4:30. I'm going to call the meeting to order. All board members are accounted for. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance 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. All right. Look for a motion to approve the agenda. >> I'll make motion. >> Jolyn on the motion. Second. >> Luke on the second. Any other discussion? All in favor say I. I. >> Oppos. >> Motion carries. All right. Get right into action items.
First off, we have a presentation on that will discuss our community needs assessment and show the survey results. I will hand it over to Darren. >> All right. So, we have um a community needs assessment survey that was sent
out a few weeks ago that the board had approved to look at the needs of uh child care uh within the district and Darren from school perceptions will be here to do that presenting. So, Darren, please take it away.
>> Hey, great. Good afternoon everyone. Um thanks for having me. We're excited to conduct this survey for you to really target uh the questions you need answered regarding communitywide uh desire to assess
what the what the current state of child care needs are and and whether the school district needs to be >> equation for families. >> Um presentation's going to flow this way. Uh I'm going to give you a brief background about us and then we'll get right into your survey results. who took
the survey and and what they told us within the survey um in interaction. So, um, we we've known each other before. Any if any board members are new, um, we are school perceptions. Um, I my background is I born and raised in Lake
City, worked in a in a school district in the bedroom community of Milwaukee for 27 years. Um, counselor, elementary principal, high school principal, nine years a superintendent. We were a customer of school perceptions, and now I work for the company. It allowed me to
be more mobile and be around my mom and support my family in Lake City more. um and travel back and forth. So, I'm covering Minnesota for the company largely and I'm excited to be serving Canon Falls on this project. Uh we've been doing this for 20 24 years now. We've done over 3 million staff,
parents, students, and community surveys and we've helped over 1300 districts with referendum and planning and and strategic planning largely with your facilities. So the survey that that uh Reed and and Jeff asked me to conduct on your behalf
related to daycare. And so we had a very targeted audience. Uh roughly 340 surveys went out. Uh 75 came back. So we had a response rate of 21.4%. Um if you're wondering is that a good
response rate or is that a bad response rate, that's a good response rate. Our company average um is 17%. Um and so you exceeded that and once we exceed that average we tend to to to see that that even though it's we'd love to see 80 90
that's just not reality when you have a survey that just mails out and we're counting on people to volunteer their time to take it. Um if you were only around 8% I'd maybe be less um confident in the data but over our 24 years we
found 10% or more end up being a very reliable number because you have you have all opinions represented in that percent and you're double that and you're 4% higher than our company average. So I feel like this is a representative viewpoint of of the
parents of children of these ages in your community. know this and we do do this highly anonymous. So we have no idea who these people were but we do gather demographic information. For example, we asked them their age. No surprise that that the largest percent of respondents are in
that 25 to 44 year old age where where folks are having children. Um we asked them if they're residents. 88% of those 75 surveys said that they are residents. you're wondering, well, how would how would anyone that's not a resident get
the survey? We did send the survey out to staff as well. And so, um, not all of your staff are residents, taxpayers, and or voters. So, that would explain that 12%. Um, but it's nice to see the majority of
the people that replied are residents because this is a survey on behalf of what the school district is going to do and fund. Um, if we're wondering about where these people live, this is a breakdown, another way that we can disagregate your
data while protecting their their identity. Um, and in talking to Reed and and Jeff, um, they they shared with me that they thought this was the a quite accurate representation of the distribution of population on behalf of your municipalities and all of your
municipalities other than Bell Creek uh, were repres represented. So that's nice to see even if by a small number at least it got out there and those people had a chance to take the survey. So then as we disagregate the data one
other way again here's where you see yes indeed 12% of the respondents um are employees but 99% of the people that actually completed the survey do have children. So we hit the mark there for whatever reason 1% said that they don't
have children. So um within that with that launching process that that Reed and Jeff um conducted targeting certain parents very very accurate that we we got to the people that have children so we can make decisions on their behalf which is excellent.
