrook, and Abby Freehammer. Team Delta took fifth out of 17. Zeb Klene, Alex Rangan, Caleb Gillan, Miles Zimmerman, and Lucas Tim. Team Omega
took eighth out of 17. Annabelle Duny, Adeline Goslin, Sydney Kudson, Bernita Morsch, and Elsie Facet. Team Pi took 11 out of 17. Isabelle Watella Jordan
umski Gunnar Roorig Gunnar Garcia and Riker Duffne. And then in the fact drill for individual awards out of 70 students, Milo Kaiser took first place, Connor Keepers second, Zeb Klein third, Chase
Lord sixth, um Brady Herman and Alex Rangan um eighth place, and then I'd like to mention the alternates who did a lot of work preparing, Izzy uh Burkovich, Grayson Swenson, um and Nicole Borgstrom. So, just a shout out
to the wonderful staff at Forest View because all of the extras like this happen because of our amazing staff and teachers. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Stelma, >> Madam Chair. >> Yes. >> Um, could I recognize one more that we
kind of left off, Madam Chair? >> All right. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, Inyaho was reappointed. We used to call this personal privilege in the state legislature. So, um Amy was reappointed to the uh Pelby committee, which is the professional educators license and
standard board. It's a big accomplishment and especially to have a a local district represented at the state level and she was appointed as the vice chair. So, I just want to congratulate her as well. >> All right. Thank you. Public input. Uh,
a member of the public can address the board during this time. Comments will be limited to three minutes. Complaints or allegations against students or employees may not be discussed due to data privacy. Complaints or allegations must be submitted in writing to Superintendent Grant. The board of
education and/or the superintendent will not converse with guests to address the topics discussed at that time. No visuals or props will be allowed. All right, we'll kick it off with Rebecca Dei, please. Welcome.
>> Thank you. >> My name is Rebecca Dee and I work at Forest View Middle School. My husband, Donovan Dee, teaches math at Brainer High School. Contrary to many of the speakers before me and even before tonight, our story did not begin in Brainer. We did not always bleed Brainer
blue. We were both born and raised in rural North Dakota with graduating classes of five and 20. We both taught in Iowa before moving to Minnesota. We were hired within a year of each other and worked at Franklin Junior High in the high school. We were even lucky
enough to work alongside director John Ward. We have lived and worked in the Briner School District for 22 and 23 years. Even though we are not from here originally, we have made the Brainer Lakes area our new home. Together, we
bleed Brainer blue. We have two children. Our son graduated from Brainer and our daughter, currently in the ninth grade, will graduate from Brainer as well. Both are and were involved in tennis as well as band and choir. They bleed Brainer blue, too. I currently
work as a special education teacher and case manager in a level three classroom with students on the autism spectrum. Level three means that the students are in my room for the majority of their school day due to behaviors or low academic levels. I teach social skills,
social studies, science, math, and reading. Our days can be hard. Not harder than any other teacher. It's a different kind of hard. We're not physically tired at the end of the school day as much as we are mentally tired. I would love to have you
visit my room sometime and meet the cherubs I work with every day. They are my why. We have put our time and effort into this community and for the most part we have felt supported by our community in return. I got into teaching to work with
kids, not to watch the politics behind education unfold without putting our kids' education first. Unfortunately, this is a direct this is directly affecting all of us. Our gumption is dwindling. Our batteries need recharging
and summer's around the corner. It would be nice to have all of this resolved before school lets out so we don't have to worry about this any longer. In closing, I challenge you to reflect on your why. I encourage encourage you to invest our financial resources in the
people who have the most direct impact on our students. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Up next, we have Suzanne Loken. Please, >> welcome. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Suzanne Lockan.
I'm finishing up my 11th year as a speech language pathologist at Riverside Elementary School and completing my 29th year as an SLP in the public school system in Minnesota. Prior to moving to Brainard, I worked in
the Oscill School District for 18 years. And as I reflect on nearly 30 years of working in the public schools, I wonder if I can maintain my work in this setting until I retire. Certainly as an SLP I have many
opportunities to work in various settings from hospitals to private practices or care facilities. I have the training to work with people from infancy until death. Why have I chosen to work in the school setting? The primary reason in the past
most certainly was being on the school schedule as my husband Jay and I raised our three children. Now that our children have grown and moved away, my work as a school-based SLP continues to be my passion. I love
helping children learn to communicate and succeed in school and in life. The kids make me happy. Because speech language pathologists have amazing opportunities to work across many settings, it can be quite
challenging to hire SLPs on the school setting. In order to draw quality candidates to our profession in the public school setting, we must offer fair and competitive pay and a workload that is manageable. This most certainly does not come only
down to how many kids are on our case load at any given time. Ask any SLP and she will tell you that our case loads fluctuate from month to month and year to year. We have a revolving door of students coming and going, qualifying for services and being dismissed from
services. All of this includes an an overwhelming amount of paperwork. This year, I've had up to 61 students on my case load at one time, and by the end of the year, we will have conducted 73
evaluations. This is the highest number of students on my case load at one time and the highest number of communication evaluations in one year since I started at Riverside 11 years ago. This is not sustainable over time. I am
exhausted. At Riverside, we service students with some of the most profound communication disabilities. Their needs are great and the work is challenging. At the same time, it is very rewarding.
I truly believe that I make an impact on the lives of my students and their families. I do my best to support my teachers and their students because as we all know, teaching is a tough job. But why do we do it? We do it
for the kids. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Up next, we have Tim Edinger, please. Members of the school board and superintendent Grant, my name is Tim Edinger and I live in Niswah. I am pleased we finally saw the audit report
for the previous fiscal year and that there were no major adverse findings. Marcy does an accurate job. You and I will always differ on the unreserved fund balance policy and how that fund has been built, but that's a difference in ethics, and I'll get back to that
later. The thing that has bothered me since your last meeting is the far-fetched hypotheticals posed by a board member during your financial discussions. First, the state of Minnesota never has, nor has it ever discussed sending no
funding in a given year to schools. Some years they've provided no increase in funding, but never withholding all funds. Second, banking and lending laws prevent a lender from demanding all debts be repaid immediately by a
borrower. So, never has or would a school district's debt be called due at any given moment other than stated in the terms of the loan. So, why even mention those things as part of a budget discussion if they have never happened
and or can't happen? The only thing I can come up with is an attempt to divert attention from real issues or rile up support for non-existent issues. Of course, Brainer Public Schools has debt. So would almost every school district
that renovated or built about a dozen buildings in a short window of time. 78% of Minnesota school districts have bonds, levies, or both. Back to the audit and financials. Let's talk facts,
not hypotheticals. The budget deficit for this fiscal year was projected to be $3 million and is now reported to be 600,000. The unreserved fund balance, the district's checkbook if you will, is at a balance of over 14 million. As I've
stated before, I ethically struggle with an unreserved fund balance of that level while we're making cuts that will adversely affect students and staff. As the school board considers and enacts cuts to reduce and eliminate projected
shortfalls in the future, the strategy of some schoolboard members and upper administrators is to blame employees for the shortfalls while suggesting reducing employee health benefits, causing more out-ofpocket spending, and suggesting
their pay not be increased at an amount to counteract the 3.3% annual inflation rate announced last week. I'm at a loss to explain how expecting less than a thousand school employees to shoulder a double loss
while refusing to ask 17,000 plus taxpayers residing in our school district what they would envision for our public schools could even seem fair to any rational thinking person. Quality schools benefit every member of the
community in many ways. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. Next up, we have Danielle Addison, please. Welcome. >> Good evening. I'm Danielle Addison and my children attend Brainer Public
Schools. I want to start with something that really hasn't been said enough. Our education staff have been working this entire school year without a contract. Negotiations are at a standstill. And while that may sound like an administrative matter, that ripple that ripple effects reaches every classroom
and every family in the district. When classroom bud budgets are cut, staff don't simply go without. They reach into their own pockets. They ask us families for donations. They quietly fall fund what falls short because they refuse to
let our kids go without. Board members previously expressed concern um about whether our community could afford the financial impact of an operating levy. Well, I'd ask you this. Consider the fact that families and staff are already funding it themselves.
While while those same staff members are working second and third jobs just to pay their own bills at home, a levy doesn't add a new burden. It distributes the burden that already exists. Right now, it falls almost entirely on the staff and families. Putting a levy on the ballot gives the broader community
the chance to vote to share that weight to support the staff and students. That is what a community does. Public schools cannot charge tuition. They cannot raise fees when the costs increase and when supplies run short. A levy is the mechanism that allows everyone, not just
the most stretched, to pitch in. I worked in healthcare during CO. I watch talented, dedicated professionals show up every single day, stretched thin, facing budget cuts, and eventually handed pizza parties as a thank you.
What I'm seeing in our district today mirrors that exact trajectory. Staff morale erodess quietly, and then suddenly it doesn't. It shows up as vacancies, shortages, and classrooms without adequate support. Families are not leaving this district because of
curriculum. They're leaving because students don't feel supported, because bullying goes unressed, and because they don't feel heard. These are not problems that improve with budget cuts and unresolved contracts. They worsen. Larger class sizes, fewer support staff,
more unsupervised time, and more families forced to seek alternatives. That is where you're leading our district. Staff are not asking for millions of dollars. They're simply asking to be able to survive. A fair contract is the clearest way this board can communicate that it understands
their value and intends to retain them. This board's decision about whether to place an operating levy on the ballot this fall will speak speak louder than any statement made at this table. It will tell this community whether the goal is to build this district or run it to the ground. Our children deserve
better, our staff deserve better, and the community is watching. To say I am disappointed doesn't say enough. Thank you. >> Thank you. Up next we have Kayla Benzik. Please
welcome. Thank you. >> Hello. My name is Kayla Benzik. This is my 18th year as an early childhood special education teacher or as my doctor recently joked, I'm a professional cat herder for the Brainer district. I live in Breezy Point with my family and I commute 30 miles each way
every day to a job that I truly love. I've often been asked why I don't teach in the same district where my children attend school. Wouldn't that be easier on my family? My answer has always been simple. I love my job. I love my colleagues. I love my students. Our district provides strong opportunities for our youngest learners. And
historically, Brainard has offered benefits and healthcare that made this commitment worthwhile for my family. But lately, that answer hasn't came as easily. I have listened to every schoolboard meeting this year. I've heard comments suggesting that our benefits are out of control or
statements that are not only inaccurate, they're hurtful. I've also heard ongoing concern about de declining teacher retention. I'd like to offer some perspective on why that might be happening. Let me tell you what my job actually looks like. I co-e in a fully inclusive school readiness classroom
with 28 four and 5year-olds. 14 of those students having IEPs. In preschool, we don't have specialists. I am the PE teacher. I'm the music teacher, the art teacher, and the recess supervisor. I teach children how to open their milk, how to use the bathroom independently,
how to organize their belongings, and put their winter gear on. I am a bathroom aid that changes diapers daily, a nurse holding a trash can for a sick student, and a social worker finding essential supplies for low-income families. I am responsible for delivering specialized instruction to
students with disabilities in an inclusive setting. Preschool is where this all begins. Where children learn how to sit, follow directions, make friends, regulate their emotions, and prepare for kindergarten. All of this happens while implementing a rigorous curriculum, collecting data,
communicating daily with families, and attending meetings and committees before and after school. And that's just the general ed side. As a special education teacher, I also develop and implement accommodations and modifications, write legally binding IEPs, track progress, lead meetings, and meet strict
compliance deadlines. I'm licensed to serve a wide range of needs: autism, developmental delays, emotional behavioral disorders, Down syndrome, support speech and language needs, vision and hearing impairments, physical disabilities, and mental health challenges. I have been physically hurt by students. I have been verbally
attacked by parents in meetings. And still I show up every day. But the reality is this. I am exhausted. I'm over stimulated. And my gas tank is running empty. And when I go home at night, I don't always have the energy to give my own family the best version of myself. So now when I'm asked why I
don't teach in my home district, I pause. Now I find myself asking, can I do this for another 20 to 25 years? Are the benefits that once made this job sustainable enough anymore? I'm not sure they are. I do know this. I know my worth and so do my colleagues. We're not
asking for anything unreasonable. We are asking to be respected, supported, and valued for the work that we do every day. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right, we've got Lori Anderson up next, please. >> Welcome.
