Please, can I have your attention, please? Use this. Hey, I don't get to use this that often. >> Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to call the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Welcome everybody. I'm Lauren Christensen, president of the board of education. I'm
going to ask my fellow board colleagues to introduce themselves, starting to my left. >> Hi, I'm an Emma. Thank you all for coming. >> Hi, I'm Cheryl Pequard. Thank you for coming and thank you for any police officers that might be watching or in the room um for all your service. Thank you.
>> Hi Patrick Kio. Thanks for joining us this evening. >> Judy Wester, thank you for coming out tonight. >> Jennifer Voss, it's nice to see you. >> Our student co-chair, >> good evening Josh Patterson, Plymouth High School senior and student voice and action co-chair. Thank you all for coming tonight. >> Dr. Merritt, can you introduce yourself
and your team? >> Good evening, Superintendent Monica Merritt. Welcome. I'd like to begin by introducing my executive assistant, Miss Diane Robertson. We want to thank her for being here to capture our minutes and also Mr. John Kger for taking care of our technology needs. Like to have the remaining members of the staff
introduce themselves to you. Am I all right? >> Thank you, Dr. Merritt Curtis, assistant superintendent for student services. Welcome. >> Good evening. Jill Minnik, chief finance and operations officer. >> Good evening. I'm Jen Curry, chief academic officer. >> Good evening. Abdul Matune, chief human resource officer.
>> Welcome. I'm Liz Vartanian Gibbs, assistant superintendent. >> Okay, let's stand for the pledge. >> 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. >> Thank you. Moving on to the adoption of the agenda and approval of the consent agenda. Action item number 26-05-63. Can I have a motion?
>> Madam President, I move that we consider uh um the adoption of our agenda and our approval of our consent agenda. This is action item 260563. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. >> It was moved by Treasurer Kho and second seconded by Secretary Wester. Um Dr.
Merritt, can you please take us through the agenda? Thank you, President Christensen. This evening, our consent agenda consists of human resources transactions since our last time together. We have leaves, resignations, and retirements for your consideration. We also have the approval of our minutes
from our regular meeting that was April the 28th, 2026, and our special meeting on April the 28th, 2026. Finally, we have the following action items. the approval of a resolution for the Michigan High School Athletic Association MHSA membership. Remember,
this is an annual renewal that allows our students to be recognized through MHSA. We also have our cooperative agreement with the Leavonia Public Schools. This is their CTE program for the 2627 school year. It allows our students to uh take classes through the
CTE program. And finally, we have the resolution for a cooperative agreement with Novi Community School. This is for our virtual academy programming for our elementary and middle school students for the 2627 school year. >> Thank you, Dr. Merritt. I'm going to ask
for the vote. Those in favor, please say yes. Yes. Those opposed say no. Motion carries. 6. Mr. McDune, can you take us through HR? >> Yes. Um, we have one retirement I would like to um acknowledge today. Kimberly Gro was ELLL teacher at East. She has
been a teacher within our district since 1991. Let's give her a round of applause for me. >> And that's all we have for today. >> Great. Thank you. >> Okay. Up next, we have celebrating success with member Kho.
Good evening. Tonight, the board of education is proud to recognize Allen Early Learning Academy plant Engineer Ash McInness with the Mary Beth Carroll Extra Mileer Award for her outstanding service to our students and school community. Ash, would you please join me
at the podium? Plant engineers throughout our district play a vital role in our schools each and every day. They help ensure that our buildings are safe, welcoming, and ready to learn at Allen Early Learning Academy. However, Ash's impact extends far beyond the walls of the building she
helps care for. Ash approaches each day with genuine pride in her school and deep care for the students and staff who walk through its doors. She's a familiar and friendly presence in the hallway, offering encouragement, conversation, and support to students as they learn and grow both inside and outside the
classroom. This is especially meaningful at Allen, where so many students are beginning their educational journey and forming their very first impressions of the of the school. Ash makes uh a point to learn students names and build positive relationships with them, including the names of nearly all of
Allen's special education learners for whom those daily interactions can make an especially important difference. Whether she's spending the summer beautifying Allen's grounds, helping create a warm and welcoming environment, or simply serving as a listening ear for students and staff alike, Ash
exemplifies the very best of what it means to serve a school community. Ash was nominated for this award by Allen Early Learning Childhood Special Education Teacher Jennifer Kulvis, who is joining us this evening. Miss Kulus, would you like to join us at the podium
to share a few words about Ash? >> Hi. Um, my name is Jennifer Kulus. I teach early childhood special education at Allen. Um, when Ash came to work with us at Allen, the energy immediately shifted with the positivity she took she brought to work
each day. She's joyful, energetic, and a hard worker. She of course does her daily duties, maintenance around the building, repairing and cleaning. But what people don't see is what she does behind the scenes to go above and beyond her work. Sorry.
I have been as a special education teacher in crisis situations with students and have had to call for help on our walkie-talkies at times and she is many times the first to help support in any way she can whether it's helping
my classroom paras engage with the children going to get an ice pack or being an extra set of pies eyes to help keep everyone safe. She notices. She also notices when we're gone from work unexpectedly and checks in with us. She takes time to
learn. She takes time to learn my kids' names, remembers them, and greets them in the hallway. And um as all of my children have special needs, it means a great deal that she takes the time to get to know them. If she sees us struggling in the hallway at arrival or
dismissal, she will often offer to help. Last summer, there was an old chalkboard hanging in our sensor room that was a safety concern because part of it extended out. Staff were constantly trying to find ways to prevent children from hurting themselves. And Ash took that chalkboard down, but she didn't
just take it down. The that giant chalkboard that weighed several hundred pounds. No, because that's not who she is. She spent time making sure that wall looked good. And when she was done with it, when she was done with it, she spent a great deal of time scraping the cement
that held the board up and repainting it so it looked good. Because our students deserve a building that sends the message that they deserve respect, kindness, and an environment that promotes learning. Ash is not just an average hard worker. She has become a friend to many of us.
And we are so very fortunate to have her taking care of so much and so many of us because she cares deeply about the children, the adults, and the building that she works at. So no one more deserving than her. Ash, on behalf of the Plymouth Canton uh
community schools board of education, it's our honor to recognize Ash McInness for her dedication, service, and commitment to students by presenting her with the Mary Beth Carroll Extra Mileer Award. Congratulations, Ash. Would you like to say a few words?
Um, hi. I'm Ash. Um, I was really nervous when I first started at Allen because I had only it was the first time I'd worked in the district previous and um, the school is small and it's tightknit and I was nervous that I wasn't going to fit in.
Um, but I really do fit in there. I feel like we all are misfits in our own way and we just make a perfect family there. And I do really love all the kids and all the all my friends I've made along the way. And I don't think I've ever been recognized for anything. And I did
hair for 12 years before this. So it's really nice to be recognized in the first two years that I've worked somewhere. So thank you, Jenny. This concludes our uh our presentation and we'll join join me in the hallway for a commemorative photograph in recognition of this well-deserved honor.
>> Okay. family could been picky, too. >> Yeah. >> Okay. It's always a hard act to follow. Um, up next, we have board committee reports and action. Um, first we have my
president's report. I do have a few things I want to say today. Uh, first and foremost, I want to acknowledge and uh that it was Mother's Day on Sunday. So, I want to wish a happy Mother's Day this past weekend to all the incredible mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, guardians, and caregivers in our school
community. We celebrate and thank you for the countless ways you support, encourage, and care for our students each and every day. From helping with homework and cheering from the sidelines to coordinating year-end concerts, graduations, performances, field days, and celebrations, uh the demands this
time of year can feel especially great. Yet time and time again, you continue to show up with love, patience, and dedication. So, on behalf of the board of education, thank you for all that you do throughout the year to support our children, our schools, and the community. It's hard to believe that we're nearly one month or a little under
a month away from the end of school. So, all of those things are culminating right now. Um, and we're feeling it. Um, I do also want I have a a board member shout out that I want to share. Um, member boss has completed enough CBA courses to advance to a level two
certification, which is also known as the award of merit. So, thank you for all your hard work and dedication uh for your professional development. Congratulations. And that concludes my presence report. Short and sweet.