Then we did ask a question within the survey. How old are your children? And this was the distribution of survey respondents um by age. And obviously it probably goes without saying, but the reason this
adds up to well more than 100% is because you have some folks that have more than one child. Um then again, we look the data front to back, side to side. Um, we said if you have children under the age of five, you
have child care plans. 89% of them think that they that they do have a a means by which to um have child care for their children. 11% do not. So 89% yes, 11% no. So then we get into
the the feedback that you were really seeking. That was kind of our demographic breakout of things. Now we get into the specific questions the district is wanting to learn. And so this is a screenshot of the survey that you that you saw before it was launched. Um and um we we really wanted to get
some target information on what kinds of services they might be needing knowing that you only have a few locally licensed child care services within your boundaries. And while their quality um their spots are finite and and and
somewhat limited and I know in many communities we serve there's either not a child care center or they're capped which can really create a problem for young families where we're living in largely a dual income world. So when we asked the question, should
the district, should the school district explore options to add child care services for area families, 73% said yes. So um if that 89% were feel confident that those other providers are all they
need, we would be seeing this data. But they're saying no. This they they think that this would be something the district should look into. So, as we study the data, I'm going to show you how we can break the data out. Again, within those, it said yes.
The navy blue bar are the staff. They're more split. Half yes, half no, 12% undecided, which ironically across our 24 year, the company average for not shurers is exactly that 12%. So, that's
just human nature. about 12% of people they can't make a decision. But when you talk about the percent of the people that took the survey that are staffed, well, we want their input and actually daycare provided by the school district
is a key uh retention factor. I've done some projects for Wisconsin districts this summer where they said, "Hey, we've got to add a daycare because we're losing employees specifically to a district that has childcare services and we do not." Um, but the group we really want to understand their needs even more
so are the parents. 77% of the the the folks that are not staff members are saying we've got to it'd be really valuable to explore child care services um by the district. So then what kinds of services? So
proposed plan um we outlined for them that there's there's a couple of different layers of care. school readiness and then just bomber care. Um school readiness where there's the instructional literacy and math component to get ready for full-time
learning in in the school and then bomber care which is just more traditional child care play etc. So when we outlined those programs, we asked the question, would you consider enrolling your children in a program
like the one described? 64% of survey respondents said that they would. 22% said no, they would not. And again, you got another right around that 12%, 14% said that they're not sure. This tells me that particularly if they're that 64%
while they have a lot of them have plans that they could go to, they'd like to see the what the school's offering that that would be encouraging and tempting for them. So then um as we break out that data
again, staff less inclined and Jeff and Reed and I talked about this. What we see in my district where I used to be a superintendent is seems like a lot of the teachers have babysitters in home care, those kinds of things that work for them because those are a little easier to find when you have 10 weeks
off from the summer. So those people that are watching your kids, they get the summer off right along with the teachers. But with with with non-educators who have a more of a year- round calendar, that's not quite as available. So, I think that my my my theory on why the staff are less feeling
less urgency for the district to step up and have a provider might be because some of them have some of those types of connections. That being said, for the non- staff, 68% are saying, "Hey, no, I would definitely look at a program like the one that that was rolled out by by
your leadership team here." So then we said, okay, if yes, which of the program structures would you support? Well, 76% said that they within that school readiness program, they would like a half day Monday through Friday program.