>> I know my mom's watching this at home, so hi, Mom. Promise I'm not getting in trouble. All right. My name is Lori Anderson and I am a proud graduate of Briner High School, class of 1985. And I've been an English
teacher since 1991 and have been teaching at Brainer High School for the past 25 years. I serve the students of this district, our community, our administrators, and you as board members. I also serve the state of Minnesota by
ensuring that the curriculum I teach aligns with state standards. In my classroom, my role is not to promote my personal, political, or religious views. My responsibility is to help students think critically, read with
understanding, write clearly, and articulate their ideas effectively. I strive to create a classroom where students feel respected, supported, and valued regardless of their background or beliefs. Each day I show up with the belief that all students can learn and
succeed and I work to ensure that my personal views do not interfere with that responsibility. I also serve my colleagues and administrators by acting professionally, contributing positively to our school community and helping maintain a safe
and welcoming environment for all students. As a public school teacher, I serve the broader community by helping educate and support its young people. I believe strongly that public education is a shared responsibility and that when we invest in our students, we strengthen
our entire community. As elected officials, you serve all members of this community and most importantly the students of Briner High School in Briner public schools. Our district is a public institution, not a private organization
or a business. Our purpose is to educate, support, and prepare all students to become thoughtful, capable, and contributing members of society. Some of our students require more support than others, but each one deserves access to strong, equitable
education. I respectfully ask that you keep the full scope of your responsibility in mind as you make decisions. Those decisions should reflect the needs of the entire school community. Please continue to support public education through thoughtful, responsible funding and by trusting
professionals who work with students every day. More importantly, I ask that you remain focused on serving all students and families in this district. Our responsibility is to the whole community in our decisions. Your decisions should reflect that commitment. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> All right. Up next, we have Amber Andress, please. Welcome. >> Thank you. >> Good evening members of the school board and Superintendent Grant today. Thank
you for the opportunity to speak tonight. My name is Amber Andress and I'm a special education teacher in the EBD program at Forest View Middle School. Teaching is actually my second career. I spent seven years as a mental health therapist at Forest View in the Northern Pines program. I understand
or I chose to go back to school and become a teacher to support students growth both academically and emotionally. I value this work deeply and I recognize the struggles that come with it. However, the challenges are too often overwhelming. Every day, teachers
face disrespectful and disruptive students, including students who refuse to arrive to class on time, refuse to bring classroom materials, refuse to complete assignments, refuse to display appropriate classroom conduct, and worst
of all, refuse to engage in learning, the argumenting, the arguing, the disrespect towards teachers. Students walk away when teachers are talking. They don't care. There is no these behaviors happen across classrooms. Even
though teachers have invested multiple hours planning thoughtful lessons and building rapport to foster relationships with students, basic respect and compliance expectations are core to success learning environments yet are fragile at this moment in time. Teachers
often lack administrative support. discipline refer discipline referrals in Skyward. Lack a response or too little of a response. Students just get to move on with their day. It's sad to think that at the end of most of my days, I've
dealt with derogatory comments, been sworn at, disrespected, called names. And I think at least I'm not in the elementary school where my colleagues are getting hit, kicked, spit at every day. Every day teachers like myself walk into
their classroom ready and motivated to teach only to end the day exhausted and defeated. Despite these challenges, I want to emphasize the ongoing dedication of our staff. Teachers across the district constantly devote devote time outside of school day to prepare instruction and create engaging learning
environments. Our t our commitment to student success remains strong and is still our top priority. Brainer has a long-standing tradition of valuing public education. Achieving this goal requires a culture that respects or reflects collaboration, communication,
and collective respect at respect at all levels. Sustaining that tradition depends on our ability to attract and retain skilled educators. Board members, you have the opportunity to demonstrate that with this district's values, its
educators, not just in words, but in action. A fair contract sends a clear message that teachers matter and that their work is respected. and that this board is committed to a strong public education. Last Friday, May 8th, in the Brainer Dispatch quoted incoming
Superintendent Rankin, "Don't come after me about math and reading when you have class sizes of 33." Remember that when you think about the teachers as well, >> thank you. Next up, we have Brian Stark, please.
>> Welcome. >> Thank you. Good evening. My name is Brian Stark. I'm a 1991 graduate of BHS. My wife is a BHS grad and both my sons had attended Brainer public schools. I'm nearing the completion of my 31st 31st year as a teacher and coach all of those in
Brainer. My first year in Brainer was working as a substitute substitute teacher and coach. It was my hope to be hired to teach and coach here. I wanted to continue to live in the Briner Lakes area and give back to my community. Briner was a highly respected district in Minnesota. There always hundreds of
applications for positions back then. A person was lucky to get an interview and be hired. I was fortunate to be hired the next year to teach third grade at Riverside. I spent 20 years teaching third grade. The last 10 years I've spent teaching fifth grade science at Forest View. During those years, I have
been a coach or adviser for multiple sports and activities. I have held various leadership positions in the district and EM. I've worked with multiple principles, superintendent, multiple assistant superintendents, directors of curriculum, athletic directors, and many schoolboard members. Although we've had
some great leaders in this district, numerous leadership changes have caused inconsistencies and lack of direction. What has been consistent is the amazing and dedicated staff who hold positions in the school buildings teaching and supporting students. I've worked with incredible teachers,
EAs, cooks, counselors, custodians, interpreters, media specialists, secretaries, nurses, coaches, and volunteers. While some of these district employees have only worked here a few years, many have worked here for 10, 20, 30, and 40 plus years. When district and building
leadership changes, these are the people that have shown up for many years and continue to show up every day to support students and each other. We are the glue that holds the district and buildings together during times of change and uncertainty. I currently teach on a team of five teachers that has combined 106 years of
uh teaching experience and teaching students here in ISD 181. Last week was teacher appreciation week. Thank you Dr. Stelmock for the treats she provided and the FMS parent group for providing lunch on Monday. It was nice to be noticed for our continued dedication.
It is time to come together and settle a contract that is fair and provides high quality benefits for employees and their families. Teachers wear many hats and are always asked to do more and more. The lack of appreciation from the district, it's getting harder to say yes to one more thing. Thank you
for your time and for what you guys do for ISD 181. Have a good evening. >> Thank you. >> Up next, we have Helen Danielson. Please welcome Good evening. I'm Helen Danielson. This is my 30th year teaching for the Brainer
Public Schools. Currently, I'm a seventh grade teacher at Forest View. When I'm not at work, you might find me attending a seventh grade ball game, a local play, or a concert to support both past and present students. Or I might be volunteering my time to build a summer reading program for middle schoolers. I
truly value the opportunity to connect with my students and make sure that they feel seen. I'd like to offer a sincere thank you to the community members, parents, and fellow staff members who recognize the value of education and the impact made by teachers and support
staff every day. I'm a trutht teller and my job is hard. For each opportunity that I spend celebrating my students, there are sleepless nights worrying about others. I earned every one of these gray hairs. I have too much that I'd like to share with you about my
experiences. I'm going to settle on two things that have made this year particularly challenging. As a core teacher at Forestview, I started the year with 34 to 35 students in my classes, while time with those students was reduced to 45 minutes. The
minutes lost each period adds up to 17 lost days of instruction. That means less time in class for the extension activities that allow kids to think critically. Less time for diff differentiating for individual needs. Less time for students to independently practice or complete their working
class. Less time for making connections with students. Less time to give them feedback. Less time working with students who have been absent. Less time to make an anxious student feel safe and supported. Compound that with 34 students in those 45 minutes. It means
that I might not even have the chance to hear each student's voice on a given day. It's incredibly frustrating when systems have been implemented that keep me from being the teacher that I want to be. Another concern is our attendance rate. While the large number of student
absences make class sizes more manageable, students cannot learn if they're not in school. The students with chronic attendance concerns are doing little to no classwork outside of the building. They're getting further and further behind, causing them anxiety
about returning to the building. 17 of my students have missed 15 to 20 days. That's 3 to four weeks of the school year. 19 of my students have missed double that amount of time with a few of them missing over 50 days. That's
not something that I can solve in my classroom. We desperately need additional supports in place to follow up with families to find ways to help them get their kids into school. My purpose in speaking tonight is to remind you that we teachers are people.
Teachers are passionate, concerned, and invested in our students. We're taxpayers. We're parents. We're problem solvers. Constantly trying to find ways to improve our craft and do the most that we can with this constraints we're given. Teachers are not a simple line
item on a budget report. Thank you. >> Thank you. Next up, we've got Anna Wayu, please. And I don't know if I said your last name right. Is it >> Woo? >> Woo. Thank you. Welcome. Thank you.
>> Good evening. My name is Dr. Anna Wulu. I'm an early childhood special education teacher here in the district and I teach part-time as an adjunct professor at a university. I've also served as a captain in the auxiliary air force Civil Air Patrol and earned my pilot's license. I work with phenomenal team
members at the Warrior Early Learning Center and the Paul Bungian Education Cooperative. Our early intervention program is not as visible in our district because we serve children with special needs in families homes and childc carees. Our roles are quite unique and I invite each of you at the
table to join me on a home visit this summer to learn more about our role. I have more than 20 years of experience teaching in schools across Wisconsin and Minnesota. In 2019, I chose to move to the Briner Lakes area because the Brainer contract was set apart from
other contracts in the region. We lived in a camper without running water during part of a winter because of the challenges of purchasing a home during the pandemic. I was willing to experience hardships and make sacrifices to work for the Brainer Public Schools. All educators and educational staff
across our state deserve access to quality, affordable, and comprehensive healthc care coverage. During my teaching career, we received the devastating news that my husband had a life-threatening cancer diagnosis.
We received this news at during the day at our son's preschool graduation. And we were uncertain if my husband would see our son's kindergarten graduation the next year. We are so thankful that my husband won the battle against cancer because he had
access to quality, affordable, and comprehensive healthcare. I was also able to focus my energy on our family and my teaching role because we could still afford the basics like housing and food. Each of us has a story to share in our district and we will gain more
ground together by taking time to hear the stories of others. The educators in our district are highly skilled at problem solving and finding solutions to complex issues. Invite us to the table to discuss ideas for increasing the enrollment of
students and recruiting and retaining highly qualified educators and staff. Invite us to the table to learn more about the positive impact that the Paul Bunan Education Cooperative team has on our students and families. Invite us to the table to learn more about how
educators experience trauma in their roles and what educators need to prevent burnout. As educators and educational staff, we are ISD 181 and we have value in our district. We stand together for fair contracts, respectful pay, and the
support our students deserve. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Up next, we have Jessica Weber. Please welcome. Thank you. Good afternoon. My name is Jesse Weber. I'm a registered nurse and I work for
Brainer Public Schools. I am a building nurse for Harrison Elementary. The kindergarteners call me the doctor and I don't correct them. Like all building nurses, I am on the EA contract. Building nurses are there for
all students. Some kids will remember us only for band-aids and hugs. But if you are the parent of a student with asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, life-threatening allergies, and many other life-threatening conditions, you definitely know and work
with your nurse every day to keep your child safe and thriving academically at school. We have cried with families. We have celebrated with families. And we love our jobs. We are all licensed professionals who have had to pass
rigorous board exams in order to legally practice our profession. The education assistants I share a contract with and partner with closely are invaluable to us. They know their students favorite colors and animals.
They know what they ate for breakfast and how they slept the night before school. They know all their precious hopes and dreams. Most importantly for me, they know if something is not quite right. They can see that a child is struggling physically. They have brought
students to me who might look owly or grumpy or goofy to anyone else. Then it turns out that the student is experiencing a seizure, an asthma attack, or extreme low blood sugar. It means the world to me to have these eyes
and ears and passionate workers who among so many other duties keep children safe. Working as a team, we have saved lives and that is not an exaggeration. No one on the EA contract is there to
get rich. I chose to work at Harrison 12 years ago because it was a workplace that shared my values. They put students and families first. We get to do meaningful work and feel the impact of our work every single day. We are lucky. If we could, we would do this job for
free, but we do need to support our families, too. We are coming to a point where EAS can no longer continue to work here unless they subsidize their jobs somehow. They come back fall after fall with completely depleted bank accounts and
debt up to their eyeballs. Yet they are full of energy and joy to share with the kids. This should illustrate how loyal they are to the kids, how dedicated they are to their profession, and how critical they are to the school. I know
how the world works. The further you are from direct service, the more you get paid. Those who have control over financial decisions pay themselves first. But we are a school and we need to put the kids first. If we fairly compensate those who are closest to our
students, it will have enormous impact. >> A little goes a long way. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Up next, we have Ruby Shaw. Please welcome. >> Thank you. A while ago, my mom asked me
how many kids were in my classes, and I counted and found out that most of my classes have upwards of 30 kids. My teachers need a lower workload, and in my school, the lack of teachers has made
higher workloads because teachers aren't being supported. We need to support our teachers. Thank you. >> Thank you. Up next, we have Ed Shaw. please. Thank evening Ed Shaw, parent of two
Force View sixth graders, one of whom you just heard from. And it's been kind of a recurring theme, but it's an important one that there's a lot of serious funding issues in the district. And even our our new
superintendent who the the board who you as the board selected said we need a levy or we're going to be in big trouble or words to that effect. So bottom line the people need to decide. The people need to vote. The people out here and in the community need to decide on funding.
I don't think most people want to see class sizes upwards of 30 or huge pay and benefit cuts and treating teachers like dirt. I don't think most people want to see that. But they need to decide. They should be the ones that decide. Let the people vote. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Up next, we have Connie Lissio, please. >> Welcome. >> Good evening. Thank you. Uh I am Connie Lissio. I'm a retired teacher of over 30 decades in the district. And since retiring, I've gone on to do different types of positions. And I have to say
there's no tired like an educator tired. I had an idea of what I was going to say until I arrived this evening and I looked at the faces of some friends and colleagues and I was just overwhelmed. They're sad.