Um, up next we have student performance and achievement committee with uh Secretary Westerro. Uh, Madame President, we have not met since the last uh since our last board meeting. Our next meeting is Wednesday, June 3rd at 5:00 pm in this room. Um, I hope that
everyone in the community will join us. Thank you. All right. Up next, we have policy committee. Um, member Sudu is not here today. I'm going to ask um, sorry I'm putting you on the spot. Member Ahmed, are you able to share an update? >> Yes, I am. I just need to make sure I
get the date right. So, we have not met since the last time, but at our next meeting, which is Tuesday, May 26th at 5:00 PM in the collaboration room, we will be reviewing uh new policy providers. So, with with
hopefully a committee of the whole. So, that's the plan. Please join us. >> Great. Thank you for that update. Next, we have Finance and Operations Committee with member Kho. >> Good evening. Um just a note for those that are here. Um, you'll see me leave in the middle of this meeting because
I've got a flight to catch tonight. So, but I'm going to stay for as long as I possibly can and cut it as close as I possibly can as I usually do. Um, we met uh last Thursday uh May 7th uh here in this meet in this room and we discussed
the uh some of the items that are on the agenda this evening, including the purchase of equipment uh and furniture for Discovery Middle School uh for the former computer labs. Uh we've had a long and uh productive conversation around uh ABM and our custodial services
and the renewal of that contract and I really appreciate the administration's collaboration in getting our questions answered and uh helping address some of the concerns that were raised there. Um so I'm supportive of the changes that have happened with that. And we also renewed or reviewed the financial
reports for March 31st um uh as for the period ending March 31st. We also had a short discussion on the scheduling for our future meetings both the May 21st and the June 4th which uh conflict with um with some of the other events and
activities that we have going on in the district. Our next meeting will be on May 21st at 400 p.m. but it at 400 p.m. instead of 5:00 pm and it'll be at Salem instead of here to allow us to participate in the um the honors night
uh at at uh at Salem. uh that that evening. It also helps us to support the the earlier start time so we have that be able to get a lot of the items that we have done. And lastly, I wanted to thank the administration for the work that they've done on the um employee uh
severance plan proposal. I may not be able to be here for the vote for that tonight and I really appreciate the collaboration and work that they've done and wanted to express my support for that in case I'm not able to vote. Thank you. >> Thank you, member Kho. Up next, we have student voice and action committee with
Josh and Arjun. >> SBA has not met since our last board meeting, but I'm excited to announce Krishna Modi as our new SBA co-chair. >> At our upcoming meeting, SBA will be meeting with Orsa Credit Union to provide our student perspective um on some things. And then our next meeting
will be Monday, May 16th at 4:30 in the Pioneer Media Center. I hope to see you all there. >> Thank you very much. Okay, Dr. Merritt, you're up next with the superintendent's report. Thank you, President Christensen. As you said, we're about a month left in school, so I'm going to take advantage of an opportunity to
focus on students this evening. First, by inviting our community and our board members to participate in two very exciting events this weekend on Saturday. You can join us for the annual PCCS K12 art show and that takes place
from 11:30 until 2 3:30 in the Salem High School. I see Miss Kathy Williams who is our VAPA coordinator who oversees that event. I want to thank you for getting that all together. This is K12 experiences for our students. You will see the exceptional artwork and creativity um that is showcased across
the whole uh district. So, we invite you to be there. Maybe some board members are guest celebrity judges. Not quite sure, but we appreciate your support. Also, we want you to tune in to the radio station 881 the park this Saturday. That's from 9:00 a.m. until 900 p.m. And this is the station's
annual radio auction. all the proceeds from this auction directly support our students and their programming for 881 the park. So two incredible opportunities to showcase students and to lend your support. And speaking of our incredible students, our PCCS
students shine in the regional civic speed contest. With our outstanding performance of the uh regional civics bees, you had to qualify based on essay submissions. 17 out of the top 20
students are PT PCCS students. So, let's just wrap that up. And I'm so pleased to gra to congratulate Madu Regana from East Middle School who earned first place in this highly competitive event organized
by the Chambers of Commerce across the state. Madu will now advance to the Michigan Civics D Finals in Lancing on July 8th. So, please join me in congratulating them. I also want to say a shout out to our social studies teachers because they are creating the
space and the opportunity in which our students are able to thrive. So, thank you for our teachers as well. East Middle School is continuing to put themselves on the map. I am proud to share the remarkable accomplishments of East Middle School's Infinity Tech Robotics team, which concluded a
historic season at the first world championship in Houston. The team made PCCS history where they competed as the first middle school team to achieve this global acknowledgement in the competition. They finished the
qualification rounds with a 91 record and earned a top three ranking in their division. These are this is a world competition. So just keep that in mind our middle school students. So this achievement positions them as an alliance captain in the playoff rounds where they advance deep into the
competition. This milestone again is a testament to the talent, dedication and teamwork of these students, but it's also to the strength of our STEM program, our teachers, our volunteers, and all of the village that helps to support our youngest uh learners, our
mentors um who just really ensure their success. So we are thankful for that. Now, we'll move on up into the high school because PCE students always deliver. They earned national recognition in the Courageous Persuaders competition. I am so proud to share that
two groups of PC seniors were recognized as top prize winners at last week's Courageous Persuaders Award Ceremony in Royal Oak. This is a national public service video competition sponsored by the Detroit Area Auto Dealers Association and it challenges students
to create impactful messages encouraging choices that are safer behind the wheel. This year's competition drew more than 340 entries from 30 states. Please join me in congratulating Lucas Lockach, Jaden Salin, Jaden Johnson, and Drew
Neimik who earned first place in the impaired driving category. Congratulations as well to Hannah Guerell, Una Landon, and La Lil Lillana Sapala who received first place honors in the speeding category. And please do
not forget to acknowledge me and join me in celebrating and con congratulating the leadership of longtime PC video production teacher Miss Janet Sutherland. These outstanding achievements would not be possible if
for not the environment that she creates for our students to shine. So please enjoy congratulations. I will end this morning with one final shout out to our PC DECA students. They earned international recognition at the
DECA International Career Development Conference recently held in Atlanta. This prestigious event brought together nearly 26,500 students from around the world to compete in business, marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship events designed to
really prepare the next generation of business leaders. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills through written projects, exams, and roleplaying presentations judged by business professionals. Please join me in congratulating Isabella Coughlin from
Plymouth High School, who became PC's first ever International Career Development Conference class winner, earning a top 10 finalist finish and second place honors in the in the integrated marketing campaign products
category. Please join me in Additional recognitions included a gold merit award for Dristy Sura and gold reertification honors for the dean school store and its student leadership team. We also congratulate Salem
students Jada Diffenbower Kaden Moore Taz Praad Hayer and Samuel Freeman for representing PC at this international event. That concludes my report and although we only have a few short weeks of school, I
guarantee you that I will have more accolades from our students at our next meeting. Thank you, Dr. Merritt. Okay, up next we have citizens comments. Uh this is a 30 minute section. So just as Thank you. As a reminder, this first segment of citizens comments will last 30 minutes.
If we have citizens comments that move us past that 30 minute time limit, we will hear the remaining comments later in the agenda. Each citizen has three minutes to speak. The board will not respond. This is your time to share. The administration will follow up with each individual who participates in citizens
comments. As a reminder, please do not share any names when sharing concerns or criticisms unless you have their permission to do so. I have my pile right here. And first up, we have
Tina Jones. Hello, I'm Tina Jones. I'm a media specialist at Smith Elementary. I've been in the district 29 years. Um, I want to thank all of you for your service to our district and our community. I'm here tonight because we media specialists just learned on
Thursday, last Thursday, that there is a plan to eliminate all media paraprofessionals um in the upcoming budget. So, I would like to let the board members and others know what this will look like and how it will impact the children of our district. It's
important to first explain that a media paraprofessional does far more than check in and check out books. While the media parrot job description is already quite packed with duties, what they actually do on a daily basis goes far
beyond that. Of course, checking books in and out is a cornerstone of the job. Over 450 books per week in our building, and we're on the small end. Um, beyond this, my parro generates missing or damaged book notices, repairs well-loved
books, and extends their life, helping to process new additions to the catalog. Over 450 of new books were added this year. Um, what's not quite in the job description is something I've seen all four paras that I've been fortunate to
work with over the years um, do. They establish strong connections with children and especially it seems the ones who seek extra attention who just need an adult to listen to them through their daily
contact with kids in the media center during lunch duty and bus duty and after um before school duty. They gain a unique understanding of their interests. As a result, they're able to also make personalized recommendations to
students. Um, and this really helps with some of our most disengaged readers. Kids ask her about books every time they see her and in the lunchroom she's sneaking them books that they might want to try out. We have several initiatives
that we run in the district, all of us media specialists. Um, one was recently highlighted in the district belonging bulletin for our school. It's called our jet setter program, passport program, and students are encourage encouraged to
read books about or set in other countries and report two or more facts that they learn from reading it. And then they fill out a passport. They earn incentives along the way. And once they have completed eight books, they enter our world traveler hall of fame.
um Denise helped with the ideas and the design and the implementation and without her I cannot offer that program next year just takes way too much time during the class when media specialists are teaching or performing other assigned duties um which now include
subbing and supervising testing and lunch duty for many um our paras are fielding tech questions emergency teacher requests for books or resources and filling in for others sorry I to ask you to to refrain from. >> Yeah, that's okay. I printed out some
things that >> summarize, but it is for the children like you say and please find the cut somewhere else. Thank you for your comment. Up next, we have Rachel Hayes. Hi, my name is Rachel Hayes and I'm a
member of Capes and P flag. With May being pre teacher appreciation month, tonight I want to recognize and celebrate our PCCS educators. Our teachers show up every single day caring far more than lesson plans. They carry the emotional weight of classrooms, the responsibility of
shaping young minds, the pressure of everchanging expectations, and the challenge of supporting students with a wide range of needs and experiences. They do this while navigating increasing demands placed on public education from every direction. And yet, they continue
showing up for our kids. They deserve our appreciation not just during one dedicated week each year, but through meaningful ongoing support that helps them succeed in this incredibly important work. That includes ensuring teachers are properly trained on district policies and fully supported
when implementing them. And to be clear, we do appreciate the training efforts that have already taken place across the district. We know this work is ongoing and we recognize that progress has been made. We appreciate the administrators and staff members who have dedicated time and energy toward helping educators
navigate increasingly complex situations with care and professionalism. But we also know there is still much more to do to ensure training is consistent, practical, and fully supported at every level. Policies are not just words sitting in binders or posted on
websites. Policies are promises. promises made by this board and this district to students, families, and staff about the kind of learning environment we are committed to creating. But policies are only effective when educators feel confident, prepared, and supported in implementing
them. Teachers should never feel like they are navigating difficult situations alone or left guessing about expectations. They thrive when districts invest in meaningful professional development, clear communication, practical implementation guidance, and
leadership that stands beside them when situations become challenging. Supporting teachers also means listening to them. It means recognizing that implementation happens in real classrooms with real students, real emotions, and real complexity. As part
of that continued effort, CAPES will be requesting meetings with our high school principles to continue constructive conversations about how we can support strong implementation, consistency, and communication moving forward. We truly believe collaboration is how we
strengthen trust and better support both educators and students. So tonight, on the heels of teacher appreciation week, I want to say thank you to the educators across PCCS. Thank you for your patience, your resilience, your compassion, and your commitment to our
children. Because when we truly support our teachers, we strengthen our schools. And when our schools are stronger, our students are safer, more supported, and more able to thrive. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Up next, we
have Melissa B. Burn. Hi, my name is Melissa Burn and I am the parent of a fourth and second grader at Smith Elementary. I'm also an avid school volunteer and concerned community member. I'm here tonight to ask you to preserve the media center pair positions at PCCS elementary schools. As a
volunteer, I have seen firsthand how our media center PAR is essential to the function of not just our media center, but our entire school. In just one day volunteering at our April book fair, I saw our media center PAR checkbooks in and out, troubleshoot technology needs
for multiple students and staff, prepare class materials, offer one-on-one student support, support before and after school supervisory duties and lunchroom supervision, provide student support when a one-on-one parah had a scheduled break, followed up with parents and students about lost or
damaged books, and prepared new books to be added to our media center. That was one day. Our media center pair not only helps students find books that match their interest in reading levels, they encourage reluctant readers and support a safe, organized, and accessible learning environment for all. Our pair
also supports teachers and staff by managing resources, assisting with technology needs, and helps maintain consistent library access for students, especially during testing season. I respectfully urge the board to keep the media center pair positions in our elementary schools. Without the support
of our paras, the current demands of our media center will not be obtainable or the duties will be shifted onto our already overextended media specialist who on top of her day-to-day duties is constantly pulled in as a sub when staffing is low. Removing our parah will short change our students access to
learning opportunities, eliminate learning about new technology, and severely limit the amount of time students will have in the media center. At a time when literacy and student engagement is more important than ever, reducing support for our media center will cause a devastating blow. Thank you for your time and support of our
youngest PCCF learners. Thank you for your comments. Up next we have Deborah Finenbinder Pepper. Hello, my name is Deborah thinking minor pepper. I'm a member of capes which is the Canton and Plymouth education slide. So capes is dedicated to helping our
community understand who is running for school board and where they stand on the issues that matter most. So we have a process on our website that shows our plan to collect, share, and evaluate the candidates for PCs. Our process is centered in our on our three pillars. student safety, a sense
of belonging, and strong public education for all. We have developed a questionnaire that will serve as the primary tool for gathering the information from the candidates needed to inform those decisions. So, there's some important dates. May 11th, which was yesterday, the questionnaire was
distributed to the known candidates that we had known of. Um, submission deadline is June 1. Those responses are going to be published on our website on June 4th. And then June 11th, we're going to have a alignment sum summary released. So all completed responses will be shared on
our website, allowing families to compare the candidates perspectives. Following publication, caves will provide a valuebased alignment summary to help voters see how each candidates perform to our core priorities. Now, we recognize that some candidates may enter the race after our initial deadline. So
any candidate that declares after June 11th will be invited to participate in the summary. We welcome them to contact us on our website. So they can um we can share that with them and then their responses will be published on a rolling basis after that. So our goal at Capes is to ensure that the Plymouth Canton
community has clear accessible information centered on what matters most, our students. So you can visit our website at capesquad.org and click on the voter guide to see all this information. Thank you. Thank you for your comment. Up next we
have Lori Mayers. Hi, I'm Lori Mays, uh, Plymouth resident and member of P Flag and Capes. Uh, thank you. Thank you to the board and the members of the administration. Uh, last week, the Trevor Project announced
results of its 2025 survey of more than 16,000 LGBTQ people ages 13 to 24 across the country. The findings were alarming. 90% said anti-LGBTQ laws and debates had caused them anxiety
and stress. You've heard this before and it's still true. Suicidality is high among LGBTQ young people. 36% had considered it in the last year and demographically highest among black and Middle Eastern
kids. A full 84% of LGBTQ young people wanted mental health care, but 44% of them were not able to get it. Transgender and non-binary young people again reported more discrimination than
LGBT groups and consequently the most anxiety and depression. Imagine how you would feel if 27 states in the United States were trying to erase your identity. The survey asked transgender and non-binary people what they wanted
others to know. An 18-year-old in Maine said, "I would say it's a matter of acceptance, not understanding. I don't understand physics and its laws, but that doesn't mean that physics doesn't exist or that
it exists in a way I want it to." So, you may not understand it, but that doesn't mean you can't accept it. We know how to lower risks for LGBTQ and marginalized kids by supporting and
affirming them as they are. The Trevor report shows that again, most of the young people surveyed, 85% who were in school said they had at least one supportive adult there. I want to thank
all those supportive teachers and parapros. You are making a difference. And I thank the administration for your care and concern about LGBTQ plus young people. I urge you to stay in the fight to commit to providing ongoing
professional development to all staff about LGBTQ students, especially intersectional ones, and to continue to be a force for good. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Up next, we
have Kelly Cluster Meyer. Hello, school board members. My name is Kelly Claustromire. I am a parent to two children in our community and a 15-year critical care nurse. The reason I'm speaking up today is in the best interest of the safety of my children and those across the entire school
system. My youngest son is seven. At the age of three, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This past week, National Nurses Week to be exact, five nurse positions in our district were eliminated. This cuts the nurses down from 13 to eight to cover 23 schools.