Only 39% said that they would like a half day Monday, Wednesday, Friday program. And only 33% said half day, Tuesday, Thursday. Um, so clearly a 5-day week program is desired. And then as we go further, if yes, which
of the program structures would you support for bomb bomber care? Well, no surprise then that hand in hand with that would be um five day a week program that would have full full day care. Um, so I guess it speaks to the the lives
our families are leading that that if they're if they're going to be seeking care, most of them are saying that they need it to be every day of the week that coincide with their work week. And you see the how the rest of the percentages broke out. So 5 day a week
for school readiness, half days, five day a week bomber care. So um while we also asked a question while a current license looks the district to programming for children 33 months or older uh the district was
wondering would you like to would like to understand if there's interest in expanding the services younger ages while we're while we're considering all options and this is the data we found even for that type of service 53% said yeah um
we'd be interested in hearing about birth to 33 months care. Um 29% said no. And you know, again, your unsur grew a bit more and some of that um that uncertainty grows because again, this is uncharted waters for the school
district. So, they want to maybe wait and see um what they hear about the program, how the program looks um before they turn their their young babies care over to the school district. But again, majority of folks are saying, "Yeah,
while you're at it, look into that, too. So, that being said, um some pretty clear data that they would like you as a district to consider extending what you're offering for families in in the world of child care services, whether
it's school readiness, whether it's just traditional daycare, and also by newborn when when we talk about things like newborn care and and younger younger child care. So with that uh what questions about our
methodology the data uh can I answer on on behalf of school perception? >> I think you did a good job. >> I mean my main question what you already answered was with the 20% rate. So Yeah. Well, uh, Jeff and Reed came in
with very clear desires. So, it's it's easy to write a survey when you've got leadership that knows exactly what what questions you're seeking. So, yeah, your data is pretty clear. Um, that stuff has asked what they want. Now, now the challenge is what does it look like to
provide those services? So, >> all right. Well, thanks a lot. Appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. No other questions. >> All right. Darren, you got to take off for another meeting. So, thank you again. >> My pleasure. We'll stay in touch. Anything you need. Okay, sir.
>> All right. Thank you. >> Take care. Good night, everybody. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Byebye. All right. So, that brings it to item two, consideration to move forward the planning and creation of the school readiness and bomber care programs. So
basically uh we are looking at just directing the staff to come up with a plan and fine-tune it is what we are looking at doing. There was suggestions uh that were put on the survey but those are in no way shape or
form the final plan. So really all we are doing here tonight is after getting looking at the data results of what came in, we are directing them to move forward with a plan and then bring that back to us and then we would vote on if
we want to go forward with that or not. >> So uh we can definitely have some discussion on what uh how we want it to look if if that's what you want. We can talk about it some. Reed or Stephen can answer some
questions. So, a lot of different things we can do here. >> I mean, obviously from the survey results, there's obviously a want, there's a need, right? I think you kind of all knew that. Um, but yeah, I mean, I'm super interested in hearing options.
>> Well, we're here to provide opportunities for our community. >> So, uh, but yes, it is over welming. Yeah. >> That >> this is looking like it is a need for our community. Uh obviously I guess I'll I'll just make
some comments. I don't want to go backwards on what we offer right now. So uh I want to make sure that uh whatever we do is better and above and beyond and and also not jump into taking too much
on >> at once. So that's where uh there's no rules about how quickly we need to do this or how much we need to take on. We can start with one step and
maybe that carries into another step down the road. So uh lots of different options. >> Yeah, I echo your we got a lot going on for this year and the next year. saw exactly in that plan that was I think what confused maybe me and I should have asked clarity but the creation of the
program I think that was just hey are we going to implement it tonight and go after it. >> Yeah. >> So I think if we're explicitly clear that this is just >> we have fielded a lot of questions and the right questions. >> Um so I think we got to go after those but if this is just to enter the planning phase and get answers to those
questions >> that makes sense. >> Yeah. Yeah, but I think there'll be a few options that we can bring forward for the board to consider. Um, obviously with registration happening around the corner, we'd probably like to have those options available at the February meeting. Is that
>> Yeah, we can give a presentation at end of February meeting with I would say two to three options. >> One with uh how things were laid out in the survey. A second one of keeping preschool as is and adding minimal amounts of bomber care. And a third
option could be of doing some tweaking of preschool along with minimal options of bomber care. And we'll we'll give as much data as we can for all three of those options for you to consider and and uh we'll plan to go forward from there. But ideally, we'd like to launch
registration, you know, end of February, middle of March at the latest. So, it'll be important for us to give you as much detail as we can. >> And with doing something that quick, then maybe more >> a simp simplistic add-on for the for the first year is maybe something that would
be a little bit better going forward and then we can always make changes down the road, >> but it whatever thinks. So, >> it will include fees, what our recommendations would be, everything to go with that, what neighboring districts are doing, etc. we get to do as much as
we can. >> Yeah, I I completely agree. I I would not want us to go backwards in any type of step educational wise for this age group and this category and stuff like that. I think that would be kind of a disservice for our families. Um but but yeah, so options definitely important.