They're tired. They're exhausted. And my fear is that if something isn't decided as far as this contract that they may decide at the last minute that they cannot come back in the fall and that scares me and it concerns me. They
deserve to have a summer of recharging. Um I also want to focus a bit on on hope. I I'm I'm hopeful now that we have a leader who's committed and seems to be um in support of the fact that a referendum for a levy should be put
forth. I'm hopeful that he sees the value of the educators, not just the licensed teachers, but the pair professionals, the cooks, the specialists, the anyone who is in front of the children deserves a decent contract. Um I'm not a board member. I'm
not a superintendent. So, I'm out of line to suggest this, but I will anyway. If cuts need to be made, I implore you not to make cuts to those that are in front of the classroom with our children every single day. They're
the boots on the ground people. They're the ones who are called mom and dad by the kids. They're the ones who cry at the end of the school year because you're going to miss their children. Um, I hope that you look at that when you have to make decisions with cuts. Um, as
far as the referendum, I'm hopeful that the amount on an average priced home per month for the levy to be passed would be about what I spent on this cup of coffee. I think that's real clear perspective and I'm
hopeful. I went to Southwest State College graduation this last Saturday. I recognize names of colleagues who use money from their own pockets to go on and get a master's degree. I have a very dear daughter-in-law who graduated with a teaching degree along with many
others. I'm hopeful for them. I hope that they get to experience the kind of career that I experienced in Briner public schools. Thank you. >> Thank you. Up next, we have Maxwell Krueger. Please
>> welcome. >> Hi there. My name is Maxwell Krueger and I'm an eighth grade math teacher at Forestview. This is my fifth year teaching in my fifth year in the district. I've always said since day one that I'm the luckiest guy in the world that some district admin in Brainer was silly enough to hire me as the next eighth grade math teacher. I love my job
and I love coming to work every single day to laugh and learn alongside my students and my colleagues as I get to shape the hearts and minds of the next generation as they go through perhaps some of the toughest toughest years of their growing up lives. I wanted to share a personal story about some events that have occurred to me occurred since
I started teaching. In my first year teaching in February, I learned that a heart defect that I was born with had gotten severe enough that I needed surgery to fix it. That June, 5 days after my first year teaching had concluded, I went to the Mayo Clinic and had open heart surgery to have my aorta replaced. Since then, because of the
surgery, I take blood thinners every single day. Bi-weekly, I check my blood to make sure it's not too thick that it clots and not too thin that have a brain bleed. I have a reg I have to have regular dentist appointments to ensure that I don't have an infection in my mouth that spreads to my heart and wrecks my valve. I also need to have
annual visits to my cardiologist to get scans and tests to ensure my heart is still functioning and working properly. I am so grateful for the benefits offered by the district that I can still have a good quality of life even though I require more medical care than the average 27year-old. And I'm thankful
every single day for the past district leaders and union leadership who invested in their personnel and the benefits that they offer us. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't afford my health insurance or medical bills. And I don't know what I'd do if I had to choose between a quality life or a life with debt. I know I may be an
extreme example, but there are people like me all over the district who rely on the health insurance and benefits like I do. What makes this district great is the people that make it up, not the budget or the money it has. As we work towards a fair contract settlement among all bargaining groups, I urge the district and union leadership to look at
the people behind the numbers. Before proposing some agreements that cuts our compensation and benefits when prices are going up in every other aspect of our lives, think about the people behind the numbers and what those proposals might do to someone who relies on the qual quality benefits package. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it.
>> Thank you. Up now, we have Susanna Musqua, please. Welcome. >> Hello. >> Hi members of the board and superintendent Grant. Um I believe so I'm a parent of two and I'm an advocate
and a community member and a volunteer in the district. Uh I believe you as individual board members are absolutely entitled to your own personal beliefs. However, when you are sitting here representing our district, your responsibility is to make decisions that truly are in the best interest of our
students, teachers, and community as a whole. Those decisions cannot be made looking solely through your own political or religious lenses. Effective leadership requires the ability to look through many lenses. Different experiences, different perspectives, and the realities that students, families,
and educators face every single day. Part of serving in this role means being willing to step outside of your own viewpoint and come together for the greater good of the district. As a parent, volunteer, advocate, and community member, I am deeply concerned about the continued cuts happening
within our schools and the growing number of resources being taken away from both students and teachers. We are asking educators to carry more responsibility with fewer supports and at some point that becomes unsustainable. As a mother of a fifth grader and a third grader, it is becoming
increasingly difficult to feel confident about sending our soon-to-be sixth grader into the middle school while we continue see to see resources, staffing, and supports reduced year after year. I fully support getting to the root of the challenges within our district. However, I am asking this board to seriously
consider coming together in unity to place the levy on the ballot and allow the community the opportunity to have a voice in the future of our schools. I also want to express how deeply disappointing it is that our teachers have gone an entire school year without a contract. Our teachers deserves
deserve stability, respect, and the ability to plan for their families and futures without carrying the additional stress and uncertainty that they have faced this year. They should not feel forced to repeatedly show up at board meetings to simply be heard. Please do what needs to be done to get this resolved. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Next up, we have Meliss Melissa Schmeck. Please welcome. All right. I'm Melissa Schmack. Um, this is my 13th year in the district and my 23rd year teaching. Um, when I began teaching, I understood that this
profession would require sacrifice. I knew I would need to give my students support, give my work energy and dedication, and give many years before reaching a professional wage. I accepted that responsibility willingly because I love this work and believe deeply in
what teachers do for children every day. Over the years, the needs of ch of students have changed. Teaching now requires more emotional support, more individualized guidance, more behavioral redirection, and constant positive reinforcement. Educators have adapted
because our students need us to, and because we care deeply about their success and well-being. I am not here tonight complaining about my job. I still love teaching. What concerns me is whether the people doing this work are being supportive in a way that allows
them to continue doing it well and sustainably. We are now more than 300 days without a settled teaching contract. During that time, teachers have continued showing up for students every single day. We continue planning lessons, supporting
families, managing increasingly complex classrooms, and giving our best to children because that is what educators do. But dedication should not be mistaken for unlimited capacity. I am in the middle of my career and I am
thinking not only about myself, but about the future of this profession. I think about newer teachers deciding whether they can afford to stay and experienced teachers deciding how much longer they can continue carrying these increasing demands without stronger
support from district leadership. If the board and district leadership truly want to attract and ret and retain quality educators, then support for teachers must be reflected not only in words but in actions, priorities, and negotiations. Tonight, I brought six
copies of Shell Silverstein's The Giving Tree. I hope each board member will take one to an elementary school, read it to students, and then donate it to a classroom library. One interpretation of the book is about what happens when one side of a relationship is expected to continue
giving without enough care in return. Eventually, even the strongest giver is depleted. Teachers will continue giving to students because we love this profession. The question before the board is whether district leadership will show that it
values the people doing this work. >> Thank you. Thank you. Up next, we have Doug Kern, please. >> Yep. Good afternoon. You know, everybody here, you see how hard these people work, you know, and and we all see that.
We see that. But one thing that, you know, I heard it said that it's more than lying on them on a budget. You know, you only have so many dollars to work with. And listening to Peter Grant last last time around talking about what's coming down the road, not just
this year, but the year after and the year after, we have all kinds of issues that'll be coming. Um the uh students do equal dollars. You know, the more students you have, you know, one of the things that I remember is back when we had kind of off the off the subject in a
way, they had the uh turf that they were putting in that they didn't have enough money for. You had students that thought outside the box on how to preserve the the quality of that that area down there by the grandstand. um you know some thinking outside the
box. You know all the all the complaining and all the worrying and all that you know if anybody has ideas bring it to the board because if the only option is a levy that's kind of sad um to get more students back here. So the thing that I was going to talk about is
is we have um you know I heard something said about uh money being taken away from the state. The only time that I heard that money was going to be taken away by the state was if the uh uh tampon dispensers were not put in the boys uh restrooms, locker rooms,
whatever. The just recently we had the title nine. There was $6 million that was going to be withheld from Briner ISD 181 if they didn't comply with Title 9 to protect women in sports. Um, I just I just know that students somehow someway
we need to get students back in into the loop here in the school. We need to bring them back. And I don't have the answers for it. And I don't think anybody behind me has all the answers either. Uh, but I know that the social studies standard that you'll be talking about tonight, that was voted on at the
uh, state level four years ago. Right now, they're talking about the health study standards that will be curriculum for next year. the Minnesota Department of Education. When you look at the standards that they're implementing, I hate to say it, but I think all schools in Minnesota are going to be hemorrhaging students next year if that
passes, the new standard. Um, and it'd be worth everybody looking into that standard because we need to speak out. There's public comment right now that's happening for that Minnesota uh the health curriculum that they're going to be passing for next year. Uh, but like I say, these people, they they're hard
workers. Everybody here on the board, everybody in this room knows how hard they work. But again, students equal dollars and at what point do you do have to cut and cut might be deep in the next few years. Not just now, but in the next
few years. Thank you. >> Thank you. Up next, we have Alexis Marcelo. Please welcome Thank you. My name is Alexis Marcelo. My family and I moved here nine years ago from Texas.
When we were looking for a community, we were looking for the whole package, specifically supporting our children, including strong schools, activities for our kids, and strong community ties. And we found all of these things here in Brainard. And it has been a perfect place to raise our family. My son is currently a junior in college, and my
daughter is a junior at the high school. I will be heading into my 20th year of teaching next year, heading into my 10th year at Brainard High School. As it stands, the direction of the district and education in general is concerning to me. You can say that you support kids, but that means supporting teachers. You are not enticing strong
educators to come and stay in our district and that is a huge problem. There will be a practice uh this will be a practice that leaves you without quality educators and therefore lacking quality education. Instead of the board pushing um addressing some of the things
that were just spoken about, we can push for things at the board or from the board at the state level. There are absolutely conversations that need to be had about encouraging the attendance and how it looks for PSO or what it looks like for online funding. There's a lot
of different things that plenty of teachers have opinions on if people are willing to listen. I feel that teachers are buil being villainized per for performing within the program set in place for us and overall asking educators to take the hit. Teachers
aren't the ones misspending nor choosing the standards that we are required to teach implementing practices that can change yearly due to the people in charge or initiatives in place causing student behaviors and/or attendance. Nor are they pushing kids to alternative opportunities that are more enticing
because it is an easier route, require less days or save costs on future debt. The reality is that teachers are soon to be priced out of this community. Teachers with fresh perspectives. The teachers you want to grow this amazing community. As many know, the cost of living has gone up for most people. What
used to be uh a time where people could build savings um is getting harder to do. When I carefully thought out my large purchases, I could afford them and still put money into savings. This is no longer the case. And so, an offer that covers anything less than the cost of
living increases and insult. If it is not something that you as a board are willing to cover at a local level, ask the community to vote on it that and ask the community to vote on it, then please advocate at the state level for better funding. I'm always intrigued when the district
recognizes a need for a higher salary offer for certain individual job titles at the district level. We do this because we recognize the competitive market and wanting to uh keep and get and keep quality employees all while not applying the same thought process to people on the ground working with our
students which are the teachers. You will not entice teachers to stay or new teachers to come if they aren't going to be properly funded to live in or around the community. With the current path that we are on, I would expect student experiences uh expect with the student experience will continue to decline and
you can continue to expect a trend of student exodus and potentially at a faster rate when the decisions or lack thereof continue to be made here. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Up next, we have Lisa Drez. Please welcome. Thank you.
>> Good evening. My name is Lisa Drez. As someone who has spent 34 years teaching in this district and who also graduated from public school, Brainer public schools, I speak tonight with both pride and concern. Brainer is more than the
place where I work. It is my home. It shaped me as a student, gave me opportunities as a young adult, and has allowed me the privilege of spending my career serving generations of students and families in this community.
Over the years, I have watched our schools evolve. I have seen new programs introduced, technology transform classrooms, and educational expectations grow more complex. But one thing has remained constant. The
incredible dedication of the people who work in our schools every single day. The staff in our school communities show up because they care deeply about kids. I teach eth graders at Forest View. Middle school can be a difficult time
for many students, but the staff at Forest View works tirelessly to make students feel seen, valued, and supported. We consistently go above and beyond to meet students where they are academically, socially, and emotionally.
Our dedication is not something that can be measured only by test scores. It is reflected in the relationships we build and the positive impact we have on students every single day. My grandfather, my father, my siblings, and
my own two children are Brainer graduates. I have taught students whose parents once sat in the same classrooms. That kind of connection says something special about this district. Brainer schools are woven into the fabric of our
community. What happens in our classroom impacts not only students today, but the future of Brainer itself. After more than three decades in the classroom, I can honestly say that teaching has changed. The academic demands are
higher. Student needs are greater. Mental health concerns, social pressures, and learning gaps require more from educators than ever before. Yet, despite these challenges, our staff continues to give their hearts to this
work. I recently heard a prominent member of this community describe teachers as lowhanging fruit. I find that statement deeply troubling because of the message and attitude it conveys. I think it is important that our community and our
board continue to recognize that strong schools depend on strong relationships and trust. Teachers want to feel heard, respected, and supported. When educators feel valued, students benefit. When
schools are supported, communities thrive. I am grateful for the opportunities this district has given me over the years. I care deeply about the direction we continue to move. Thank you. >> Thank you.
>> Up next, we have Terry Ever, please. Welcome. Thank you. >> Hi there. My name is Terry Ebinger. I am a 1988 Brainer graduate. Um, and I have taught in the Brainer district for 33 years. I teach fifth grade at Forest
View. and I'm also a Brainer Warrior Dance Team coach. I'm here tonight asking all sides to come together to work toward a contract that is fair for teachers. At the heart of every successful school district are educators who dedicate far more than the hours listed in their contract. Teachers
arrive early, stay late, answer emails at night, plan lessons on the weekends, attend activities, coach teams, sponsor clubs, and spend countless hours making sure students feel safe, supported, and
successful. They do this not because they have to, but because they care deeply about the children in this community. Teaching is not simply a job. It is a commitment to the future of our students and our town. Teachers celebrate victories with families, support
children through challenges, and there's more and more of those every day and every year, and provide encouragement that students carry with them for the rest of their lives. But teachers are also members of this community. They buy homes here, shop at local businesses,
and eat at local restaurants, support community events, and contribute to the local economy every single day. When we invest in teachers, we invest directly back into our community. A fair contract is not about choosing sides. It's about
recognizing value, showing respect, and creating a district where talented educators want to stay and future educators want to come. And this will help kids want to come to our schools. We all want the same thing. Strong schools, successful students, and a
thriving community. That can only happen when we work together with mutual respect, and a shared commitment to finding solutions. I urge the board and all parties involved to continue to work together for a fair agreement that honors the dedication, professionalism,
and impact of our teachers. I appreciate all that you do. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Up next, we have Risha Grocher. And you're going to have to correct me. I know I got that wrong.