There are over 16,000 students among those 23 schools. This makes the nurse to student ratio one nurse per 2,000 students. A recommended ratio from the state of Michigan is 1 to 750. This is a staggering difference and one that comes at a cost to our student population.
These nurses don't just hand out band-aids. They are first responders to those children with seizure disorders, administer life-maintaining medications like insulin for my son, give out ADHD and other medications daily, manage chronic illnesses, monitor student health care plans, and even make them
alongside families, support mental health crises, manage communicable diseases and infection control in the school, and keep kids safe when anything medical arises. Why would we cut the only leader of our school medical teams? Why would this be an appropriate cut for any school when they are spread so thin
already? If you are unfamiliar with diabetes care, here is a list of some of the tasks that my son requires during the day. The nurse at his school monitors his blood sugar throughout the school day with his CGM and doses him prior to snack and lunch with his insulin pump. Both devices he wears 24/7
on his body. They are also in charge of making sure that these devices remain on his body while he is at school to monitor his sugar and give him insulin. They must know how to check his blood sugar using a glucometer and give him necessary carbo carbohydrates before potentially deathly low. That would become a medical emergency requiring
life-saving glucagon to prevent death from hypoglycemia. This school year, we have a nurse three days a week. With this new cut, how many days will she be there to oversee my son and the countless other children who have a medical necessity? One day, two if we're lucky. This cannot be the answer to the
medical needs of our children across PCCS. Students like my son depend on the medical knowledge, level-headed nursing assessment and judgment along with expertise and calm preparedness to maintain professional control over an at times very scary medical situation. We
cannot continue to require the office staff to be all things in the office, including our staff nurse to watch over children like mine who are unable to manage their own lifetime disease at this age. Having a nurse who is dedicated to dealing with these issues would prevent my son from having to walk down to the office alone or with another
seven-year-old when he's having a hypoglycemic event. Um, this is a medical necessity and the implications for not having a nurse on staff daily can be detrimental not only for his education while missing instruction for having to be in the office. Please rethink this five nurse cut as we are
already barely scraping by this year with nurse coverage. Our children deserve trained medical staff daily to keep them safe. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. Up next we have Heather Gatney. >> Hi, my name is Heather Gatney and I live
in Plymouth with my two kids who go to school in the district. And I am here because I just wanted to take a moment to share a few stories about why the educators and staff at PCCS are so important to my family since last week
was teacher appreciation week. When my oldest kid transitioned to Galamore for the TAG program, it was an incredibly heavy lift both socially and academically. I honestly don't know how we would have navigated that year without the wonderful counselor who stepped in. They didn't just help my kid
manage the workload. They helped my kid find their footing when they felt so out of place there. My youngest kid has had a different journey, but one that is just as supportive. They've been receiving help with speech through their IEP, and seeing that progress firsthand reminds
me every day how vital our special education resources are. These aren't just extra services that some families need. They are a bridge that allows kids to access their education. And for my kid, that bridge literally allowed them
to find their own voice. And I'm so thankful for that speech therapist that they get to see at school. Last week, my youngest kid's entire class went on a two-day camping trip. This is an amazing bonding trip and a great way to mark the end of their elementary careers. My kid, however, was
feeling incredibly anxious about the overnight aspect. Their dad and I were fully prepared to pick them up every night at 800 PM and drop them off again by 8 am just so they could participate. But on the very first day of their camp, I got a call from their teacher. They
put my kid on speaker phone so I could hear firsthand what an amazing time they were having. They didn't want to come home. They wanted us to bring all of their gear up so they could stay the night. I know that shift only happened because of the incredible work my kids' teacher
did to make them feel safe, comfortable, and like they truly belonged in that space. Their dad and I were thrilled. It is no small feat to manage the logistics of a camping trip, let alone the emotional well-being of every student.
And it's a perfect example of the dedication we see in this district. I'm sharing these stories today because we often talk about PCCS as a series of policies or budgets. But for my kids, the district is the faces of these
teachers and counselors and librarians and nurses that have turned their most challenging moments into their greatest successes. So, as we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, I hope we all remember that these
educators are the backbone of our community. They are the ones doing the work of turning hard years into breakthrough years for our kids. We need to ensure they and the specialized programs they run have every resource they need to keep performing these
miracles for our kids. Thank you. Thank you for your comment. Up next, we have K Cassie Fairfelder. >> Correct me if I Yeah, please correct me. >> Yes. Hi, I'm Cassie Fairfelder. You were really close with that. I know it's a
tough one. Um, I am the parent of a six-year-old first grade student at Bird Elementary School in Plymouth. and I am here to share with you a situation that occurred with my child that can easily affect all of the children in our school district. On May 1st, my daughter brought her
school tablet home so that we could do some extra practice. And this was the first time that we had ever accessed this device at home. When I opened the tablet, I saw multiple browser tabs left open from when she was in class, and I was absolutely horrified by what I saw.
My daughter was accessing YouTube at her teacher's instruction in order to find drawing tutorial videos. To preface this, my daughter is six years old and struggles to read. She cannot spell well enough to search accurately for anything, including drawing videos. But the YouTube tabs were on the homepage
and had, as I'm sure you've seen with YouTube, had multiple recommended videos for her to watch. The vast majority of what was visible and recommended to her was pornography and other adult content. Sorry.
Even if she never clicked on any of these videos, the images alone that were associated with the videos were vulgar and inappropriate. I have the photos of the screens that were visible to her that I am happy to share if anyone would like to see them. In addition to this content, in one of the browsers, my
six-year-old had typed a random string of numbers and letters into Google, and this pulled up search results on how to put together a gun along with multiple Reddit threads on guns. We have examined her search history, and it's important to note that she has never searched for inappropriate words
or content in a browser or on YouTube. Not only does she not know these words, she wouldn't be able to spell them even if she did. and this content was forced upon her by this school device. But this also means that students who are searching for these things could easily
access them. It has shared that this was a problem with the system and not just my child's device. They also informed me that the school's internet will likely block these videos going forward, but that if we want our child protected at home when using a school device, we will have to
install our own separate software. They also informed me that in the last 90 days alone, my child has accessed or clicked on websites like YouTube, searches on Google, Apple, iCloud, and other sites more than 37,000 times
in 90 days. I don't really understand how that is benefiting her education and learning. I'm hoping that you can provide me with answers to help me understand how this could have happened. And I also want to understand more about this school district's use of technology and devices in the classroom, such as why any elementary school student would
need access to YouTube when their teacher can pull up instructional videos for all to see on the main screen, and why our youngest children are accessing search browsers and YouTube before many of them are even able to read and spell. I know that you all want to do what's best for all the children in this district, and I'm hoping you can address
this issue swiftly to ensure it never happens again. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Okay, up next we have Alexa Heimberger. Good evening, members of the board. My name is Alexa Heimberger and I'm a
parent of one soon to be two students at Miller Miller Elementary. I absolutely love our school in our district and I'm incredibly grateful for the people there who love and support my children. I'm here tonight to speak about the staffing cuts in the proposed 2026 27 school year
budget that would eliminate our library media center pair professionals. At first glance, this may seem like a minor or victimless cut, but I assure you it is not. As a middle school teacher myself, um I witness every day the incredible benefits of a thriving school library and the very real consequences
when resources are limited. In an age where our kids are constantly inundated with screens and quick dopamine, reading offers one of the strongest anecdotes. Over the past few years, educators like myself have repeatedly highlighted declining reading comprehension and
stamina as a major challenge. I see this firsthand in my classroom every day. I hope I don't need to convince you of the importance of supporting students and teachers in these things. However, based on these proposed cuts, it seems I do need to encourage you to consider where these skills are built and where a love
of reading is first instilled, school libraries. I understand we will still have librarians and media specialists and school libraries, but I think we as a community must really consider what is lost when the support of library prepare pair professionals is removed.
Unfortunately, parents won't have the chance to see the effects of this loss until it's too late and these cuts have been made. I can only speak anecdotally to my experience with Miller Elementary, but I assume that I'm what I'm about to share is true of all the work done in the libraries across Plymouth Canton. At
Miller, our incredible school library does two book fairs a year, a haunted library at Halloween, camp readal at the end of the year, and provides countless other experiences that connect students with books. These extras our librarian and her library prepare professional put
on foster curiosity, independence, and a love of books. But these integral parts of our students education will be impossible if these proposed cuts pass. They won't be impossible because our full-time librarian is not incredible because she is. She just cannot do the
job of two people and we cannot expect her to. Um, do these events teach our kids to read directly or build reading stamina on their own? No, but these types of events are where a child's love of reading is born. An elementary school library is sometimes a child's first
experience with a library at all. And most definitely a lot of students first experience with instruction and how to navigate a library. I understand that budget cuts are difficult and resources are limited. But if the district is truly committed to supporting students, we must prioritize the people who
directly nurture their growth. Our kids will be the victims if this cut passes. If we want Plymouth Canton students to be leaders in critical thinking and empathy, we must allocate appropriate resources and literally put our money where our mouth is. I urge the board to
reconsider this decision and protect the library parapros who make measurable difference in our children's education. Thanks so much for your time. Thank you for your comments. Up next, we have Michelle Mustakis. >> All right, Michelle.