>> I assume this will go back to the committee that worked on was there a committee that came up with the survey, right? Or was it >> committee? Yeah. So that will go this will go back to that group and then >> Wednesday and Darren is presenting those survey
results again. Same presentation we just did. >> We should do that Wednesday as well. >> And then will that group bring kind of a more formal plan then to the board or >> I don't know if they will have that uh I know that we were planning coordinator to spend the rest of Wednesday afternoon
to begin our finetune planning for options. Have you have you already just with some of the early on research stumbled across a few different schools that maybe are already doing like the school does this, the school does this like it's not necessarily like across the board
everybody does this seems to work, this is what everyone's doing versus like this seems to work differently for every single school type situation. >> We'll include in that what uh area districts are doing, what kind of format they're doing so that you'll have an understanding of that too. I I understand looking at area districts,
but are we also going to look at the care centers in town and just we're not completely undercutting or out of line with what they're doing as far as >> I've already been in talks with them, right? I mean, a lot of inputs have been gathered from them. >> They've had opportunities. Yes. But as
but looking at other districts too, um I would just say we should keep our district in mind too because you know it's not a one-sizefits-all as far as spacing, staffing, that kind of thing, too. >> So, okay, perfect.
>> Is there is there any other districts that are doing 33 month and younger? >> Yeah, >> quite a few. >> Okay. I wouldn't say quite a few, but but it fits our license of what we could provide an opportunity for.
>> And you've gotten feedback on any challenges that they've had. >> What have been our challenges? I mean, >> it's going to be staffing. It's going to be spacing. >> Yeah. And are we prepared to actively I mean March and February is right around the corner, right? You're talking this
February. >> If you're talking birth to 33 >> No, no. I'm talking about for our plan for staffing and facility facility space and who's going to own it. >> I I would say facilitywise basically I think we have a pretty good player for >> Yeah, that's what he does. >> Yeah. >> Yeah.
>> The birth of 33 is not going to be next year. >> No, that's going to be years. Yeah, >> couple years at least. And as far as spacing, that would be when you say you have a plan that's kind of that's going to be moving to fifth grade. Is that >> keeping preschool where that is and just
using the C- wing that can of kids traditionally use those would be those are those two areas that we are already currently using. >> So that's where >> so it would involve anybody moving. >> No movement at this time. Okay. >> And no moving of grade levels. There would be staff that would need to be moved.
>> Yeah. So when you say there's there's no moving that happens like that decision was made or that we feel comfortable with that decision. Who's we does everybody feel comfortable with that decision as far as space or is it just
on purely pulling this off? Are we going to is there space that's going to be lost somewhere else that we're currently using? >> No. for the current planning of what we're talking forare. >> Yep. >> That was all just talk discussed at ad
man of what you know at one point we were talking about a major plan >> and as our coordinators continue to meet we discussed that what could we do that would create less change and use the existing spaces
that we're currently using. Start small, >> but not give us to the point where we're digital that we can't have opportunities to expand if needed and if and if it's required. >> And we'll be able to receive the plan,
the layout at the next proposal. You'll be able to present what the actual plan and who's moving where and what the actual layout would be. >> Right now, we would keep preschool in those same spaces that they're currently. >> So, who So, who would be moving to to some staff you said would have to move?