>> It's gross. >> Thank you. Welcome. Good evening. My name is Risha. I'm both a parent in this district and a parah who works in our schools. A few years ago, I made the decision to open enroll my children into this district because I
believed in our schools, our teachers, and the education being offered here. I wanted my children to be a part of a district that valued students and supported the people working directly with them every day. Today, I am standing here to say I no longer feel confident in that decision. I am
preparing to pull my children from the district because I have watched class sizes continue to increase while teachers and support staff continue to lose the resources and support they need to effectively educate students. As someone who works inside these
classrooms every day, I see the strain firsthand. I see teachers stretched beyond capacity. I see behavioral and academic needs growing while staffing and support fail to keep pace. I see exhausted staff members doing everything they can to hold things together for
students because they care deeply about these kids. But caring deeply doesn't replace adequate staffing, reasonable class size, or fair compensation. Our teachers have now gone over 300 days without a contract because the district has refused to settle in mediation. That
sends a message to staff that their work sacrifices and concerns are no longer being prioritized. As a PAR, my health insurance deductible through the district plan is $8,000. That is over 34% of my annual gross income before
taxes. That means one major medical issue could financially devastate someone working full-time in your schools. Now add vision, dental, and what parakes. That is 48.86% of my annual income. I work a second job
just to make ends meet. Many school employees do. And yet we continue to show up every day because we care about students and believe they deserve stability, support, and safe learning environments. But at some point, dedication alone can't carry a district.
When experienced teachers and support staff feel unheard, underpaid, and unsupported, students ultimately pay the price. Families notice. I noticed as both an employee and a parent. I am asking this board to seriously consider what message is being sent to families
and staff right now. If the district wants to retain students, rec recruit quality educators and rebuild trust, then meaningful support for teachers and educational staff cannot continue to be delayed or minimized. Our students deserve better, our teachers deserve
better, and the people supporting classrooms every day deserve better, too. Thank you. >> Thank you. Up next, we have Misty Job. Please, >> welcome. Thank you. Greetings, board and superintendent Grant. Uh, my name is
Misty Job, and I'm a veteran teacher of 22 years in this district, which I know is probably shocking because of my youthful appearance, but uh, but it's true. Um, I have worked with thousands of our community's children and currently serve our students in the Brainer Learning Center, where I am an English teacher. I also serve as president of Education Minnesota
Brainer. our local teachers union. I'm incredibly proud to be part of the hundreds of colleagues who showed up tonight to advocate for themselves and the students of our community. As you know, our certified staff contract expired in June, and we have been working towards settling a new contract with the district since then. This is
always a frustrating process for both sides, but this cycle has been unusually challenging um in my opinion for two main reasons. Number one, uh, many comments have been made by members of our board and our superintendent, both publicly and privately, that have crossed the line long ago established
about bargaining practices here. Our union has no issue with facts being shared. We understand public information. But when opinions are presented as facts, and our bargaining groups are not offered a forum or opportunity to share our perspective with community members, it simply isn't
fair to both sides. We might get three minutes during open comment at a board meeting, but we don't have articles in the Brainer Dispatch or several hours in front of the community every month to pontificate on our opinions. No matter whose side you are aligned with, and it pains me to talk about sides because I
wish it it wasn't that way. Um, it's hard to argue that one side has a major advantage over the other in shaping and informing opinions about this process. The second reason is that this last summer uh several members of our board chose to deny our community an opportunity to vote on an operating
level operating levy so that we would have potentially an opportunity to join the 78% of districts across the state who enjoyed one. Uh I know you're probably tired of hearing about it. I get it. I'm tired of dealing with the fallout from it. Public schools provide
a service to the children of our community without discriminating based on their needs. Everyone has a right to access those services regardless of financial security or the need for special services. Despite the fact that we serve all members of our community, because of
that lack of a levy vote, only a narrow subset of our community population is expected to pay for the district's bud budget shortfall. That includes school custodians, school secretaries, school food service workers, pair professionals, teachers, and other
certified staff. Do you know who isn't expected or required to contribute additionally to the health and stability of our schools? Engineers, accountants, doctors, lawyers, nurses,
financial adviserss, electricians, IT technicians, heating and p heating and plumbing specialists, and many, many other professionals, including millionaire business owners who are currently represented on our board. I may be crazy and I may be naive and I
may only be speaking for myself, but I believe that we should always, always, always put schools before millionaires every single time. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right, let's move on to the approval
of the minutes. Look for a motion. >> Motion. >> We'll second. We've got a motion from Director Doninger, a second from Director Breen. Any discussion? If not, all those in favor signify by saying I, please.
>> I >> oppose the same. We have approved the minutes. We'll move on to the consent calendar. Look for a motion to approve. >> Motion. >> I will second it. Got a motion by
Director Dondelinger, a second by Director Breen. Any discussion? If not, all those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Oppose. The same. >> Motion carries. Up for new business tonight. We'll move
on to the 5 through 12 social studies curriculum presentation by Dr. Melissa Cornia, Adam Langan, and Jesse Shepard, please. Welcome. Thanks for joining us tonight. >> I've been lining that up the whole time. Oh, I love this. Thank you.
All right. Good evening all. Um and again as always just thank you for what you do for our warriors. Um and all those in the room that the commitment we make to the warriors, the students we serve, the community we serve. So, we are here on behalf of 512 Social
Studies. Um, and I'll I'll introduce or have our team introduce ourselves. Um, I'm Meliss Cornia, K12 literacy and humanities coordinator. >> Good evening. I'm Jesse Shepard, Brainard High School social studies teacher and CCC leader.
>> Good evening. I'm Adam Langan. I'm the fifth grade social studies teacher at Forest View. >> Hi, I'm Brandy Hegeland. and I'm the Briner online school coordinator and then curriculum specialist. >> And I also want to introduce we have Greg Swedson here with us. He is also a
middle school CCC leader uh seventh grade US studies and then also on behalf of our team and our teacher leaders Dylan Caniple. Um he is PLC leader at the high school level and um our economics teacher. So,
>> all right. Well, we're going to introduce to you guys the TCI curriculum for social studies that we've been able to pilot um halfway through the school year. Um the big focus right now for social studies is what they say uh inquiry based and that basically means keeping their curiosity when it comes to
history. It's kind of hard to when you're with 11 year olds with history and you know trying to make it grabbing for them. So the whole idea is to make it cool. So they want to learn more and more about it. Um there's also what they call the interdisciplinary approach and
that basically means rather than teaching first economics then geography and then history kind of combining it all. Uh but this curriculum we've been using in time form and that's been really really neat. You can see where civilizations have been um starting to
develop based off the resources there. Um, it also adds a lot of multiple perspectives. Uh, for example, the revolutionary American revolution, you'll get the loyalist views, the patriots views, Native American views. Uh, it's been really interesting. Again,
for 11 year olds, I was pretty impressed that they were very interested in it. And lastly, it says emphasizes disciplinary literacy. That basically means that they want to learn more. They want to dig deeper. Um, we've had students that want to check out history books, learn more about uh
the American Revolution for example. Um, and that was a whole goal and they've really liked it and with the TCI curriculum, it's been a lot of fun. >> So, I am going to explain our process of how we got from uh the shifts in the
Minnesota social studies standards that Adam just described. So, how we got from the MDE, um, here's the Minnesota social study standards for 2021 to this TCI resource that we are bringing to you for your approval um that you heard Adam
speak of. We've had uh fifth grade do a unit almost um 10th grade do a unit. We've had teachers across the grade levels trying lessons throughout it. So, our journey was we started more than a year and a half ago. So, back in fall 2024, um for a year and a half, we spent
time learning learning about those standards um and learning about those instructional practices that uphold those standards. So, winter 2025, just this past winter, based on Minnesota socialized standards and what we know is
best instruction. So, MDE adopted best instruction as defined by the National Council of Social Studies. So, it's the C3 inquiry framework and the idea of like you heard Adam describe, it's about inquiry. It's about students engaging in the questions um the documents, the
perspectives so that they can become citizens who can be community members right next right beside us. Um so, winter what we did is we were able to say here's what we recommend. We brought that to the district advisory committee
to say we recommend these learning experiences. This is what what Adam described. This is what this would look like. Then what we did is we used that to vet the list from ED reports, the um all the different social studies
curricular resources. With that list, we narrowed it down to three and actually got three different resources in hand, held that up closely to our instructional framework and to the Minnesota standards. From there, being able to see that TCI clearly was what up
upheld the instructional framework and just rich in content that we want to engage our students with. Our teachers now are trying units. We've been talking to other districts and we're building for implementation with the hope of from your approval we would be able to
implement next fall. So teacher or TCI teacher curriculum institute. There we go. Um, so this is what it would look like that fifth grade early American studies like you've heard Adam speak to. Seventh grade US studies and eighth
grade global studies. Um, for sixth grade we would continue with Minnesota studies, northern lights. What you'll notice across the top four is that shift that Adam described to interdisciplinary. It's no longer history, but it really is, for example, like he said, how do you look at
geography and economy to see really um how the United States came into being the country it is? Um 9th grade geography we are still exploring because of the shift those standards took on. Um but 10th, 11th, 12th grade, ECON, 12th
grade gov, they all would adopt the TCI resource. Um, the exciting part about this would it would truly be the first time we've had a 512 resource. So, you have that vertical alignment. Yes, the standards are vertically aligned, but to have your instructional framework
aligned and upheld by a resource um that you've heard Adam describe engages students is really exciting for our district. So, what we're looking at now is our instructional framework. Uh, this happened early this fall. uh into the
winter. And we really looked at what were the key shifts in the standards paired with some of our professional development uh aligned with the C3 framework. And just to clarify, the C3 framework is really about being college ready, career ready, and then of course
civic ready. And so at the high school, we are able to kind of come up with what do we want our instruction to look like in our social studies classes? Again, considering some of those things. And so, uh we came up with a list. Then we worked together with Forest View and we were able to design our instructional
framework. So we have connection and relevance, making sure it's meaningful for those students. I haven't talked about it as the 11th graders. It's hard to with high schoolers. So making sure we're providing that relevance. Um comprehensive and critical thinking. I think this is key now u now more than
ever maybe. Can students think critically? Moving on to collaboration, working together in groups with partnerships, um working with adults as well, that inquiry and investigation. So, keeping kids curious, uh sparking their interest
in different topics, and then multiple perspectives and civic engagement. So, as you can see, these are a lot of skill-based things that we are teaching. We are helping students model, we are helping them learn and grow. And then on the right, you can see some of the shifts in our assessment. And so how
will we measure success? How will we measure whether students have met the standards and benchmarks? And so we're really looking at assessing differently using higher ordered thinking. Of course, um having a multiformat design. Uh one of the things that I've been playing with is hexagonal thinking. So
you give them these developments that have occurred. How do they make the connections? Can they show me they're connected by mapping that out? Almost um using evidence of understanding. So being able to use data, being able to use primary sources, being able to analyze a map or a graph to prove their
understanding and then that interdisciplinary connection as well. So Jesse just talked about the instructional framework and I cannot stress enough how important it was that we came to an agreement from grades 5
through 12 and everyone was working together and everyone decided this is what we see as important in those shifts and what we want our students to know. So, not only does TCI meet that instructional framework, but it's also all of the bullet points that you see up
there, it went above and beyond. So, it takes into account backwards design, spiral spiraling curriculum, cooperative group work, non-llinguistic and multimodal learning. So, when you go into TCI, it's simply not just reading a
textbook. From the resources that you see up there, you're going to see that there's graphs, there's maps, there are political cartoons, there are there's more. It's going beyond just that reading. Teacher and student digital access to all courses was something that
was very important to us as well because if you're looking at 8th grade and eighth grade is global studies. We're going to be using the geography textbook that most closely aligns to the benchmarks with that. However, there still are some gaps within it. TCI then
allows us because with approval we'd be purchasing it, we can then dip into the civics textbook. We can dip into the economics textbook. And so we're not um we're not locked in just to that one textbook for 8th grade. So that was
something that was very appealing to to what we needed as a group. It has multiple levels of text along with translation options. So, if you have a learner that um needs a lower lexile
score or percentile, you're able to put that in there and you can meet the needs of that learner. In addition, if you have a learner who their their first language is Vietnamese, you can automatically switch it to Vietnamese, you can do Spanish, you can do I I don't
even know how many languages they had uh for options. And then within it, they provide slide decks that are like the 508 compliant, which is like fantastic. But within those slide decks, we can edit those and we can share it with with
our students and we can share it with the other teachers that that we are working directly with. And so that cooperation was um that was another big factor in saying yes, is TCI the right one for us. It has middle school interactive student notebooks which I
believe a couple of you may have um the options up there of seeing as well as different teacher le options. I believe and um Jesse and Adam may be able to speak to this more. I believe there are three different lessons options for every single lesson built within TCI.
>> Yeah, there's additional stories, primary sources that you can see. Um kids really like that right there. The textbooks themselves that director Ward is looking at our fifth graders love. I mean it's there's text and there's activities text activities uh lots of
discussion points. It's nice. I want to say old school scope. We're going back to a little old school instead of a computers. The kids like having that right in front of them. >> And in front of Director Edman, there's another um to your uh right. There we go. Um the one There you go.
>> Yep. That would be another example of being able to see the the student facing side of it um in front of Superintendent Grant. Those are going to be primary sources and documents that um and I believe how it works it's almost like students
rotate and hands-on uh notice and wonder what do you notice and wonder with this primary source um so getting students truly they're in doing the work I think what you'll notice too as you are looking at different things um as we've talked about the shift to inquiry based
the content um and it was uh 10th grade US uh no world studies world history that that uh teacher who was trying a unit said, "Oh my gosh, the content is amazing." So, you have amazing content alongside this instructional approach.