Good evening. My name is Michelle Mustakis. I'm a 12-year resident of Canton and a member of PASE and P Flag. And during this time of celebrating teachers, I have really enjoyed reading the stories from students about how individual teachers have impacted their
lives. And though it's been a very long time since I was in school, I'd like to add my story of two teachers who literally changed my life. One for the worse and one for the better. There's a lot to this story, but the shortened version of this. I went to high school
at Gross Point North. At that time, one of the top rank schools in Michigan. My dad and I shared a deep love of horses, and in my sophomore year, I decided I was going to be a veterinarian. My grades were phenomenal and I aced the
SAT. I was headed on the path to my dream. But that came to an abrupt halt in my senior year when Mr. Vote, my counselor, told me I wouldn't be accepted to veterary school. He gave me three reasons, but this is the one that stuck. I was a girl, and girls just
didn't get into veterary school. So, I quit trying. I barely eaked out passing grades my senior year. And without going into detail, believe me when I say I wasted the next five years. But I did finally start attending college at the University of Florida and earned a BS
with honors in environmental engineering. And ironically, I was only one of a handful of young women in my graduating class. Unironically, it was the men who were getting the good job offers while my best prospect was a summer job with no benefits. My
professor and mentor, Dr. interestingly encouraged me to go to grad school. To my surprise, I accept I was accepted into Stanford civil engineering program. I was elated, but I was terrified. I didn't know if I was smart enough and certainly didn't. And I certainly knew that I didn't have the money. But Dr.
Singley simply told me that this was the opportunity of a lifetime and he'd be disappointed if I didn't take it. So, I went and in my first meeting with the dean, Dr. street. I was told that they had arranged a work study program and a loan that would cover my cost. But most
importantly, he told me the reason I had gotten accepted to Stanford was because the recommendation letter that Dr. Singley had written, detailing in particular my commitment to my classes, despite working full-time as a waitress
in a 247 diner, sometimes coming to class straight from working a double shift. Upon graduation, I was offered a job at the EPA regional office in San Francisco, where I worked for 30 years, meeting my husband, raising our son. And when I retired, I was able to move back
to Michigan and spend 12 wonderful years being close to my mom before she passed at close to 99 years old last year. Two educators, two very different approaches. It shows the awesome power of a teacher who leads with compassion
and not only a focus on grades and it's why we continue to advocate. >> Thank you, Miss Maka. >> Every teacher is supported. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you everyone for your comments this evening. That concludes
our citizens comments portion. We're moving on to administrative reports and recommendations. Up first, we have teaching and learning with Miss Curry. >> Great. Thank you. Miss Williams, our VAPA curriculum coordinator, is here this evening to present an overview of the PCE peer-to-peer electives program,
including the current elective rotation and the proposed addition of peer-to-peer physical education, team games. Following the presentation, for your consideration, there will be a first read of the proposed peer-to-peer team games elective course. Miss William
Thank you. It is a pleasure to share information about our peer-to-peer programs with you. Our peer-to-peer programs are courses designed to foster inclusive communities by intentionally collecting connecting
both neurodeiverse and neurotypical students for a social emotional academic learning connection. Our programs are built off of Grand Valley State University's peer-to-peer start project. All of our teachers of
cognitively impaired and autism spectrum disorder have been trained through Grand Valley State University. And as you can see by the numbers on the bottom of the screen, these programs impact several students over 10,000 students statewide
uh who have either um students in an autism program or students with an IEP who are not eligible for uh the autism programs. Uh it also impacts general education students who are the peer
leaders in these classrooms. uh through the research that's been done at Graham Valley University uh some pillars of excellence have emerged and we make sure that our programs reflect these pillars as well to make sure that
we have an inclusive participation model that our programs support community and belonging that we involve all students regardless of their disability. And we recognize strengths as well as
embrace differences. Through shared experiences, students uh develop natural connections with each other. Our peer-to-p peer-to-peer courses um have many benefits. So the just the peer
connections alone promote community and belonging, improve social skills, helps develop communication skills through those authentic ex uh experiences they share together. Uh the benefits for the
student leaders are great as well. They learn about disabilities. They explore careers to support individuals with disabilities. Uh they also identify what personal qualities are best to support
neurodeiverse individuals and they create accessible opportunities and activities for those students. Our student leaders learn how to adapt activities to make them accessible in a variety of ways.
Here's two examples of activities in action. These are from our peer-to-peer music class that is currently running. You may recognize some people in the room, but student leaders create activities and lead those activities with the
students. There are so many levels of engagement for students in this class. Um, I love these terms. They're not mine. Uh, but I borrowed them for the presentation. So, a waiting level is where you're immersed
in the classroom and you are supporting students. If you're snorkeling, you're going deeper and you are starting to become an advocate for students outside of the classroom. And if you're diving deep, you are changed by this classroom.
And at the end of the presentation, we have some student input to show us how their lives have changed. So the goals for students with special needs is to give them a variety of learning experiences, in this case in
elective classes. We have uh courses for foods, art, music, and you will hear about a PE opportunity uh after this presentation. It helps develop their fine and gross motor skills.
Especially helps with them working through frustration and becoming more independent. Uh it provides them with access to friendships that they might not have on their own. And just the
social companions that develop from this course is amazing. So the leaders are paired with one partner a week. So they get to know each other well very well and they get to know all students in the classroom.
These classes are um created with 15 neurodeiverse students and 15 general education students who serve as their leaders and companions. Uh these student leaders get very close with their peers and they learn a lot
about them, but they also learn that privacy matters and they keep what should be confidential confidential, but they learn to share uh how amazing their peer friends are as well.
So currently our elective opportunities, what we're working on building is two years worth of semesterl long electives for peer-to-peer classes. So again, currently we have peer-to-peer foods,
art, and music. Pending approval, we would like to add a physical education component of teen games and plant a seed. uh future possibility a CTE focused course.
So I'm going to share some of the experiences with you. They're very heartwarming. So our peer-to-peer foods class, they um they cook together, they laugh together, and they eat together. This is uh the friendship feast uh last
November. are peer-to-peer art. They are creating and exploring and you know there are so many great socially emotional components to art. Um that's an added benefit.
Our peer-to-peer music class uh changes by the day. You might find them drumming on bucket drums one day, bouncing balloons to the beat of the music, or developing their own music on software together. So, these are from team building
activities, but you'll notice they involve physical activity, and you see all the smiles on their faces. This gave us feedback that offering a peer-to-peer PE class would be the next greatest thing for you to consider.
uh these peer-to-p peer-to-peer courses are fully aligned with the learner profile and the skills that we hope to build for all students in Plymouth Canton. They learn to solve new problems, certainly collaborate, communicate,
critically think, definitely become goal directed and resilient. Uh further research from Grand Valley State University also tells us that these peer-to-peer courses increase sense of student belonging as a
result increase student attendance, increase student achievement, as well as decrease unwanted behaviors. So, key points to remember when you're thinking about a peer-to-peer class. It's an inclusive school environment
based on a participation model where everyone is equally involved. uh there's empowerment through social connection and the impact of that impacts attendance grades and as I uh just mentioned behavior and our programs are
fully supported through Grand Valley State University and the resources that they have for us to be successful. So what are student leaders saying about their experience as student leaders?
Um Ben, a senior in the program says it is the first peer-to-peer experience that he has had and it has had so much influence on him. He has decided to uh major in special education going to
Eastern Michigan University in the fall. Let's remember him in four years. Um Josh uh shares that I won't read it for word for word but going into the class um you felt like students would learn a lot
from you and coming out of the class you um share that you have learned so much from your student peers. Did I summarize that well? Uh so just to end this presentation
um look at all the smiles, look at all the engagement and our student leaders and our student peers rise together through these programs. Thank you. >> Thank you for that presentation. Since member Kio has to leave, I'm going to
let him have ask any questions or have comments. >> Sure. I just wanted to thank you for this presentation and it's a great example of the kind of innovation and work that we're doing. I love the connections that it builds and how it lifts everybody up as part of the process. Um really helps everybody to be a leader in
the in the activity. So I'm excited about this program and I think it's a great uh expansion for what we're doing. So thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, I'm gonna open it up and go over to member Voss. Do you have any questions or comments about the presentation? >> Um no great presentation. Thank you
>> member Wester. >> Thank you for the presentation. I have no comments other than to say I know it is a worthwhile program. >> I have no com or no questions but my comment I echo the sentiment of my fellow board members. You know this seems like a very worthwhile and
wonderful program and thank you for sharing um more about it. >> I don't have any questions either. I think it was a nice thorough presentation and it was nice to you hear Josh's comments too. So thank you Roman, >> thank you. No questions. Really
appreciated the presentation and also I really appreciate the forward looking like uh not just the PE class but looking at the CTE class. So thank you >> and our student co-chairs Josh. >> Um I have no questions. I just want to add that any classes added to the
peerto-peer program are great for um both the leaders and the kids and I'm really glad that we're expanding this program and it's really touched my life. Arjent, >> um, I had one quick question and I was just curious if the peer-to-peer team
sports um, class would fill the PE requirement for those students. >> For the general education students, it will count yes for a PE credit. >> Um, besides that, it was a really great presentation and kind of I kind of regret not being able to do this. Yeah.
Thank you. >> Great. Thank you very much. Okay, Miss Curry, do you want to take us through the peer-to-p peer course revision? >> Yes, thank you. This evening for your consideration is the first read for the proposed peer-to-peer team games elective course, an expansion of the
peer-to-peer program. The peer-to-p peer elective courses provide a unique collaborative setting where all students work together to explore electives, build meaningful friendships, and develop lifelong skills for success. The program began in 2016 with culinary and
has since expanded to visual arts and music. This proposal would further expand the program by adding physical education through peer-to-peer team games. The course provides meaningful learning opportunities for students in both general education and special education classrooms while fostering
leadership, inclusion, collaboration, and relationship building. Data collected over several years demonstrates positive impacts on student behavior, attendance, and academic performance. While feedback from students, parents, and staff continues
to be overwhelmingly positive. This proposal aligns with the district strategic goal of inclusion, innovation, and student success. Also, I supporting the competencies outlined in the learner profile. The total cost is $741.25
for curriculum work days. No additional staffing is required and existing physical education materials will be utilized. Should adaptive physical education equipment be needed, those costs will be funded through the physical education department and the
proposed implementation date is January of 2027. >> Great. Thank you. >> We'll open up for questions. Member boss. Okay. Member Wester. >> Uh, no questions. Thank you. >> Okay. Member Picar.
>> I do not have any questions, but member, >> no questions. Thank you. >> Josh, >> no questions. Just woohoo. >> Arjun, >> no questions either. >> Great. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Up next, we have human resources with Mr. Medum.
I thought you were leaving us. >> Yeah, I brought I brought a friend. Phoned a friend. >> Um, good evening. Um I want to show you a brief um uh very brief overview of the proposal um for employee severance plan
um that we've discussed and what we will be looking for first and final reading um later today. So essentially we're asking for u the employee service plan which will cover the PCA so the teachers um the PCA the
non-affffiliated administrators and non-affffiliated support staff um the feasibility study and you have the the complete study in front of you now um would estimate that we'd have 88 total people opting into this
um and then they they they um think that we have if we replace 74 of the uh 74 of the 88 um they project over 8-year period we will have a cumulative savings of 19.1 million.