It depends on the extent of how many rooms down in that wing would need to be utilized but >> but that are officing not any other program. >> Well no we have we have students in there during the day in those rooms >> but it's not classroom settings
>> depends on how you determine class not gened classroom. Okay. >> And reg final registrations will dictate >> numbers >> spaces we would need >> that will go along with the staff I guess as well. >> I thought one thing that was interesting
when we were at MSBA we went to breakout uh and I'm blanking on the school name school. They had no care in their town and uh they had no space either, but they literally said, "We are in part of
the backstage of the auditorium and there's props everywhere and we just we're doing it." >> Yeah. >> And the reason why they didn't create new space was one expense, but they didn't want to interrupt what they were already doing in a general learning setting, right? So they they realized
they needed care and I think they did birth to >> they maybe didn't start there something similar to us but >> anyway the goal was they were crammed >> and they were okay with it because they didn't want to interrupt education on what they were doing to begin with
>> right and so >> I think that I thought that was interesting not that I want to put >> a new program into a space that isn't going to work but I don't want to disrupt what we've got is kind And I thought that was valuable
>> and they did they saw value in that too. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I would agree. I think it's important to provide opportunity but not take away from the opportunities we already offer. Right. >> So
>> doing our best not to shortfall too many people. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah, with the amount of work we have going on is is that we get the plan and is one of the options we I know we can vote on it, but pause until next year. I mean, we have a significant amount that we're taking on this year from staffing. Are we going to feel
confident that one, we're not going to displace current staff? Two, we're going to have enough people to do this. It's not going to fall on existing, you know, you, the rest of the facilities team, the rest of the staff to own it. Will there be a whole another structure of people that are going to come in and help with this? or how many new people
are you expecting to hire? >> I think that ultimately that's going to depend on uh what our registration numbers could be. We could have the flexibility of pulling uh the five full-time cannon kids preschool contracts to just running cannon kids in
bomber care and we could hire look to hire uh just gened preschools Paris for those classroom settings. That would be an option as well depending on again what those registration numbers are going to actually look like >> and depending on what type of plan we go with. Right.
>> Right. We've always said space staffing is always going to be, >> you know, two of the things that are going to >> or hurdles that we're going to have to overcome >> for sure. >> But if it's once we lay out the plans for you, if it's something you feel that we need to have more time, we can
certainly discuss that and push that back for another year. Yeah. >> And he thinking everything because there's no rush on this. >> I just want to make sure we're not rushing into it just >> the survey is one thing we need. The community needs a lot of things. >> Yeah. >> I don't want to rush into this without
having a classifier feedback. >> That's why we'll see what we'll see what comes back. But that's where I talked about before of a >> probably a simpler approach in in year one for a smaller addition and then we can >> look at fine-tuning from there.
Y yeah, we definitely want to be organized. Yeah. >> Yeah. Make sure we can sustain it from a finance perspective as well. >> I don't want to overburden the staff either with doing this as well. >> I think that's all of us collectively in this room would agree to that. >> Exactly.
>> Any more questions? As I stated, we are here to vote on them to come up with a plan to bring to us and then at that point we will be voting on if we go through with something or not. So um
I would look for a motion for uh to approve the consideration to move forward with the planning and creation of the school readiness and bomber care programs. I'll make the motion to move forward with planning and creating school readiness program.
>> I read it for you. >> I'll second that. What Clinton said, >> Luke on the motion, Randy on the second. Any other discussion? I'll just say thanks to Reed and community ed for doing this because since well all of us
have been on the board. We've been trying to get a hold of this enrollment thing and I think this is a way that we can hopefully maybe keep people from leaving or bring people in and uh I believe in that. I I just I do think we got to do it right. We're going to get, >> you know, a good one chance at this and
do it right the first time. And um but thank you for doing it because I do think it is important. Anything else? All right, we have a motion and a second. All in favor say I. I.
>> Oppose. Motion carries. When's our next When's our regular board meeting again? >> February 23. >> End of the month here. >> All right. We'll be back on February 23rd at our normal time of 6:00. If no one has anything else, I'll look for a motion to adjurnn.
>> I'll make a motion. I'll second. Jody on the motion filled in on the second. Any other discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Motion carries. Thank you.