Students are asking questions, looking at primary sources, able to look across perspectives and do that higher level thinking of what do I think about this? How how would I act um civically based on what I'm learning? Be it across
economics, geography, history, or combined. So with that, uh, we ask for your approval of the adoption of this resource, TCI for 512 social studies, um, and invite you to ask us questions
to better understand our our recommendation, >> the teacher lesson options. I'm assuming then that tell us how that works. the teacher lesson options. >> So, they can shorten the instruction down. For example, I think this is meant
for a 60-minute class period. You can shorten it down to 30 minute if you want to. Uh they come with different texts that basically paraphrase what's already in the the bigger textbook itself. So, we have those if like we want to teach
something briefly or if you know we got something else going on that day, it's like, "Oh, well, let's see what's in here instead." So, that way we can, you know, use that's shorter compared to what's in the book next to you. >> I think the 10 our 10th grade colleague described uh what she really appreciated
was I can do my traditional lecture um and notes and conversation that way. I can do textbook reading to prepare students for that demand, but then I can also do this inquiry approach and I'm still going to meet the same learning goals, but I can take different avenues
and it could be based on time or it could be what are my students needs. so I can best engage them. >> So it allows for flexibility rather than >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Sure. >> Awesome. >> Madam chair. >> Uh shifts and assessments and success
criteria English please. >> Yeah. So the idea of if our love it uh if our standards change, right? So the Minnesota standards change. If the standards change, what we're really saying is the learning goals are changing, right? So the learning goals
are changing. Well, if the learning goals are changing, then you have to change how you assess for those learning goals. So, what used to be um and I think we many of us have experienced it of I know for myself, I took notes and I had a multiple choice test that I had to
memorize and be able to you know true false that sort of thing. >> The shift in the standards is that higher order thinking where are students able to be critical? Are they able to look across multiple perspectives, take their own stance? Well, if that's the
case, you can't assess with a multiple choice test anymore. You really have to um and really what they say is can students make arguments? Can they contribute contribute as a civic-minded um community members? So, that's what that represents is over on the right
that assessment has to look different and can't be a multiple choice test. >> No, we don't. MCA's don't apply to social studies. >> Okay. So, how do we know if kids are learning? Who are we gonna compare? Who are we comparing it to? Are we going to compare
to other school districts? Is it just something internally that you guys who work with the students all the time are going to say, "Hey, this dude or you know, whatever, they're doing well. I mean, how how do we I mean, how do we know that they're >> so there there is no cross district
comparison that nothing exists like that?" Um but what you're describing is the work that our teachers have been invested in since uh of am I making an impact. So we do common assessments. Um we have different PLC structures that here's the impact we want to make. What
sort of assessments can we look at together to see if we are making that making that impact. >> Okay, cool. I mean I was just curious because there's no MCAs for social studies. >> And actually one of the most the powerful things like I mentioned before is the fact that we're working 5 through 12. So we don't have just one mind
working on an assessment for world history. We have I mean it is all coming together to decide what should assessments look like so we can understand how are students learning this information. >> So we're not we're not talking about K through four.
>> Not at this not at this point. Nope. Uh >> okay. >> We've been here with literacy. We were going to have the teachers just take on the literacy lift next year and not social studies on top of that. It'll it'll be coming. >> Okay, cool. Thank you. >> So, was this program then piloted a
little bit this year with the two of you and and you found it to be really user friendly and >> Yeah, back in February is when we first got the textbooks and got to play around with on the computer, got to look at everything. The content was great. Um,
we were learning about the American Revolution at the time, um, right before the Revolutionary War and I couldn't tell you exactly what pages there, um, but the stories in there were really, really interesting and the kids really enjoyed it and really wanted to dig
deeper. Um, a lot of short answer responses for rather than multiple choice, you know, they actually have to write out, hey, what did you learn or what stood out to them? >> So that it was really good. And maybe an example is um so for fifth grade we know we have a section of fifth grade up at
Nisa. So we pulled um five 12 teachers together but that Niswah teacher she were pulled out for every content area you know so uh but then we looped her in and I mean for her to be able to take it on when she couldn't be part of the entire journey um I met with her for
less than one prep period and she was raving about it within a few weeks of yeah this is >> teacher friendly but more so student engagement. So fun to see relevant curriculum that teachers are excited about.
>> And this really >> and kids >> and well then and kids. Yeah. Yeah. >> And this instructional framework really asks students to be active learners. They have to be part of the process. They have to do the learning with us um and guide us too. >> Yeah.
>> Lots of discussions which has been a big to kids who really want to voice their opinion and do it in a respectful manner. um working with each other. It's it's been laid out very well for for things like that. >> The cool thing I'll brag about is starting in fifth grade um if I remember
right, Adam, parent teacher conferences, you all had the most visitors, but like in the most positive way, like what are you doing? My students coming home and asking the coolest questions about history, right? >> So math was really nice.
So that starting in fifth grade that that's what it means to be in a social studies class is that level of engagement um inquiry and being able to the idea of relevance. Uh I want to talk about this beyond the classroom. >> Does this tie in with online too Brandy?
>> It does. TCI directly integrates into D2L which is which is our learning management system. Um, and myself and Justin Barnhart, we actually got a little tutorial of what does that look like and it is it's pretty phenomenal the way that it does integrate.
>> Yeah. >> Madam Chair, are we taking these one at a time for approval or? >> Yeah. Yep. >> I'll move uh social studies 512 curriculum. >> Second. >> All right. We've got a motion by director Ward, a second by director
Dondelinger. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor, please signify by saying I oppose the same. >> Motion carries. Nice job. >> Thank you for that rigorous work. And Dr. Cornia, in case we don't get a chance to say it.
>> I want these back. Doc, >> Dr. Cornnea, >> in case we don't get a chance to say it, thank you. >> She's not going anywhere. >> So, we won't get to see you again. Thank you. Yes.
All right. Up next, we've got our 512 health curriculum presentation by Sandy Tes and >> and just me. >> Just >> just me during >> perfect. Thank you.
>> See, is that high school, middle school? Yeah. >> Look at that. What's in here? Okay. Um I'm here to present on the um health curriculum and Christina handed out a couple books there. Ones uh there's two that are middle school. I think she did a middle school and high
school on each side for you to take a look at. Um the shifts in the Minnesota health standards. This is the first time that the state of Minnesota is adopting health standards. We've always followed the national health standards. So they are in the process of adopting their own
um the with the following strands that are part of the standards um with the food nutrition mental emotional health is a big one um they're listed there but there are eight standards um and they have um developed the
standards with the benchmarks by grade level for K through five national standards were always done on a band of like K2 and 35 five. So somewhere in there something had to be taught K2 or 35 and who knows who was
teaching what where the recommendation at the Minnesota state level was to have specific kindergarten standards specific first grade for the anyway K through five. So each one of those grade levels will have their own standards. Um in the
six eight and the other reason for that was families moving from district to district. They would have at least had the standard already not missed all of the health if health was taught in first grade and they came in second grade and now they didn't get it. Um and then the
grade bands for 68 and 912. those eight standards. Um, standard one is all about content and standards 2 through eight are all about skill development. Okay. Um, in the spring of 2024 and then last fall um, we did a
looked through a lot of different resources um, and came to the recommendation to pilot two of them. Um, last fall in winter we started to pilot two of them. They met the Minnesota health standards. they melt the um the other health statues that are out there,
the CPR, the um mental emotional health, the violence prevention, those statues that are there. So, both of them met that. Um and the team has really liked the resources. Um some of the big things that really stood out from both of them
was student reflections and the work they're doing. So, it was more um critically thinking like Melissa was saying. It's not the memorization memorization so you can take a multiple choice test. Um it's more about
the whole process learning the skills that are necessary in health and um and then reflecting on their learning. um more about their process of learning than me pushing like information into them and trying to um get them to learn
something by lecturing to them. It was more about projects and pulling the information out of them and then them reflecting on the work. So they've tried um different units. They've been piloting the two different programs um this year. Um and so statewide
implementation would be we'd like to implement in 2627. So we are recommending that to adopt the goodart um willox textbooks and online platform for our teachers. And this would be for grades 5
through 12. Okay. The nice thing about that is to like social study was saying it's the same curriculum. um 5 through 12. We don't have different textbook at one level, company and another publisher at another level. Um
it's all from the same company and it and it has a progression through it. Um we would like print textbooks in the classrooms for the students to be able to have. We like the books. Um the color, the short reads makes it easier
for kids to comprehend. um reduce fatigue on the kids. The just the infographics, all of that kind of stood out. Uh one of the main things that the teachers or some of the main things they liked the translation um social studies talked about that that if you have a
Vietnamese student, you can go ahead and select it in Vietnamese and then it comes up that way for them. So that was a standout for the teachers with this good heart Wilcox. Um then they have the slide decks also where we can edit the slides um and meet the needs of our of
our learners here. Um so a lot of skills based options which is most of the standards in health all 2 through eight are all skills based. So there was a lot of skills based options within the text um between units.
So >> thank you. Any questions? Any questions from you guys? >> Is this textbook based or is this Chromebook? >> It would be both. We want textbooks in the classroom, but we'll also have a digital platform. So, when you purchase
a book, you get both. Okay. >> Okay. At the same time, so there would be some use of it, but there would be textbooks in the classroom. But if a student needed to read out, we wouldn't have to worry about checking a book out. They have it access to it at home, too.
They're clever. Sandy, this might be a dumb question, but how do what what how do teachers know what units they will teach? Is that all broken down ahead of time? >> Yeah. Well, we've been building a a um pacing guide with the units and all of
that. So, and that was one thing that this curriculum had a 9-week plan, it had a 12week plan, it has a 18week plan. So, there was a nice progression for us already. um and it does meet the Minnesota standards and those statutes
so that we're making sure we meet all of those things. So, we're kind of starting with that as our framework. Okay. >> And building from there. >> Okay. >> So, the books will just be in the classroom. >> Correct. >> So, they don't they get their own book. >> Correct. We just want to set for each
classroom. um so that they have that in their hands, the textbook, but then if they're absent or if they want to do more outside, they can log into that reading um in their through Clevver. It we can
access it through Clever. So, and it downloads with our classroom platform that we use. So, yeah. >> Well, I make a motion we approve the health curriculum >> at 12. >> I will second that. All right, we've got
a motion by Director Breen and a second by Director Heayen. Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor signify by saying I. >> I oppose the same. >> Motion carries. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Thank you.
>> Up next, we have the art cip and curriculum presentation by Christina Lungren and Mr. Jensen. Welcome. >> Hello. >> The first one. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Okay, last one. >> Uh so, uh thank you for having us here this evening. Um I'm going to start us off by uh doing a quick overview about our uh participation in the CAP program.
uh the comprehensive arts planning program through the Purpage Center and a little bit about our journey through that process and then I'm going to uh move transfer it over to Rick Jensen. Um he'll be talking about the recommended resource uh as a tool for our art
educators. So, uh, last February we applied, um, to be a participant in this CAP program through the Purpage Center. Um, and the reason why we, uh, submitted an
application is that we were looking at how to provide art access to our students K12 specifically in the areas of visual arts and media arts. So the requirement for students uh K8 is that
they have um access to three art area choices and then that they have opportunity to access or meet the the learning in two of those areas. So our three art areas are music uh visual arts and media arts. Uh at our high school
912 it's very similar. uh students should have access to three art choices and then they have the opportunity to earn credit in in one of those uh art areas. So we recognize that um our media
arts and our visual arts um learning progression or scope and sequence K12 um had some opportunities to be further developed and so uh that was our impetus for applying to be a part of this program. So, we were selected um of the
schools listed, we were selected to be a part of this program and uh what we do is we work with uh the Perpich Center to help develop a three-year strategic plan um around an arts goal. And so this
first year um part of our process was we did a comprehensive needs assessment with our art educators. So, all of our elementary teachers uh who currently do art learning with their students and then our 512 art education uh educators
to look at what are the needs and then our purpose center uh support person helped us work through that information to identify what our goals would be for the year and then we move into developing a strategic plan.
So um based on that work um our team identified three uh strategic they call them strategic directions as part of their language for for your uh strategic plan. So we have three strategic directions that were identified. uh one
was again just looking at that K12 uh scope and sequence or learning progression uh for our students and that the teachers have the the tools and the resources that they need to implement that learning for students. Uh the second area was providing professional
learning uh to our art educators uh with a focus on our elementary teachers because this isn't a a specialty a content specialty. They're uh generalists and they they have the opportunity to teach all subject areas. So to help develop that professional learning for elementary educators and
then the Whoops. And then the Oh, what's the login? >> Ah, thank you boardroom. >> Oh, thanks a tough glitch. Okay. And then our third uh strategic direction is
community connection. So uh working with our community partners to really showcase um the amazing art that our students are are doing in in the classroom. Um at the at the top is linked the larger plan. So from those
three strategic directions we identified uh focus areas. We broke that down into focus areas and then we had to outline action steps or an action plan over the next three years. So next school year um is really year one of our strategic plan
and then we'll move on to years two and three beyond that. So going back to that strategic direction number uh one uh looking at that learning progression for our students and developing that scope and sequence for visual and media arts. It
was identified that our teachers need um uh a resource or a tool to help with that implementation. And so the the committee looked at some different options and settled on a resource called the art of education. This is uh
designed specifically for teachers. It's a teacherfacing platform only and it is uh developed specifically for art educators. And so I'm going to turn it over to Rick Jensen to talk more about this particular resource.