Again those are all estimates. It depends on how many people we actually replace. It depends on how many and what rate we hire people in at. But those saving those anticipate those anticipated savings do exist. Okay. So, why are we asking you to act
upon this? Well, it's voluntary. It's a voluntary um tool to um reduce the ongoing salary benefit costs while preserving operational flexibility. Um in most schools, and ours is no exception, 80 to 85% of um of of of our
budget is is eaten up by people. Um so, if we accept this proposal, again, we could have a projected $3.3 million in savings the first year. again depends on how we um how many people we replace and what we can hire people in
at. Um and this creates a one-time voluntary separation incentive for eligible employees. So we're not um so it um so it's totally voluntary. So we're not forcing anybody to leave the district. Um it targets the savings by producing
the percentage of top of the scale staff and and replacing those positions at lower salary levels. um at the end we we going to be able to re evaluate all the results at the close of the window and and see. So a protection for us is that the question that was asked before is
what would happen if we open this up and four people opted in at that point it would not be economically feasible. So at that point, if if something like that did occur, then we would have the ability to say we're not offering this because we don't want the district to lose, you know, to to we don't want to
do it where it doesn't make sense for the district to um implement any of this. And this allows us to maintain some operational control. Um we um another protection we have is that let's say we have a lot of folks in a um
a high need area or hard to fill area um take the buyout. we have the uh we will have the ability to retain those folks for up to a one year. So that gives us more time to fill those positions if needed. So what will what would you be approving? Um it's again it's a one-time
offer with it will be clearly defined eligibility um benefit caps, revocation rights and district operational safeguards. So to be eligible is eligible to actively working full-time and part-time PCEA, PCA,
non-affiliated administrators, and non-affffiliated support employees. You have to have a minimum of 15 years of service with PCCS or a minimum of five years with PCCS and eligible to retire with full or reduced Memphis benefits as
of June 30th, 2026. Um so employees that were who were retired and and haven't um came back to work for the district would not be eligible for it. Um so the benefits are as follows on the graph. So the for the
PCA is your full base 100% of your base salary for the 2526 school year capped at $80,000. Um, for the PCA and non-affffiliate administrators, it's 100% of your 2526 salary capped at $95,000.
And non-affiliated support, same thing, capped at $60,000. Um, the the the plan benefits are paid out over six over over 60 months or five years and it goes into a um what they call a post-employment 403b account. So
it goes out it goes into taxfree and the um member will not be taxed on that funds until they decide to pull it out. Okay. Again this is just another reflection of the some of possibilities and I want to I want to um make sure we these are all
possibilities and estimates. Um, so if we don't replace everyone that leaves, we could um earn over the over 8-year period they estimated about $19.1 million. If we do full replacement over eight years, that number drops to $6.4
million. So, as you see, it's a $12 million difference depending on how we implement the system. And the um the uh other um bar graph is just a bar representation of what was above. So it shows a less than full
replacement and full replacement. So this is the implementation guideline. So step one is what we're here tonight to do. It will be a board review and approval. If it's approved, then we and in within this month, we plan on doing making all um taking care of legal
documents. It's a lot of legal documents. We have to talk to our attorneys. We also have to reach out to the union to make sure that we're all in agreement with what things, you know, what things are looking like. Then it's the employee election window. Under those under the law, this window has to
be open for 45 days. Now, that doesn't mean you have to wait 45 days to elect to take the to take the offer, but we have to keep that window open for 45 days. There's also a 7-day revocation period. So, if I accept, the minute I
accept and sign, I have seven days to reverse my decision if I choose to do so. Um, and then we have a tenative exit date of those people retiring as of June 30th of 2026, which would give us June through September to try to recruit and replace
and their benefits would start no later than October of 2026. That's when the people who act to elect will start getting their first payments. So, we do have some safeguards built into the proposal. some I kind of went over earlier. The bake is that district
review, we may review results after the window closes and deem the plan null and void if the results are not financially favorable. Um operational needs, we can retain certain employees for up to one year beyond the elected exit date. Again, all
this is will be an agreement people will sign and they'll know upfront what the possibilities are. There will be no surprises. Um, again, legal review. All our final plan documents will be reviewed by our council to make sure they're what we what they're they represent what we want
to see happen. And EPC, which is a a company that um handles quite a few of these within the state and other school district, is handling employee meetings, um, counseling, enrollment, benefit administration, plan documentation. Um,
one good thing about um, the EPC is that their counselors that come out are actually former educators that come in that have been through this and so they're talking from a perspective of we did this so they can kind of um, kind of steer people or you give them the advice
that they need based upon their own experiences. So, the immediate thing we'd have to do once we get all the the legal paperwork and things completed, we would have to give a deposit of $25,000. That is also
applied to our our final plan cost. So, that goes toward our cost that we're doing um of everything. The um members would be the people who elect this will again get paid over 60 months and the benefit start start of
October of 2026. I have anything. >> Oh, maybe this last page. >> It is the last. >> Yeah. Just thought I'd keep hitting it. Something would show up. >> Okay. Yeah, fair enough. Okay, we'll open up questions. Any questions? >> Yeah, great. Member boss, any questions?
Um, if we do this and we determine that not enough teachers or admin decide to to make it worthwhile for the district, do we get our deposit back that we paid?
>> I believe the answer to that, if you want to come forward, I believe it's no, but >> I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no, the deposit is non-refundable. So the 25,000 um gets our wheels turning. Um but
ultimately it is applied towards the final plan cost. Um but if that were to occur then you know the deposit covers our cost for for coming in and actually implementing the 45day window period.
And just for context, they estimate they gave us the like for the teachers group in particular. Um, as long as we have 35 teachers that opt in, it's economically feasible. So that's, you know, so it's kind of
they predict in their in their metrics that we wish have about 75 that may do it. It could go higher, could be lower, but as long as you're above 35, it's economically feasible. Um, how will will we notify just employees that qualify that this is
happening or will employees throughout the entire district be >> just the ones that they Well, you want >> just the ones who are who are eligible. >> Okay. Do they get like an email or a letter or >> they will get a letter a memo like as
soon as humanly possible once we get um authorization to start doing this? >> Okay. And if we ended up having um 88 let's say >> leave, do we have a plan for um
a transition for losing so many staff? Well, what would happen is like so we kind of anticipated in anticipation of of this being approved. We've made some postings already um in case and we so we're starting already starting to
gather um for hard to fill positions. So all special ed of course um math science and then there's elementary teacher posting. So I'm not it's going to be a lot of work. It's going to be a lot of hiring is going to have to happen. But um we do
have plans for doing it and if it gets to be where we have too many all at once, we can always authorize um um use our option to say, "Hey, you're going to have to hold off." Now, there still be a plan, but theirs won't start till the following year.
If if we have enough and things go good, will we not have to do the layoffs or the other cuts that have been brought up? >> So, uh, so these things have in my head
at least, they're two separate things and they can actually end up helping us. So, the cuts had, you know, we went forth the cuts were made to try because because of the the budget situation we were trying to take care of that piece. This is something extra on top of that.
Now for so right now the cuts that have been made we have not got we have not laid off folks yet generally because a lot of the folks that um for jobs were cut were should be able to potentially get other positions open in the district
in theory that if the um buyout um if people take the buyout and there's more holes we have more jobs to offer other folks so we could actually retain more staff by by going through this process. As far as the numbers, we really will
not know what or what we saved till October, November once we did all the replacements if we made the replacement. So, they kind of work separately. >> Okay. I would like to also add if we've been thinking about our journey we've been in a reduction mode for this is the
third year of reductions and um we've indicated this year in order to maintain our 15% fund balance which of course is best practice our board policy is 10% um we would we are achieving a $10 million reduction for the 26 27th school
year with a projected if nothing else changes $10 million for next year as Well, and then the following year. So, this potential if this by the time it would finalize any realization of savings would help to offset that next year's planned reductions. But keeping
where we are under this budget, which you would be asked to approve and are required to approve by law by June 30th, that would keep us at the 15%. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, >> member. So, I just want to make sure that I
understand what you said. So essentially I think what you're saying is that this plan would not affect the cuts that are planned for this year but it would offset the following two years that is
planned. It could. Yes. >> Could it could it's very >> assuming that it's taken. Okay. The goal would for us as a board you have uh indicated in best practice. You want to follow best practice. So the goal is to try to keep it 15%. So we can do that by
bringing in additional revenues or uh reducing expenses. 85% as you heard of our expenses are tied to salaries. When we look over time at our highest we're about 17500 in the last 10 years. has been up to 19,000 at one point in our lives and we're about 16,000 students
now. So it is around reducing staff due to inclining declining enrollment and really looking at those principles of how we can achieve some reductions to Mr. Majun's point through attrition. So not replacing positions where people have retired or um resigned and then
looking at positions where even though the job itself may be reduced having the ability to place people in open uh existing vacancies within the district. So that would be continuing on with that same path for next year depending on again enrollment and all of the other
assumptions that are part of the budget but to try to maintain that 15% would be looking at a potential $10 million reduction next year as well. Okay. All right. I think that Jennifer asked a lot of questions that I
>> Yeah, great questions. Um, my question really revolves around Thank you for sharing this uh information and sharing the report. Um, for the community, too. You know, you're showing how that this is a maybe a financial benefit to the district, assuming that we do have um
teachers who elect for this this buyout. how through your conversations with the teachers, you know, is this a m mutually beneficial conversation? Are you finding that this is a favorable like they're also in support of maybe this as an option?
>> I do believe >> I I let him answer for me. >> That was a unicve. They do believe that they do I I think this is something that can mutually benefit both sides. Okay. The issue is that like even you know um when you have
53 to 55% of of the staff at the very top it makes it very hard to maintain that piece and this and hopefully this could help us write things a little bit better so that we can move forward so they see the benefits to them just like we see the benefits.
>> Great. I appreciate that. Member Picard. >> Yeah. for the since the benefits don't start till October and if they're retiring in June, is there the medical stuff? I mean, I I don't know all the processes for all their retirement, but all that those benefits, everything would just go as normal.
>> Those are the things that once we have final approval and whatnot, we'll be working with the union and our legal to make sure things line up the way it should to make sure this um as smooth as possible for the members who would like to take this. >> Okay. All right. Thank you, member.
Ramen. >> Um, thank you for the presentation. Could you share if any neighboring districts uh have have implemented such plans? >> I know Birmingham, was it last year that Birmingham did it? Troy is about to do
it. Is it >> small? >> Well, won't you come up? It's your company. So, yeah, >> we're we're actually seeing um a lot of change in Michigan. We've done uh a lot
of work in Ohio during the time that uh COVID money was really reinforcing school districts in Michigan and um there was really not a great need for our service during that time. Um but since then
uh you know that the funding kind of waned and we're starting to really see a lot of interest in in offering these types of plans again in Michigan. Um so it's still I I think it's still
relatively early. Uh, I think next year there'll be a lot more districts you'll see coming forward and doing the plans. Um, we've already got two that are going to go ahead next year, but to answer your question, um,
Aendale did it this year. Uh, Troy, which is in the middle of their window period, and Birmingham did it, um, last year about the same time that you're considering it um, this year. But that Birmingham plan was really the
first um you know sign that oh maybe the districts are going to start to look to need to save money again so that >> thank you appreciate it. No more questions. Thank you. Okay, we'll go to
our student co-chairs. Josh Arjen, >> um I think I have a lot of not I have to look over this first and look over all of the stuff. It's overwhelming, but um I'm glad that we're looking into all our options and thank you for all your work.
>> Thank you for the presentation. Um one question I had was when you discussed the amount of people had to opt into this for it to be economically feasible. when you use the word feasible there and forgive me if I'm asking like a straightforward question because I'm not really familiar with this concept but is
there a difference between what would be economically feasible and you know beneficiary for the district so do you know at what level will this benefit us versus just being feasible if there's a difference >> so the number I gave out when I said for instance the teachers for example I said 35
at that number 35 the district will not lose money >> that's really the break that's really the break even point >> okay >> so anything above that that when we say economically feasible I mean those numbers changed completely what I what I provided but we wouldn't lose money
after that break even point. >> Thank you. >> I didn't hear the question asked but I think it might be uh fair to emphasize el eligibility. Um, it's important to know that as long as a staff member is
employed through June the 30th, even if they have already submitted for their retirement, they would be eligible for this plan as well. >> That is correct. And that's a good point that I should have brought up. So, um, to reiterate to reiterate what she what was said is that so let's say someone
put in a retirement for June 30th in the fall or you know such and such, they would be eligible for this also. So, we're not going to split hairs that way as long as they work through the entire year, entire school year. >> Can I ask another question? >> Yes, please.
>> Um, can you explain what it is when we have a position that we lose due to attrition or an employee that we lose due to attrition? So you can ask so essentially if someone
retires or or or resigns you don't have to retire resigns and if we cannot fill that position that's how that's when we mean where we saying we lose a position by attrition it's simply they've decided to go or leave for whatever reason and if the district can absorb that without
rehiring we allow that to happen. It it works a lot better that way because it's not, you know, when we when you know when you when you're going through a layoff process and things of that nature, you don't really want that. Attrition, if you can do it, is probably the easiest way to right size of
staffing. >> Okay. But when you say um it someone else then has to absorb their work, correct? Yes. Yes. Yes.
>> So if you think to last year um the central office administrative reductions that we had uh when people retired last year then uh we divide the responsibilities across the central office staff. This year you'll have uh their four recommended uh central office
administrative positions that would not be filled. So again among our remaining departments the responsibility would still have to remain and people would take that up under their respective areas. Right. Thank you. All right. Moving on to finance and
operations with Miss Minnik. >> Thank you President Christensen. uh this evening. First up for your consideration uh is a recommendation for proposed furniture purchase associated with bidpack MS3 Discovery Middle School improvements under the 2020 bond
program. Uh whereas the board approved classroom furniture purchases for Discovery Middle School on March 24th. Uh, this package focuses on the repurposing of three former computer lab spaces into more flexible and student- centered environments that better
support current instructional and student support needs. The proposed furnishings would support the creation of a collaborative learning space, a flexible conference and meeting room, and a sensory lounge intended to provide students with additional opportunities for regulation, reflection, and flexible
seating options throughout the school day. The recommendation before the board this evening totals $89,37612. It utilizes a variety of cooperative purchasing contracts in accordance with the district purchasing practices and policies. Funding for this purchase
would be provided through the 2023 bond fund. This item was reviewed with the finance and operations committee last week on Thursday and Natalie Miller from TMP Architecture is here this evening to share more about this recommendation. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Medic.
Uh, good evening everyone. Thank you for your time. Um, she gave a great summary. This is a second smaller package for Discovery Middle School. Um, while the classroom furniture will be installed during the summer before the start of the school year. This will be something
we'll aim more during the fall that we will coordinate with the building and district for installation since these are supplemental spaces as ao as opposed to uh primary learning spaces for the building. Um so this
uh slide here just shows the three locations of the um former computer classrooms. Um since these were not being utilized, this gives a great opportunity for a variety of um additional supplemental spaces for the
uh students. I hit that twice. There we go. Okay. U so this first uh this is the northern classroom from that previous slide. Uh this provides a um secondary flexible uh classroom that
staff can check out for their class for say their hour or the day. Um and just provides more seating options that can be um configured in whatever they see fit. All the furniture is mobile and
provides a variety of um height options for the students. and it sits a full um size class which would be 32 students. The uh second uh room is on the east wing. This would be a conferencing
space. So it is all um flip and nest tables and chairs. So they can be configured however they see fit or all um flipped and pushed to the side if they need open space. And this again fits a full class size within the space.
And then the uh south wing um classroom. This is a sensory slouch space. So this provides um a space available to all students that provides a variety of furniture to help them regulate. Um, so
thinking about things like movement, um, that physical touch and just providing multiple choices to help them, um, regulate their emotions and such. Um,
let's see. And uh with all these spaces um we worked very closely with both building and administration level um stakeholders to create all three of these spaces. Um and Miss Mick provided a great overview
of the consortium contracts and all that. So I'm not going to repeat her um that information. Are there any questions? Thank you for the presentation. Start to my right. >> Um I'm wondering how you may not know
this, but how were these um spaces determined to be used in this way? Like where did we get the input? Was it teachers? Was it administration? How did we decide how to use these spaces? >> These and Matt correct. I guess I'll let
Matt answer a little more. >> Good evening. Uh I'm Matt Lens. I'm the director of facility uh for Plymouth County Community Schools. Um all the way back into designs about 18 months ago when we started talking about discovery bond renovations as a whole. Um we had very specific walkthrough breakouts with
building administration uh end users as some of the students and kind of watching and surveying a little bit of already what's happening in the space. Um these spaces are already basically empty with shelving on the walls. So there's not going to be any real change other than we're going to provide
furniture to kind of what goes in there. But we've had um multiple walkthroughs with the building administration, the bond team, uh and then we've kind of talked to students too about how can we use this um and what could be used in these areas.
>> And the sensory lounge, who staffs that? >> I don't know that specific question of who staffs it. Um, I know the the locations themselves are to be checked in and checked out with the building administration as far as who's going to
use it at the time. Uh, but I don't think uh in any conversation I've had where there will be a specific staff member staying there uh throughout the entire day. It's more of a usage in and out. >> Yeah. Like it's a flexible space that uh staff would have the ability to take
their students in by need. >> So kids can't just No. >> Thank you question. >> Y >> um um I'm just curious the the nest it looks like it's intended to be turned on its side as well. Is that possible?
>> Yes. Uh yes, you can either flip it on its side um and you know kids could sit kind of around it in a perimeter on along the perimeter um or they can kind of tuck themselves into the nook if it's upright like shown in the image. >> Okay. It's a It's a nice plan. I'm
excited to see this for the school. >> Yeah, I agree. I um I appreciate the use of or the creative thinking or implementation of furnishings in spaces that we were otherwise not using. So, I think it's really great to give options to students
outside of the classroom and and teachers, right, to take their class outside the classroom and have a different maybe learning environment or experience within the school. So, thank you for your presentation and your hard work. Member Bard. >> Yeah, I have a question. Um, so for the
bond, so was this originally um >> for I mean in the bond was this originally on the schedule for the bond? Was it >> like I wasn't here when you planned? >> Yes. Uh these these spaces were old computer labs that were no longer being
utilized. So from the bond team's first scope, first concept was we're going to do something with these rooms. what gives us the most flexibility, the most usage, and then kind of thinking education in the future. That was a reocc reoccurring theme every time we walked in here. What's this thing going
to look like in 20 years because we know we're not going to be sitting at computer stations, right, in a lab. So, yes, it was a part they were always a part of the bond. This renovation was always um a part of the initial concept from the beginning. >> Okay. I was just curious because I I know there's the list, you know, to go
off and I I know some of the sport fields and things too are also like later on. I just want to make sure there's any concerns about that that >> still under furnishings and still under um uh renovations that needed to be done. >> Okay. And then question >> if I may I'm sorry to interrupt you if I
may add to uh the answer if I may. Um as I mentioned in my introduction, the board approved the regular classroom furniture package a month or so ago. Uh but with that that purchase that first purchase along with this purchase is still under budget overall for the
classroom furniture uh procurement. Um, so that total and I I'm sorry I didn't mention this, but the budget for the furnishings at Discovery Middle School was1,47,360. And altogether then, uh, there's a positive variance, meaning uh there's a save or we will um have fewer
expenditures, so we will have a positive variance of 143,000. >> So, uh, we're under budget by that amount all in both purchases. >> Okay. I wasn't at the finance mate, so I didn't get to ask that there. >> Yeah. And yes, I admitted that. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. And then one more question. And you know, because I've
asked this before with some of the furniture is like they are tested for weight and things like that, right? Because I just they just look spindly. >> Yeah. No, they are all commercial grade furniture that is tested to Bithma standards. >> Okay. All right. Thank you,
>> Me. >> I just have one question. Um, were the computer labs is it because of the one onetoone devices that the computer labs aren't being used now? Is that what happened? >> Yes. And um there's really no standard
computer lab uh kind of at this middle school as well. So I I think the the short answer to your question is yes. Uh is we don't host a full lab uh like we used to and there used to be one in every wing. Um these were already taken apart before my arrival. So but I did
ask that question and that was kind of uh the answer. >> Okay. Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Josh, >> um the nest was really interesting. I I was sad that that question got stolen, but I also saw the the grassy seating.
So, is that just like a almost um turf almost on the seating? >> Yes. It's like a soft tur like a softer turf, not like the scratchy kind. Um that's uh sewn in, I guess I would describe it. It's like a It's not a fabric, but it's
sewn in in a way that yes, it's covers the piece. >> And then I kind of have two questions. So, obviously I'm not like a furniture person, so preface it with that. Um like I noticed that we only have two laptop tables for the entire like student
lounge. And obviously there's the other tables that we're getting as well. But um I know from my experience uh as a high schooler, we always don't have enough space to work, especially at spaces like that. So maybe considering getting more of those laptop tables. And then going back to the conference room. I mean, you don't have to pull it up,
but there was the the big conference chair at the top and then there was like a small one. So I was just curious like why you chose to kind of separate. Obviously you could move the tables around, but it almost if you were using it as a conference in one and then there was another group of the other. I just don't see the like the way that would
work. I guess >> especially if there wasn't like a sliding door in between or anything like that. I think that's totally a valid point. That was just to show uh if you did want a larger group to be able to sit together, how many you could fit on either side. It's more the intent with
that, but I totally see your understanding your point. >> Thank you. That's it. >> I love the furniture idea. The nest I wish I could try. How big is it? Really quickly. >> Uh >> I want one. >> It's I mean it's big enough for you to
you know kind of I'll say crawl into. So, it's I want to say it's like maybe about four to five feet tall. >> Cool. Thank you, >> Arjent. >> I don't know if you can see me sitting here pondering. I'm like thinking what it would be like to be in that room. It
seems like fun, but um otherwise it's like a looks like a great plan. Thank you. >> Like we need a tour when this furniture is available. >> Exactly. Question. Okay. Member Bard has another question. So, so what is your estimate like how many kids would
actually be using that room >> like from other sense rooms like how many kids in a school actually utilize that room? >> Uh well, so what we have provided is enough to theoretically seat 23 if
somebody was in each piece. Um Matt has I will say I don't think the intent is for the room to be completely full. Mhm. >> at you know any given point but it gives choice to the students as to what they think serves their needs best in that
moment. I guess what I was asking is how many like like kids like throughout the day is there like like the amount of kids is it like just 20 kids might utilize that room for the whole day or is it >> I think that's going to be building specific and need specific and can change each year
>> very IEP probably >> and could these be like if there's another school that seems to need more of this like that may not have this furniture is that something that and let's say they're not needing it so much there is that something that could be Oh, we're always looking for that sort
of if there's some sort of overlap where or utilization that could be done that way. We're always put in work orders to move stuff around as we >> can move it around. Like let's say nobody's really using it, then you can start moving it to a school where they really need it. >> You have that flexible rooming space. Absolutely. >> Okay. Okay. And I believe this sensory
lounge is specifically for students um with those sensory needs perhaps in our special education uh classrooms with certain uh IEPs or um just needing that uh sensory and uh safe space. >> Okay.