>> Thank you, Christian. Thank you all for this time too to discuss this. Um I do teach art at the high school. I'm also adjunct teacher at Central Lakes College as well as about 25 years in the industry. I just say that because from that vantage I have this to say about
this awesome program. Uh as part of our visual and media arts team we took a close look at our K through2 curriculum. What we found was a clear opportunity especially at the elementary level uh to provide stronger structure consistency and support for our teachers and
students. Right now, many K through five classroom teachers are doing their best to teach art without dedicated resources or time uh to consistent consistently align with Minnesota arts standards. Uh this proposal helps close that gap in a meaningful supportive way. The art of
education curriculum aligns directly with Minnesota's standards creating, presenting, responding, and connecting, ensuring students aren't just making art, but thinking critically and making connections. It provides ready to use high-quality lessons that reduce
planning time while improving instructional consistency and that was kind of key with this just that consistent element. Um it also includes ongoing art specific professional development helping teachers feel confident and supported. This site is
very robust. Uh we're excited for what we've already seen in it. Um it's wonderful. U most importantly and it creates a sequential K through five experience. So students build skills year after year instead of maybe starting over each time every year. That
foundation carries forward into middle school and high school strengthening our entire K- through2 program in the arts. On this next slide, just talking about our piloting and some of the outcomes we're already seeing. Uh during the 2025 26 school year, our student our teachers
piloted this curriculum in real classrooms. What we saw was very impactful. We confirmed strong alignment with Minnesota standards across all four of our strands. We saw increased consistency across grade levels with students building on prior learning.
Teachers spent less time planning and more time engaging with students, especially at that K through five segment. Uh we've strengthened both vertical and horizontal alignment across our schools, creating a more connected, cohesive experience for our students.
And just in closing to wrap this up, uh at its core, this proposal is about giving every student access to highquality arts education and giving every teacher the tools to deliver it well. Because when we strengthen arts education, we're not just teaching students how to create. We're giving
them the skills to think, solve, communicate, and see the world in ways that shape who they become. Thank you. >> I'll make a motion. I'll second. All right, we've got a motion by Director Donolinger and a second by
Director Breen. Any discussion? >> This is fabulous, you guys. >> I was hoping for some questions, but >> I think Randy and I both had the opportunity. Were you there the night that the art, >> you know, that might have been the only DAC meeting I haven't made in three
years, four years? phenomenal to see all these various art teachers and at the different levels >> talk about their experience with piloting that. >> If I could just add at the the high school, middle school level, what it's doing for those teachers is adding to an already strong program and our our
teachers at those levels were seeing these great lessons that they could build into what they're already injecting is wonderful. >> Yeah. Yeah. the enthusiasm of those teachers. It was really fun to see that >> and I love the consistent build over time.
>> Right. It's like learning a language. >> Yeah. >> Start from K all the way through when you're a senior, you know. Yeah. >> That's great. >> So, you feel like it's going to build up to say the college where you teach at too, right? >> Exactly. That we can see that continuum into even our college level. Yeah. Yes.
>> I know the art classes I saw at first the kids are really engaged too. Mhm. I think so. >> I mean, they just buzzing around having, you know, doing their stuff, but they're engaged and that's it's kind of >> I can add it does keep a student in the building. >> Oh, I believe >> hands-on activity, creating something
with their hands. It's wonderful to see. >> Wonderful. Thank you both. All right, we've got a motion on the table. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. I >> oppose the same. >> Motion carries. Thank you both. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you.
Up next we have Damn it. Ouch. >> Superintendent Elect. Is that what the title would be? >> Mr. Ranken, thanks for joining us uh to talk about author authorizing administration to begin the planning and community engagement process. Thank you, sir.
>> For an operating levy referendum for the November 3rd, 2026 election and to return to the board with a recommended levy question um for final approval. So, thank you for joining us. This is um something that we
learned about last week in our work session and so this is a review of um what we got to see and got a preview of. So just bringing that back for review and action. >> Thank you Madam Chair, members of the
board uh community. Just want to walk through this uh if I can. Uh, I provide a copy just of an executive summary and I just want to start by saying, you know, this project true north, this is all draft, but as I come in, I just want to make sure it's really clear that, you
know, as Peter, I mean, I looked at calendars today. Peter's probably looked at his calendar and my my daughter tells me who's an eighth grader, she's got it down to 13 days. Um, and so, you know, I mean, we we have purchased a house south in Niswah. My three kids will be
enrolling in Brainer public schools here in the next two weeks. Um, and we're making the full transition and and Peter I will shake hands that he's down to one more board meeting. Uh, this is the longest board meeting I've been in like nine years. Uh, so to be honest with you, but I'd also just share with you, I
I've been at my current district nine years. You've had three superintendents in that time period. I I settled our contracts in three meetings. every contract's been settled uh in my district and I'm turning over a 12 and a half% fund balance to my replacement. And so I'm just saying
where we're at and where we need to go um is kind of what Project True North is is truly a draft, but it's just taking your strategic roadmap that you invested a lot of time in in your community and people in 2023 and putting this in action. So as Peter um passes the, you
know, the torch off to myself, uh I want to make sure we're providing the best opportunity for kids. So really what this is is uh I took your 26 pages of the strategic road map and boil it down to really four major components and you
know one I'd say one two and four all depend on three and so you really got to make sure we're physically stable. I think everything you're hearing tonight is, you know, unfortunately over that time, um, with three superintendents declining enrollment, every school
district, if you go on MSBA news clippings, which I'm sure some of you do, there's article upon article, we are in a we're not in the we're not in a we're not in a foreign place to compared to a lot of school districts. just be thankful we're not in one metro
school district where they had a $25 million accounting error. You know, that that would be an issue. What we're facing is we we got to get out of the business of the board right now being monthtomonth and quarter to quarter and semester to semester and year to year to getting a three-year outlook. And so, as
we look at this, first of all, student achievement kind of what got you into this is, you know, you've cut, cut, cut. And so, to cut and that's what we're gonna have to keep doing. And I've talked to Peter. Um Peter and the the whole admin team knows
that we're going to have to continue to make make cuts and that's just because we're going to have to less students. That just makes sense, right? Um but as you want to have higher achievement and I'm proud for my current district, we're the triple crown in math, reading, and science. We did that by having very
stable finances, stable staff, and investing in curriculum and then making sure we could do these things. staff and student safety is the number one thing we do here. Um I always highlight that when it's 4:45 in the morning and my kids are already lobbing to have a snow
day. Um and we have flex learning days. So we take advantage of e-learning. Uh we just we don't call it e-learning, we call it flex learning because that's the world we're in. Um the wind blows a little more down in southwest or west central Minnesota. And then four, our staff and student well-being. You know,
right now we need to reinvest. We got a team behind my back that doesn't feel like they're real valued right now. We're we got to make sure they're being, you know, taken care of along with all of our students. And all that underpins uh physical stability. So the next slide honestly just talks about when we talk about strategic
um stability is rightize operations. You you've been doing that. You've been aligning footprint, staffing, programs, and enrollment reality. And what's going to happen in your next board meeting by statute? They're going to pass a budget for next year that I'm going to inherit. Peter's going to build it and I'm the
one that's going to inherit it. And so the reason I'm in here tonight is, hey, as we stabilize revenue, um, you know, we pay very attention. I was on a webinar today with MR just talking about seasonal wreck is advance. That's a huge deal in the Brainer Lakes area. Um,
because if you do go out for a levy at some point, uh, the the tax impact is crossed all taxes. Then optimize efficiency. You know, DJ, you're you you've mentioned this many times in our our conversations that we need to make sure we're being efficient. The things
we're doing, that's why you're you know, you're a very successful businessman. And then ultimately, we need to just restore confidence across our entire community. I think that you need to understand for all of you on the board, including Peter, you inherit a set of problems. And the number one job of
responsibility of a board member is making sure you prevent problems from future boards. So that's the work we're talking about tonight. And at the bottom of this, you have to understand cuts alone won't solve this. You know, a levy alone won't solve this. You know, efficiencies won't solve this. There's
two pathways before the board that I think are both are going to happen. And it emphasizes the same integrated framework. And those two pathways, you know, just on the physical stability is based on this. You know, you're going to lose some students 192 conservatively uh
over the next three years. you're going to have nine about 10% cost increase with special education that leads to a 16 million just dollar structural issue that we're going to have to tackle over the next three years. And then, you know, we just need to make sure that by
the end of FY30, we've secured at least a 10% fund balance to reach your board goals. And so, these projections drive the timing of tonight's conversation. That's the only reason I'm here because, you know, when you go to the next slide, there's two ways to look at this. you know, first building consolidation to
get create efficiency, you know, so today I sent a spreadsheet to the board. I sent to Marcy and you know, um, and I've talked to Peter off and on about this, but let's just say we consolidate some buildings and we close two elementaryaries. Um, you know, I think we could say between 1.8, you know,
Marcy thinks it's probably closer to two, but we need to have real analysis. What I'm asking you tonight is at the work session on June 4th, allow Peter before he leaves, you have you have 40 years of experience there. He's been in the seat for two years. Let's truly
understand what consolidating of programs looks like. What is it? What would we get if we moved a program or you know transformed a program or did whatever we might want to do. So building consolidation, what does that look like? And then we need to understand do we have the capacity if we
close two buildings to to cross level kids into the four remaining elementaryaries if that's what we chose to do because you can't have a plan that's not feasible. Okay. And the thing on the bottom there is that work starts later. Um decisions is fully with your board um decisions.
There's no ballots. You can decide this right here at this room. But we want to have a clear analysis on the right hand side. You know, pillar two emphasize stabilized revenue. And so you you've had elders come present to you and you know, 78% of districts take advantage of
this. My current district, I mean, maybe I have it easy. We have a referendum at the lowest level, but it has the maximum equalization and we have a capital projects levy that I increase by $500,000. My district gets $2 million more a year
than Brainer Public Schools does. You would take that and run. and we have a fourth of the kids you have. And so we're there's a reason why we're leading in math and science and reading because we invest. Um we also don't have huge
turnover. Um and so that really rests with the voters. And so the reason why you look at this both pathways um will advance physical stability. Both require comp you know they're going to require work. And you know the other three are all strategic goals that this number
number three will drive the other three. Um so the next slide um really what I'm looking at is what a two billion consolidation looks like. You know I said you know on the base case it's 1.2 million of savings in
five years. Maybe it's 6 million bucks. But I think at some point you're going to have to get creative because the reason you having settle contracts is because there, you know, you're running lean and so you have to be very very efficient on what you offer because long-term stability. True, Peter.
Otherwise, you would have settled back in October like everybody else. And so, you know, in my nine years, I always make sure that there's enough in when I build the budget last June to make sure we can get a settlement. It's why we settled in two and a half meetings. And you know, if I can afford
a dollar, I'm gonna pay a dollar because that's what I want to pluck staff out of Alexandria. So, I've stolen six of their best teachers. I've stolen two of their principles. Um, I think that's what I want to be competitive. And you know what really ticked me off in my days as a Peekquad is when Brainard had a better
contract and you stole some Brainer, you know, some Peekquat teachers to come to Brainer that I fought hard to get there. We that's when you were the shining beacon of the north country and we need to get back to that. And then you can just see the thing with the right hand side though is that's sensitive. You
start closing buildings. Look what happened across the state of Minnesota. You think you have a lot of people here tonight and you have a lot of people outside. Wait till you decide to do something like that. The meeting won't be in here. It'll be a gymnasium because you're going to have two to 300 people that are going to have to want to talk to you about it. And so you know this is
where we need to have this conversation. So, the next one is if you're going to have a referendum, you just need to direct administration, you know, because uh over your shoulder, Kelly needs to contact Ellers and get the exact ballot language. You need to contact uh Peter at Ellers who's going to tell you
exactly what or MSBA to get the exact information that goes on the ballot. Ellers are going to run financial runs for you. Then you got to pick a number. We artificially just picked 5 million. Okay. What does that do for you? Obviously 5 time 5 gives you 25 million. What's the cost monthly? 16 bucks. Well,
maybe that's not where you want to be right now. You know, driving up here, uh, at least Brainard's 30 cents cheaper for gas, but, you know, down in my neck of the woods, 35% of our taxpayers are farmers. When you're paying 5 a half bucks a gallon for diesel that they didn't pre purchase, it's pretty hard to
put an affordable crop in, not knowing what you're going to get in the fall. So, this is another conversation we need to have. Why now? Because we have the same destination. It's called physical stability. uh just different timelines. So the reason I'm here is if you're even going to entertain a levy, I start work July
1st. Our board meeting is July 12th. This is four or five conversations and even the six of you are divided on this or you would have done it two years ago. Um but if you're going to do it, you got to start having those conversations now. This top one obviously if you're going
to do building consolidation, it's the same thing. You need to start having engagement as early as October and start having conversations October, November, December with a decision in January and then implementation the following school year. At some point, you have to
generate additional revenue. Either you're going to take it from internal or you're going to get a little uh help from the voters. My recommendation is both because I think you're going to need both because neither like I told you before, cutting is not going to get you
there. levy's not going to cut it there. You're gonna have to do a combination of things. And I would think if you would had the same superintendent nine years, if Peter had been here nine years, you would have probably already started to implement this 3 years ago. So, as I come in and I'm worried about the next 3
to 5 years, I want to get us to a better place. That's my job as a leader. And the reason I'm here tonight is I can see some rocky roads up ahead. And if we don't pick a smart route, we're going to have some issues.