At the at the school buildings uh direction. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Great. Thank you very much. We can move on to the next item. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Thank you, President Christensen. Uh,
also the next item on the agenda for your consideration this evening uh is a recommendation for a one-year renewal uh for the district's c custodial services agreement with ABM education services uh just for one year for 202627 fiscal year. This recommendation continues an
established partnership that supports custodial operations across all district facilities. The proposed renewal includes adjustments associated with wage increases and ongoing staffing needs in what continues to be a very competitive labor market. Uh the total
annual contract agreement for a 2627 uh totals $4,916,958 that represents an increase of 3% over the current year agreement uh or $144,15. Uh administration believes this recommendation maintains service
continuity. It supports building operations districtwide and represents a reasonable and measured uh renewal for the coming year in light of our budget reductions. Uh and one further note, uh we are currently assessing the amount of additional square footage that is
currently being constructed as part of our 2020 bond program. Uh the last time that uh the district recommended additional custodial FTE for added square footage uh was uh back on June 30th of or through the period of June
30th of 24. Uh and we know we've had a lot of spaces come online since that time, but we will continue to analyze that square footage. We know we have some spaces coming online over the summer. We'll bring that back at a later time. Um but also I want to note that included in this plan is uh documented
this time around um a absentee plan. So this provides for one substitute custodian for every 10 uh hired custodial FTE uh specifically for Plymouth Community Schools vetted uh background checked according to our
standards uh to be available to cover for absences uh such as plan vacation days or unexpected absences for illness uh both for the custodial staff but also for our district plant engineers. It is also uh perhaps uh at the
superintendent's discretion for uh should we need additional staffing for any types of special projects. Case in point uh after the fair bond program this past fall uh they brought in teams of staff to work all three shifts uh to help us be sure that we could get that building up to speed as soon as
possible. Uh we also had additional teams come in uh to prepare and be sure buildings were uh sp and span for community walkthroughs. uh those different kinds of needs whether it's bond related, custodial or special events. Um so with that I'm happy to take any questions you might have on
this one your renewal with ABM. Thank you. >> Thanks. Start on bus. >> Um I do have a question but first I'd like to So this is what a teacher said to me. The only thing done in our classrooms is emptying the
garbage on and an occasional vacuuming. Our floors are disgusting and we're dusting and wiping things and it's just crazy. We aren't paid for that and I just want to teach kids. So, how are we holding the vendor accountable when expectations are not met?
>> Thank you for that excellent question. Um, I might me often offer a few different ways to measure that and opportunities for that feedback. Uh so one uh we do hold our custodial group accountable by presenting to our our finance committee at least uh three
times per year with those key performance indicators uh across every building across uh common spaces as well as classroom environment spaces um all spaces throughout uh school buildings and non-school buildings in our district. and they report out on those
number of inspections uh the the quality of that work. Um and that's coupled with our staff on site too uh as well as our facilities uh team. Uh we also have uh re we've just implemented or ABM has just implemented rather uh a
communication for principles to check in with each school principal on that feedback specifically for their spaces uh and the cleaners assigned to their buildings uh for the and maybe you can expand more and I don't have the words at hand. Um, but it's simply a it's not
just a survey, but a check-in, a personal check-in with with principles to uh identify those opportunities for improvements. Um, we also have a regular uh check-ins and inspections with our own internal staff. our facilities
manager is responsible for connecting with our general manager who is in our district each day and then observing as well for those checkpoints to be sure that uh it is meeting our standards. Um and I'll ask m Mr. Lince if he has any other thoughts that I'm omitting in a
moment. >> Um the uh work order system will be the next followup. So there is within master library when a teacher goes in to put in a work order or anyone from the administration uh at a building that has the ability there is a missed tasks uh
actually work order selection and then you can say exactly what was missed room by room area by area and then that does present a report to us that says you know here is what you missed was something tangible to be able to put out there. So, um, that would probably be my
primary feedback for said teacher that came to you is, you know, are you putting in these work orders? Are you filling them up? And then are we then reporting back out to make sure we're covering up? Because that's part of our teamwork and our collaboration we're using is if and when something like that happens, we make sure we cover it
ourselves or we make sure ABM comes back in during the day with someone at another building, you know, to make sure we're covering up for these missed tasks. Um, if and when that type of thing happens. >> How how easy is it teachers to like is this a online form for them?
>> Yes, uh master library is uh I think it's about two years uh old um that we've switched over from school due to an updated master library all online. Um we encourage everyone at each building to use it as often as possible. Um it's also kind of turned into a little bit of
a messaging board for us. So if you've got comments or hey, I put this in last week and it's not there, we can provide updates kind of in real time. But yes, it's all online. uh it's in the waffle. Um and and we have the ability to uh to track all of those types of mistasks.
>> Thank you. >> And I'll add in addition to what teachers or u owners of certain spaces may see, there's also the restrooms and the cafeteria and gymnasium and other spaces across uh each building that they address up of course as well as snow
removal and salt dispersements and those seasonal types of activities as well. >> Thank you. Um I have no questions. >> I do have a question. I um was not able to attend FNO to to hear this discussion
more deeply. Um so I understand that this is a contract renewal with APM for one year >> within our original agreement with ABM. Do we have a a term limit in terms of the extensions? are we, you know, or are
we able to extend that annually um at our at our discretion? >> Thank you for that excellent question. Uh the district started working with ABM in the in uh the 2122 school year. Um as part of that agreement, there were uh
three initial years uh I guess I might say predetermined. Um but there is no um constraints around how we might move forward. uh we can establish a one-year renewal, two-year, fiveyear, what have you. Um and our last
agreement was a two-year renewal. This one is one year given our budget predicaments. Uh so we are we have a a laser focus really on their standard of care and their services this year. We want to be sure that we are um utilizing
every dollar that we're paying ABM. But we are in a space where we have seen significant improvement uh over our former provider. Um and we have built a a very good partnership with ABM. Um,
I might suggest as well that um the general manager uh who's uh on staff in our district each day is extremely responsive and uh anticipates things that are happening. Maybe there's an open house or an ice cream social or
what have you within our buildings and will staff up to be sure that those types of things are uh in nice shape and clean and ready for whatever event is happening and then to adjust that after the fact as well. Um, so they are investing in us and um, at the same
time, we're only doing a one-year renewal at this time. Um, but we know, uh, that when we do a longer length agreement, then we know that they are they they feel safer, if you will, investing in us. Um, sometimes when we do a short-term renewal, they may feel
and they might anticipate, why would I invest? They're going to go out for a bid next year. Um, but we're we're not creating that type of environment with them. We're just letting them know that uh we do need pencil sharpened and uh we need to be sure that we are getting our value for the dollars.
>> I appreciate that background. >> Um yes, I don't have any questions. Thank you, >> member. >> Um I have a couple of complaints that were brought to me. Uh so I'll read out one of them. >> Certainly. >> Sorry.
One of them was um I'm not sure what's going on with cleaning in this district. The the staff I'm not sure what bathroom this is, but one of the bathrooms in Salem, the flush has not been working for a very long time and we're given different excuses. The paper towel
holder is not also not working. And we've given up on submitting work orders because nothing happens. We're extremely frustrated with the quality of cleaning in our classrooms and spaces remain filthy. >> I'm sorry to hear that report. Um in
response to that, we know that we have had cleaning situations uh at Salem. Uh we have a significant need particularly around the lunch hour. Um that has been uh discussed at different times with finance and operations committee. Um, and so I appreciate that and I will
follow up uh maybe more specifically with our staff and with ABM uh to find out more about that. So I appreciate that. Thank you. >> Thank you. And then my other question is more general. Um what uh you mentioned KPIs and and things like that. What does the audit actually look like? Like so
they have a general manager and then we have our facilities people. We have principles and buildings. So like how do we >> who's I guess like where's the connection and how does the data get audited? >> Thank you. That's a great question. Uh
so the way this all originated was that ABM uh maintains their own uh investigations and audits of their own staff's work. Uh so um within their hierarchy there are regional managers and then VPs but that regional manager
will also uh work with our general manager and inspect as well and then the general manager does inspections of spaces of our workers and the zone managers also do inspections. Uh so the way they prepared their own reports
internally um I'm not sure how this occurred but those internal reports that they use within their corporation uh then extended into uh um KPI reports for the district to be presented to the finance and operations committee. So they are
sharing their internal reviews that they do with us and then we layer in uh with our facilities manager um that work to hold them accountable as well to say I'm not sure I agree with with this uh inspection but over here this is really
great etc. So what has originated as their own internal work uh we've turned into more of a a district- basing tool. >> Thank you. appreciate that. >> Lauren, I do have two more questions. I'm going to go around to our co-chairs and I'll get to you
Josh. >> Uh, first I just want to um say how hard all the maintenance staff works and I' I've seen it personally. Um, with that said, I would say the floors is one of our biggest struggles. Um, >> yeah, I mean just >> Yeah,
>> the floors, how often are those supposed to be mopped, especially in the classrooms if you know? >> Thank you for that question. I'll see if Mr. Lent can remember our schedule, but to that point, um whether it's a classroom or a restroom or a front door or a corridor, those are all on
schedules as well as uh expected task lists. Um and to your question or concern rather around the floors. Uh we are a unique district uh in that all of our high schools are on one campus and students can switch buildings every
hour. So we have every hour a passing time of of those entryways particularly and in the seasons of wet or snow. Um that is challenging to uh keep up with. Um but we are working to we have made significant improvements I would say
this year in working with ABM uh and those focal points around entries and tracking in dirt and mud as well as walk-off carpets and rugs that we've installed. Um, but to your point in terms of how often classroom floors should be cleaned, it should be, in my opinion, daily, but I don't know if
you're familiar with the specific task list. Uh, they are no, sorry, they are swept and vacuumed uh daily and then they're supposed to be mopped every two weeks as we make our
way around on a rotation. Um, so yeah, so when you talk about the entry and the amount of dirt and the amount of salt and that stuff that is brought in uh from the outside on the hour, every hour um we know the entryways and the walkways and those main hallways obviously u they're scrubbed uh every
night with a machine. Uh so that's part of just trying to keep again the salt up, the dirt up as often and as quickly as possible. Can you speak to whether our plant engineers contribute to that? >> Uh
plan engineers assist with um kind of the frontline completion of work orders. So what that would mean anything that's put in during the day in the immediate they will handle. Um at the park itself they're a little bit less custodial uh just because of the the size of the
buildings and the amount of other work orders that are put in for doors and um you know those types of issues. Uh most of that is is focused a little bit more around ABM uh during the I guess all hours as it comes to the the park
itself. >> Well, and I can say I the entryways are really um I would say pretty clean. Um especially I mean in during the winter like especially u like the carpets get changed. I've seen them change them often. Great. >> Um >> I'd say like slipping hazards isn't
typically a problem. My concern is more in the classroom, especially specialty classrooms. Um, like our CTE classes. Um, I'll just I'll be forefront. Um, mopping. I would say I can tell when they mop because often they'll also mop the windows in some of the CTE classes.