So my my request tonight is just authorize superintendent to fully develop two pathways to physical stability, a two building elementary consolidation and a November 26 operating levy. We're going to, you know, Peter and I will work on this work together with Marcy and Jason and Carrie
and the principles and on June 4th bring both these to you tonight. You're not authorizing a levy. What you're authorizing is, hey, you've told me time and time again, Randy, there's not a plan. We need to get the core elements of a plan and bring it to you. Stephanie, I know you don't feel
comfortable with this yet, but you told me, too, you want a plan. Um, I want to bring that plan to you on June 4th because then in the June board meeting, you either can decide to move forward uh with the fall or or we do it right in July when I get here. But it takes too much work now to pull us off on July
12th. Would you agree, Peter? s >> and that's why I'm here tonight. So, this is where we're heading. I just think we got to tell the truth about what we face. I think we needed to be decide on transparent criteria and then we need to rebuild our trust and and
through visible stewardship about what we're about to do. And tonight, honestly, the board's focus on the future of Briner Public Schools. It really begins with the permission of study, madam chair, not to the commitment to a single destination. So, that's why I'm here tonight.
Thank you, Mr. Anken. >> Any questions? >> Entertain a motion. I would like to make a motion that we authorize administration to begin the planning um for this for an operating levy
referendum and to return with an another recommended plan or an additional plan to look at fiscal stability. >> Second. >> All right, we've got a motion by director Breen. Uh second by director
Ward. Any discussion? >> Well, the only option is going to be to get rid of two elementary schools. Chip. >> Uh, no. I just to get to the money you're going to save in the next three years. It's probably the most equal. With declining enrollment, it's not in the high school. Your high school is
full. I mean, you got senior class of over 425 430. I think you got 435 seniors graduating. I saw my daughter's class next year is right around 440. You're you're talking about 338 kindergarteners. So when we did some analysis, you know, you realistically, you know, you' set some gaps on. I sent
you a spreadsheet, but and I, hey, this is all provisional. So, not just say we set kindergarten at 21 max, and you said, you know, say second through fourth grade, a max of 26. It is a reduction of 11 FTEEs. That's just, you know, sharing. And then
building cost, Marcy just shared with me, is 650 per building. So right there, that's $1.3 million you saved. And so, you know, between those two, you're probably staring around 2 million bucks. Marcy, am I off by much? >> She's shaking her head. No.
>> So, you know, that creates $2 million in real revenue. So, really, when you're short right now, um just balancing the books longterm, we need to stay at that 10%. So, you're at 14 now. And it's not like we have to do this tonight, tomorrow. Um, but as you start building
budgets for this next year, a year from now, we're going to have to take some steps because you're just going to eat fund balance. True, Peter? >> And so we just we can do that for another year or two to get efficiencies. But I think at some point if you want to get to a better place and you want all
the parts of the strategic road map, you're going to need both at some point. Now, you could, let's face it, we need to have the reality is that even if you have a levy this fall, schools don't do well on general elections. It definitely doesn't help when inflationary costs are
what, 3.3%. I heard tonight, uh, you know, fuel is that high, but you know, I just saw your new bus contract. You know, we have the it's worse in my district. We pay a search charge on diesel. It's over $165. When's the last time you got diesel for $165? And you pay anything over uh, was it
Marcy? $3, you pay 100% of it. Um, and so it's going to be tough to pass. And so no matter what, we're going to have to both both plans have to be brought forward to the board. >> Madam Chair, >> yes. >> Um, you know, board at board members,
I'm going to speak um at our board work session that we just went through, retreat, whatever you want to call it. I don't care what we call it. Um, and we've we've heard um both Peter and Chip both talk to us about future plans and future district and what the district
looks like. And we heard a lot about that tonight too from from a lot lot of uh folks staff. Um but at our last work session as it was presented to us uh this plan um you at least five of us
said this is a good solid plan. Matter of fact, it was reported in the dispatch that uh this is a good solid plan. It's it it's it's more than just looking at a levy. It's looking at efficiencies. It's looking at cuts. It's looking at, you
know, all possibilities to come up with u moving our district forward. Period. The other thing I want to say is um a referendum is nothing more than an election. an election. Uh to win an
election, um you know, usually people are out um campaigning at least two years in advance. You know, we're pretty short on time here. We've got to make some tough decisions. Obviously, even even no matter what we
decide here tonight, we're still we we've got to make some tough decisions over the next couple years. >> I think it's really important to point out, though, tonight all you're doing is allowing me and Peter and your administrative team to bring two detailed plans together. one, what would a levy look like? Two, what would consolidation look like? And DJ, kind of
what I kind of hear 32 in the lines, what else could we do? And that's like, listen, when we have a work session next time, we're not going to do a lot of how are you, how are you? Honestly, if number three is fiscal stability, what are the options on the table? What would Peter be doing the next three years if
he was staying on? What would you do as board members? And then I, like I said, I think the engagement is the same. Just like you said, having an election, I just came off one last year. Drank more coffee last year than I've ever drank in my life. Okay. Um went to a lot of
different meetings. Um and you know, ultimately failed. Um that doesn't mean we didn't work hard. Um but then you know, you'd come up with alternative plans. And what I would want is just the motion to say, let's spend the next three and a half weeks, come back on
June 4th with real hard numbers. I think you tried having that conversation about the co-op and it got stalled out because the numbers moved around. What I want is Marcy just say, "Hey, if we were going to do this consolidation, maybe we're going to change the ALP. Maybe we're going to do something about what is our
three-year fiscal stability plan, then bring that back to the board. You don't have to vote on anything tonight that's going to make a levy 100%. But if you close the books on it tonight, then guess what? The levy's off the table. Then it's going to be strictly cuts." No, that that's what I wanted what I
wanted to get to when I was um when I was talking is >> I just want to make sure you clarify what you're what you're talking about tonight. >> But it's time >> Yes. >> It's time to decide. It's time to either move forward or backward. And um I I just want to state that, you know, if we're going to move forward, we got to
go. We got to go board members. And um so I'm I'm hoping that you know we authorize uh a plan for our administration to come back to us with a specific kind of plan. Um and that's all we're doing. >> Um but it's time to do that. It's really
time to do that. And I think you heard a number of people tonight say that same thing. So >> Madam Chair, >> yes. >> Chip, you keep referring to a three-year plan. I'm looking here and it's it's all fiveyear. Am I Am I missing something or >> Well, I have a fiveyear plan laid out,
but I'm just talking right now getting to fiscal year 30. And so between now and 30, it's we know exactly um based on what you know, you got a demographer report. Um DJ, you told me many times if we can find efficiencies and make some
corrections, you're all on board. And so I'm not asking, hey, let's just go get more money. We're going to have to do both. Um, and so, you know, what's what's available? And I would just say just like before I leave Metawaska, I'm doing this with my replacement. How
would I help my replacement Scott out, you know? Um, so, >> can I? >> Yeah. Go ahead. >> Go ahead. >> You've been snooping around and meeting with people and, you know, I've talked to you quite a bit. So, do you have any ideas why we're losing all these kids?
Cuz I did the math today. Okay, we're down 119 for the year. Um, our grand total now is up to 1159. They're outsourced in our that live here. They didn't die. Um, so where are
they going? Do you have any ideas on how you could slow that down? anything make people feel >> I'll tell you first of all the good thing about being your uh your competitor to the north in Pquat and I welcomed 64 new me you know Peekquat Lakes Patriots my last year as the
principal there I can tell you cuz I just worked with a realtor and I didn't he's probably mad at me because I didn't buy a house with him but he moved from the Briner public schools open enroll his kids to Pqua and this is exact words he's like yeah we went there for sports but you know the academics of Brainer don't hail any in
comparison to Equat. I'm sorry for people that are watching this. Those are his exact words, not my words. People migrate for sports. And you know, the thing is is I'm honestly migrating to Brainard High School because of your
academics. You you every year have merit scholars. You know, your average ACT, cuz my daughter just took it, you know, she got a 31 and you were right around 29. You don't tell that story well enough. My son just graduated on Saturday at
Magna Kumlad with in pharmacy from South Dakota State. Those are the graduates you're making. Yeah, sports, they might win off and on depending on what you got going and that's great and there's great people up there. But let me tell you why it works in Pequad because they're going
to do the exact same thing you are. They're going to set a budget. So Marcy, what's her number? 5,400. What's her number for next year? >> 5,400. October 1st, we're hopefully gonna count 5450. Right, Peter?
Right. At least. Okay. And we hope that number is still true. Marcy's like 5600. This is what Peekquad does? 2,000. Guess what shows up October 1st? 2,200. 200 more kids than they ever anticipated, but they built their budget on 2,000. Now they've
got $2 million sitting there. They never allocated out. So then guess what? They don't worry about hiring extra teachers, extra EAs, extra this, extra that because they don't have to worry about it. And they've been doing that for the last 15 years. Now they're full full.
Guess what Pqua can't do? They can't offer a full online high school, a full online middle school. We can. They can't offer all the college level courses with AP. We can. And I think we have to just get better at telling our story. And you know, I just think it comes back to um
tell your story. It's hard. I don't we just don't do a good job with that. You have a lot of caring, compassionate people here that tell you all about the history of Brainer, but you have to come here to listen to it. You know, I honestly should be able to look at YouTube because I go there and watch some walleye fishing in the morning on
Saturdays drinking coffee and I should get bombarded about Brainer Public Schools about the great things that are happening. And I just think we need to get better telling our story. academics. That's what's really going to matter. But I do think though at some point we have to go back and survey every one of
those families and ask them why. DJ, you told me you really read in the psychology of why people do something. We need to get inside that decision cycle and turn it around. >> I don't think we've ever lost this many as we have this year. At least as long as I've been on the board. It's always been about 50 60
>> and it seems something's wrong. And we can't blame the parents. You know, the crazy thing is Chip is you keep talking about Pekquat. I don't blame you because you got experience there, but you know, Pillager's got almost like they for sure have half again as many kids from Brainard as Pekquat does. Like
>> Yeah. But I also think like Peekquat families, a lot of them like from Staples, you know, not going to lie, coming here for my kids, they're in a class of 107. My daughters is the would been the NHS president, the student council president, number one singles. Now she's like her and her do her and my
sister her my other daughter played tennis yesterday cuz they're going to be playing Brainer tennis and she wants to make sure she's ready cuz they're going up to 3A tennis and so when you go down to little Minowasa you know it's it's a lot smaller pool not as competitive but if you're really preparing our kids
truly to be college ready >> Brainer public school is going to do that because my kids are going to go off to the U of M SDSU whatever it might be and I want to make sure they get the best preparation I think it does start with stability though and I think that I
always say this if I have a dollar to spend I want the best paid staff the best contract because continuity and good things look at any sports team continuity with good leadership builds long stern performers we just haven't had that and I think we just got to get
back that's why I'm here so Madam Chair I just recommend that you direct the administration and we come back with a plan on June 4th I I do think you're going to need to do both. I realize you're not all there tonight, but I think as you start going down this, what I don't want happen in January when we
start going down this path and you have 400 people telling you, you're not doing this, you're not doing this. You explored every option. You know, I've spent a little bit of time in forestry this spring and um I mean, every day I witness
firsthand how great that staff is and how they go above and beyond to make sure they're not only providing um meaningful lessons for their students, but they're also um nurturing the humans. And um there's systems in
place to deal with harassment. their systems in place to deal with the most vulnerable students. And I think at the end of the day, you leave that building and you think we need to make sure our
teachers have a fair and equitable contract that communicates we value them. And we need to take advantage of every possible resource to continue to support our students to encourage their success. their success, their
achievement, and our teachers success or staff success. >> And also I allude to I completely agree and I would allude to I've had some of your staff visit my school and you know uh having an intensive mental health uh care and treatment facility. You know, I'll win academy that we have. So, we
we've had uh Amy Jordan down, we've had Jennifer Johnson down, we've had uh some other people down to say, "Okay, if we reprogram, um we could potentially bring over 125 kids." And uh that would bring positive revenue and we build for $650,000 of
medical assistance. That's real money. I think you already did this uh with uh you know, Marcy and John, you got Paul Bunan coming up. We're we are going to take in $250,000 in revenue that we did not have last year. That was sharpening your pencil and there's be space we're
leasing services we're providing. That's an example of efficiency you're going to gain. That's not just one year. That's enduring. >> That's my concern is that how many years did we not get the 250 that we should have? >> And that's to me we didn't. This is next year is our first year. So it's like
>> that's why I feel so bad about this decision because I don't feel as though we're razor sharp, you know. >> Yeah. But guess what? >> We want to get winning. We got one win. >> That's good. >> Celebrate. Clap your hands because you know we'll take it. >> We're taking it >> rather than losing 250.
>> So, let's just take that. >> Yeah. >> Is that care facility that you have um I mean you're you're saving kids from leaving your school district. Number one. Um >> Yeah, but we're also taking honestly we're taking >> Let me Let me ask you this. Do do you also can you also um third party bill for them? Those kids.
>> Oh, yeah. >> John, we only service there's only four kids that from attended. There's 49 that we're getting. We're charging our districts full the full price. >> So what what that so what he's what I what I just asked was our SLP folks
third party bill we're building their the medical insurance companies for services which we recover and we get money for and it's and it's significant. It's a it's a significant >> it's also you're getting at the core of what those kids need intensive mental health. So some of the kids that maybe
you're seeing right now, Michelle, >> they they would need to get more intensive services. Absolutely. >> You can't spread that peanut butter across seven sites. So you try to concentrate it to make it cost effective, right? >> So any other questions?
>> Not a question, but a comment. And I know we've talked a little bit about this. Um but I do appreciate that you brought the framework for a plan and it gives us a vision of the future. it pulls us out of the weeds a little bit and out of the monthto-month and I think
that's important for this board and I think we can rally around that and the other thing I would say is bringing you in as superintendent I think was an important decision for us and in doing that we put our trust in you and we put
our future in your hands to make a professional recommendation and I think what you've brought to us has exceeded my expectation on that and I'm anxious just to support it because supporting this plan means supporting your success
and your success is our success as a district. >> Well, I appreciate it and I just remember the smartest person in the room is the room. So, you them us back to where it was when you were going
to school here, it's going to take all of us. We'll get this contract settled and just say in three years I want to be celebrating. I don't want to wait three years, but I do think that we're not gonna let Peter escape with years of experience. And I just think the next three weeks,
let's put a little more meat on the bones here, bring it back to the work session, and let's bring this forward. And then you guys can make a decision at that point what you want to do. But let's get real hard numbers. And so if you have ideas, even if you're behind me, if I have ideas for savings, let's
talk about them. Um, and let's get them on the table. supposed to get some real numbers. Uh because I my goal is in three years. We're not talking about this anymore, >> right? We're we're talking about how we're going to, you know, I'm going to
use DJ's W, you know, winning. >> I like winning. Winning's a good thing. >> I do, too. >> All right, we've got a motion on the table and a second. Any further discussion? >> Are we going to gas? Are we going to skip the motion? >> The I made a motion. I know, but Chip's
recommending that we go back and get information that motion. >> No. Well, all you're recommending tonight is that you're going to direct leadership just to go put these two plans together and bring it back to the work session. >> You're not voting any levy thing until June or July. >> You're not voting for a lovey tonight.
What you're voting for is two well-developed plans to talk about a lovey. What would that look like? What would, you know, what would consolidation look like? what what gets us to a long-term stability. The only reason I'm coming tonight is if you're
going to go do a levy this fall, then you got to get you really got to make decisions sooner than later because you're going to need to start going. >> Yeah. >> So, this is the authorization to start down that path to understand what that would look like. The authorization to investigate
>> and all those pieces if we're going to have all that other stuff that's going to have a lovey, what does that look like? And we can all put that together because that's a Peter that's an expertise. Yes. >> All right. Good clarifications, good questions. Um, any other discussion?
Otherwise, we'll move to a vote. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. I. >> Oppose. The same. Motion carries. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Ranken. All right. We've got committee meeting updates. We'll start with the long range
planning and facilities committee. But um Director Heen, >> boy, we got a lot on here. You know, it's what 8:32. >> Wilder up one nothing. >> No, they're not. >> Are they down? >> Okay. Uh
>> well, I haven't looked at it. >> Just real quickly, the accomplishments. lower site uh for softball, new dugouts, new stadium, press box for baseball, scoreboard frequency was fixed by our IT director. That was
that was a nice thing. And then a lot of updates uh and we've talked about this uh recently. Riverside uh renovations for voluntary pre kindergarten uh bathroom renovations at Riverside and Garfield, etc., etc. water
uh replacement and boiler replacement. All of this money comes out of the long-term >> maintenance fund that is not coming out of the general fund. So, a lot of things going on. Uh Jeff and his staff are uh busy. So, end of report.
>> Thank you. All right. We'll move on to the BPS Brainer Public Schools Foundation. >> Okay. The Brandon Public Schools Foundation is excited to be hosting scholarship recognition night on May 20th at the Gi Z Center for the Arts.
They are going to be rewarding nearly $250,000 this year in scholarship awards up from last year. >> Up from Oh, it says it's up 226,000 from last year. They do a really good job
fundraising. Um, Brena Public School Foundation is collecting gently used Warrior themed gear at each district building through May 15th and at um, Washington Educational Building through June 30th. They will be holding a
Warrior sale in late August or September. And if you do donate it, we ask that no names are on it, just a general warrior gear. And um that is it.
>> Thank you. All right. Safe and welcoming schools committee. Okay. So we met on May 7. Um basically to just recap this year's effort at providing ongoing interrupter training that was given to principles to be shared with their
staff. We also had a send off to one of our faithful students who had supported our efforts and gave meaningful input while in high school. And I'll just go into the wellness for us. Uh we had received a $2,000 grant and decided to split that amount um
between the four buildings that house 5 through 12 students. Um members of our committee will now meet with superintendent Ranken when he comes on board to talk about the mission and vision of this committee going forward.
>> Great. Thank you. And Apac Director Ward. >> So um I'll just cover some of the things that they we talked about at the meeting. Um we talked about the start of the talk about budget overview and funding updates. And one of the problems, it's kind of like the free and reduced lunch
kind of deal where people don't fill out the forms anymore. Um because they they get too >> APAC gets um funding, federal funding based on forms that are filled out. >> So there's a move to try to find a
better way to um get more more uh uh indigenous people to um fill out the forms so that the the funding can occur for for them. Um uh let's see. Uh federal hearing and community input. Uh families and students desire more
empathy and understanding from a wider community. Um the um graduation culture um policy. Um there's there was a talk about uh um um
talking to the about graduation having like you know the military. They display the military robes or you know they say navy or army. Oh, is he gone? I was gonna say Chip helped me with that. >> They have those ropes around their necks.
>> Right. So there's there's the there was discussion about that as well um with the indigenous community. Um also I'll just close by saying that there was a discussion about schoolboard and Apac collaboration. um without going into everything um you know there needs to be
better data sharing between district and APAC for grant reporting and program improvement and um you know we we just haven't gotten to that in any of our meetings because we've run out of time but we still need to continue to dialogue about the collaboration um and
the non-concurrence um that comes from the district comes from the uh school board and not the district. So that's my report. >> Thank you. What do you mean it comes comes from the district, not us? They saying we're non-compliant
>> and business services report. >> The response comp school board kids. >> Okay. Uh in your packet is the financial report. There's nothing new to note there. Um and I know that you guys wanted an update on the next year's budget. Every month we're sitting at
about a projected 3.4 million deficit and that's with the uh transportation contract that is incorporated in that. Um otherwise no new changes. We'll talk more about that at the um upcoming retreat or work session whichever
whatever it's called. Uh the enrollment report uh DJ you did speak to this. We are down 146 K through 12 since the beginning of the year and I did run some analytics on that and that is the highest it's ever been in the last 5 years. Um we're down 2.6%
and looking at the last five years the average was about 1.6. So, it's a it's a 1% difference compared to the average. And again, I know we talk about this why if they don't fill out the forms, we don't know the why. There's there is a form, but not everybody fills out the
form. So, >> when they leave the district, >> yes, >> but we don't call them. >> It It's not a part of the process. No. >> So, we don't know. >> Not if they don't fill out the form. >> But we don't know. >> How many fill out the form?
Not I don't know the percentage. >> I >> I'm wondering if we could set up some kind of volunteer people that might be willing to contact families when students leave just to start to gather some analytics about that. >> Yeah.
>> And I think there's probably a lot of retired people that would be happy to call >> and see. >> Really wouldn't take that long. >> Well, I don't think we need volunteers. I think the school should I mean he's only talking about if you lost 145
people in eight months. >> So what is that? That's 17 a month. So it's one a day >> task somebody in the building. >> It's just one a day. It's not like >> not going to talk to them for two hours, >> right? >> It's going to be a five, you know, if you had a little like five questions.
>> Yeah. Create a form and then >> then if there's something they'd like to talk to you about, maybe give it to somebody else. >> Yeah. I think that would be good information. But if but if we can find some solutions, it's dollars then. >> But it's the kind of stuff we do. Yeah. My world. >> We have we should come up with some questions.
>> Yeah. >> That's the kind of stuff we do. >> What? >> That's kind of stuff we do. It's easy stuff. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Like you can do three questions and then if they answer one of them wrong, then we pass it up to somebody higher up. >> Yep. >> That can get back to you and make you happy. >> You need to find out why they are.
>> If you don't know, you don't know. We've been asking, we've been wondering that now for since I've been on the board. >> What? >> Why this? Why we're losing students? >> I know. We all have our ideas. >> Yep. >> Do we have to give them some? I mean, is do they expect something from us when they leave?
>> What do you mean >> the transcripts? >> What do you mean? >> Really? The only time we know if they're left is when there's a request for a transcript. >> That's when you >> They just don't show up for school. >> Yeah. They just don't show up anymore. >> Okay. I suppose. Huh. >> Okay. So, we're looking we're looking to
find out why they left, right? >> But sometimes we don't know. >> Don't give them their transcripts until they fill out your form. >> Yeah, >> why not? >> You state law. You can't >> state law. I didn't know that. >> I didn't know that. I mean, I'm just, you know, I mean, we're trying to find
out. That's >> like you not wanting to pay your state tax and they come and knock on your door. >> They ain't gonna knock on my door. They're gonna handcuff me and put me in jail. >> Didn't when your kids applied to college, they had to get their transcripts. So, you have to get >> They didn't leave school.
>> Well, I think I told uh the colleagues here that uh I talked to a nurse recently on one of my special visits um who who two two daughters, she got three children. Two of the children graduated from Brainer High School. You probably
remember this. The third one needed a little bit more support and smaller class sizes. >> So, she went to Pillager, >> right? >> So, she went to Pillager. So I mean there there's one example of that. >> That's a good example. So now we know. >> Yep. >> But that's only one out of 117.
>> Exactly. >> Thank you, Marcy. >> Madam Chair, Madam Chair, before Marcy, I got >> I got a question for Mars. >> So um I emailed Marcy today in the news today. >> I'm I'm going to talk about that. In the news today, the the Minneapolis school
district >> found a way to I don't know. I don't know how to word this, Marcy, so you can help me. Found a way to recover two $10.8 million. >> That's because they were not doing the state's criteria of tracking special education students. It's because they
screwed up once they figured out. They had a third party come in and help them figure out why they were losing so much money. They were not doing the paperwork correctly. >> Oh my god. >> So now they're going to catch up. That's how that worked. But well, how are they going to how are >> they're going to start doing the
paperwork next year and they'll collect 10.2 or whatever it was. >> So they're not actually recovering 10.8 million of They called it surprise money, >> right? It'll be for next year. >> Oh, that's still $25 million. >> Okay, >> that
>> I told Marcy, please find out how to surprise get that surprise money over yours. >> That's what you call a clerical error. >> And I responded with what are you asking? because we are. I don't think we're doing that. >> Yeah. >> Thank you, Marc. >> Thank you, Mark.
>> All right. Superintendence report. >> Okay. So, I have a little bit of humor to share. Um I went on a bus ride today with LC. And if you ever don't want to ride on a bus, don't.
Uh it was the roughest road. Anyway, we were trying to figure out why we're having problems picking up one student who is on a road that's under construction and there's a road blocking that said road closed. Well, it's pretty tough for a bus to get through there. But so, we
came to the idea that as long as the road is dry, the bus can get there. But if it's wet, the bus is not coming because it's just going to be a mud pin. But the whole point was it was the most miserable ride I've had in a long time.
And I can understand why kids probably get a little bit rambunctious on a bus. It was crazy. Um, ne second thing is that over the next 10 days or so, there's going to be a lots of end of the year celebrations. Kindergarten, welk,
fourth grade, 8th grade, May 29th is uh senior graduation. We've got tournament starting and so forth. So over the next 10, 12 days, it's going to be chaos. But if you want to have some fun, um I think tomorrow Riverside is doing their mile run. Um
it's kind of amazing how those kids don't get lost in the traffic. But um so anyways, it's a lot of fun. But now I do want to add something a little bit serious and it's a little bit of what some speaking was done tonight, but since the first day of school, there's been a lot of anxiety in the buildings
about budget cuts. We've had to talk about it every single week and it starts out with we don't know. Do we think we know till we start making plans and it gets on everybody's nerves and it becomes a burden of do we have to
talk about it again and every time we have a administrative meeting with the principles we're talking about budget cuts. So as I walk into the buildings, I can feel the anxiety that has started from the first day of school.
And then we start talking about people losing their jobs. When we get to that point where we know who's going to stay and who isn't, that adds more pressure to it. And as it came up quite a few of the discussions, we've been one year in negotiating four contracts. We've only
settled one. That's another piece of anxiety. People want to get that settled. I get that. Easier said than done. And the tough part is going to be with what uh Chip brought forward this evening. That's
just the tip of the iceberg. If better decision- making doesn't happen, you cannot hope for something to be better. >> Hope is not a strategy. >> Hope is not a strategy. And um I'm just hoping that
good decisions are going to be made in the next 30 days or so that does have a strategic plan that you can use to move forward. But if you hope something's going to change, it's not going to happen because you've been hoping for five years and nothing's
changed except things have gotten worse. So, as we work on this over the next 30 days, it is going to be strategically planned. Doesn't mean you're going to agree with it, though. But it's not going to be grabbing, you know, blue
ones out of the sky and hoping they stay afloat. Um, but I can feel the anxiety in the buildings. I can feel it in Westby. I can feel it when principles talk to me. I can feel it when I see teachers in the hallway. And it's burdensome.
And I think probably the best thing can happen is June 4th because then at least there's a little bit of anxiety that can release itself because school's over. That doesn't mean that the problems are solved, but it gets the the uh air pressure in the
building keeps getting higher and higher and tighter and it's not fun. And this time of the year it should be fun. We're going to celebrate a lot of great success with the kids. We got the MC's out, MCAs out of the way. Fast bridge just about done or is done. You know, those are all things we've been building
for, but we got to get some of this crap off our back because it's, you know, I always when I was got here at the beginning, I said, if you keep carrying all those bricks in your backpack, how are you ever going to feel better? You got to get rid of the bricks. Well, these these last few bricks aren't easy to get rid of.
>> Yeah. So, we got a lot of work to do and we got to get it done, but it's got to be something that is strategically p planned. It cannot be a wish and a hope, otherwise we're going to fail. And that would be it.
>> Thank you, Superintendent Grant. All right. We've got um all kinds of future meetings and important dates and events on there, including all the graduations and upcoming things. exciting exciting time. We'll look for a motion to adjurnn.
>> Oh my good. >> Second. >> We've got a motion and a second. Assuming no discussion, all those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Oppose the same. We