Um, leaving like streaks and stuff. So then we wipe those down after they mop. Um, and mopping I would say from my tracking mechanism probably is not happening on that two week schedule. And then vacuuming I would say especially in those
specialized classrooms are happening mostly by the teachers. Um I know one of my teachers has a vacuum iroot army. So so that is why is being vacuumed. Um but again I want to echo that they do a
phenomenal job and I can't imagine having to clean the park like oh my god. Um but yeah those are some areas. I think the floors is one of the biggest um struggles in specialty classes especially that >> I appreciate that. Yeah. And we'll uh I'll take that back to the zone manager.
Tomorrow I'll see her. >> Um I kind of want to echo what Josh said. I think the custodians and the custodial staff are really under represented and they're the unsung heroes of our school. They keep it clean, keep it functioning. But coming into this, I think there's really two ways to look at this. I mean, on one
hand, there's times where in winter it can get slippery, especially on the paths and stuff. It can be dirty. Sometimes the bathrooms can be dirty. But on the other hand, I think it's really important to keep in mind that you have a lot of students, you have students who, you know, don't respect
the equipment sometimes. And when you have students who don't respect the equipment and don't respect the custodial staff or the school they're at, they can make things really hard for these custodial staff and these workers. And as a student, I think it's really um visible and I think we have to keep that
in mind when we're, you know, discussing the custodial staff and the work that they do because when you have a population that really cares for and treats the equipment with respect, it makes it easier. When there's some people who don't do that, it can make life a lot harder and make their work a
lot harder for them. >> Um, also I appreciate that comment. >> I was curious on >> Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. if um fixes on things like the flush and the toilet paper dispenser if that's part of the job that the custo staff has to do or if
it's more like the plant engineers or something like that >> right so the to fix a a toilet that doesn't flush that is not the role of a custodian that is an internal technical work to do by facilities >> yeah thank you um and yeah so I just
really wanted to echo the fact that I think the custodial staff do. I mean, I've seen them work hard and I I still they make good connections with students. Um I'm friends with one of them in high school and I still remember the janitor from fourth grade.
Um but yeah, thank you. >> Thank you for your feedback. Thank you. >> Thank you. Member West. Any more questions? >> Um I was just wondering uh are the work orders that are submitted around cleaning are they part of the evaluation of ABM?
>> They are. Okay. They are uh they're actually very explicit in that KPI reporting uh that we discussed in review at finance and operations. >> Okay. And then I was wondering is it possible for us to get the statistics of the work orders that are submitted you know like broken down by category of how
many cleaning >> and how long it took to resolve those. >> Uh well we do report those numbers that you just requested in those uh uh triannual reports if you will. Um those are in the fi finance and committee reports but we're happy to get those to
you for sure. >> Those all the reports go to the full uh board. >> Okay. >> With your okay. >> Sure. The car. So um two things. I was going to also make a comment about the student accountability and do we have
anything that holds them accountable because I you know a lot of the mess obviously comes from you know the students and um So I I remember back when they opened Plymouth High School, you remember um it was very strict, you know, because my
one of my my kids would go to all three, but when you were at Plymouth, it was like the garbage cans are outside the room. They had there was there was some specific rules and things. And so it was quite a difference. And so to try to maintain the newness and you know to keep the cool just to give it more
respect and I think that is one of the issues of that you know this that whole respect issue like this is you know provided for you and maybe there's I don't know there's anything we do have a competition school's the cleanest I don't know but um I don't know I just kind of feel like that also is an
account because the same thing I think the workers are trying to maintain and one of my questions too was on the bathrooms like in the high schools and stuff where the kids use how do they report because I know like the teachers through can report but like how do they
do they know who to report to because that seems to be come up. >> So part of our um administrators and kind of overseeing lunch and the pees themselves they're supposed to make the rounds to all the restrooms um after every pass to do a check-in to do a
verification to check in just kind of what so it's a it's a combination of I guess I'll just say the adults in the area. Okay. >> Um, we definitely encourage the feedback as people are coming in and out. Um, you know, and I'm >> trying to get as much engagement from the students of acceptable, not
acceptable, just as a baseline, you know, kind of reading itself. >> All right. All right. Thank you. >> So, I guess along those lines though, if I'm a student, I visit a bathroom and it's atrocious, you know, maybe it's a mess because a student decided to make a mess or whatever, who do I go to? Do I go back to my classroom teacher? Do I
try to go to the main office? What's what's the protocol there? >> Any of the Any of the above? Yeah. >> Um and during any pass when I've been out and walking around at the park and maybe our students could help us. Um there's always adults adjacent. >> Uh so anyone in that administration
hallway right there can put in a work order. >> So that would be somebody to pop in and report to. >> Great. >> Okay. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> All right. We are um going to skip the citizens comments overflows because
that's not necessary this evening. We will move on to action items and discussion. Um we have consider approval of a resolution for local district's vote on Wayne Resa budget. This is a first reading. Dr. Merritt, can you take us through that? Uh yes. So as you know annually Wayne Resa which is our
intermediate school district um supply uh provides many supports for the district. They are required to approve their budget. um they must submit to all districts their proposed budget by May the 1st. So for the last few weeks in
board notes, you've received information from their budget as well as uh FAQs. Um they've also made themselves available for some presentations with meeting links virtually if board members were interested. Um it is required then after each of our districts, the 33 uh school
districts in the county um either vote to approve or disapprove um the proposed budget, they have to submit that to Wayne Visa by June the 1st. So you have that information as we are. They are always left with the same uncertainty
because that budget is required before we actually know what's going on in the state. So they um really have a similar process that we do at our local districts in terms of their projections and their assumptions. Um and so at this point they'll make those decisions without the state yet finalizing and I
think everything kind of shakes out within uh um amendment time as we always do as well. So it's a pretty solid budget coming forward. When you look at things I know that there's questions at times about enhancement mill is not a forprofit. They're more of a pass through. So when we look at an
enhancement millage although they take um do you call it ownership what do you call they take the proceeds but is every penny is distributed back out to the district when we look at things such as our myar we have just a suite of services that are supported through
Wayne Resa so we are on a per pupil basis we pay into that piece so all of that information is available to you tonight we are asking for your consideration as a first read we will come back asking for your um consideration as a vote at our next
meeting. Um, if by chance you haven't had a chance to review or attend any of these workshops, Wayne Reese's, assistant superintendent for business services also makes himself available if there's any board member that has any specific question around um their
budget. They've spent time with us as a superintendent group walking us through and again um opening their doors. So um at the time at this time if you have any questions that you may need to either have me ask of them or if you want to bring them in as well bring them into an
FNO they're also available for that but without any questions please continue to review and be prepared to come with a decision by the 26th is that the next meeting. Um and then we are required to submit that um notification to them by
June the 1st. >> Okay. And since we I mean they're not here to actually ask the questions. If you do have questions, please email them to myself and Dr. Merritt and we can get them over to the right right people. Okay.
All right. So, we'll move on to action item number 26-05-64. Consider approval of a resolution for a video scoreboard donation for the Canton Natiatorium. This is a final reading. Can I please have a motion? Madame President, I move that we
consider that we approve action item 260564. Consider approval of a resolution for a video scoreboard donation for the Cantonitorium. Can I have a second? >> Second. >> It was moved by member Wester and seconded by member Ahmed. Um, we did
discuss this at our last meeting. Do we have any other questions or comments on this one? No. Hearing none, I'll call for the vote. Those in favor, please say yes. Yes. >> Yes. Those opposed say no. >> Motion carries 5. >> Okay. We're moving on to action item
number 26-05-65. Consider approval of a resolution for an employ for an employee surveillance plan proposal. This is a first and final reading. >> Surveillance. >> I didn't even hear it. >> Let the record show.
>> Not employee surveillance. I'm gonna start that over. >> Yeah, that's really easy. >> We're gonna edit that out of the live feed. Right. Starting over. Cut. Go. Okay. No. Action item number 26-05-65.
Consider approval of a resolution for an employee severance plan proposal. First and final reading. Can I please have a motion? >> Madam President, I'd like to move that we consider approval of a resolution for an employee severance plan proposal. This is the first and final reading
action item 26-05-65. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. So, it was moved by member Amed and seconded by member Wester. We just heard the presentation obviously had some dialogue around that. Um, but I will open it up to any other questions or comments before the vote. Hearing
none, I'll call for the vote. Those in favor, please. >> Oh, Josh, I'm so sorry. >> I just have one quick question. Yes. um around teachers um that have stayed in the district for a long time. Um obviously they're the ones eligible and oftentimes they're the ones who have a
lot of knowledge and help the younger teachers. Are we concerned that we might lose a lot of those resources through this or is that not >> I'll jump in first. I was not a fan of it and understanding it is mutually beneficial. Well, you hear me at every
meeting talk about the success of our students rides on our teachers and we are really fortunate that our staff has been with us for so long. Even going through teaching shortages across the state, we've been pretty successful with that fill rate. So, um I definitely have
a little bit of anxiety around it and I know that we're at a place that will consider that. Uh as well, but um it's yeah, there we we have very talented staff and and I I I know I've heard I will say the future is bright. I've heard from our staff from many of the
student teachers, for example, that they have been um working with this year that they're saying, "Hey, we need to capture them before they get away from us." So, I know that there are um wonderful uh education programs and we have great staff, but you'll never be able to always replace the experience of people
that have been here a long time. So, I guess I that sounded like I know, but I'm in support of >> I will concur. But the other thought is this. Our teachers are that have been here. We have we do have great teachers
in the district. once upon a time they weren't here 15 20 years they've grown into that so part of the thing part of our job is part of it's I I believe part of our job um duty to the profession is to grow folks into stronger teachers so
if we replace at some point I probably going to I get in trouble all the time but but um at some point um all these people were going to retire. I don't think that
um the the way it's constructed is constructed where somebody that was talking about retiring five or six years, they're not going to leave based upon this. It's really really those that might have been talking about going the next year or two some or you know are the ones that were going anyway. And so that's why it's kind of mutually um um
beneficial for us in the teachers in the union to do this at this time. But I do believe that we can if we we can find those same talented younger teachers, not you know less experienced teachers. >> Yes, please clarify that >> less experienced teachers and then bring
them up um through the years so that 15 years from now we'll be sitting here well some people will be sitting here and having the same conversation about how great these teachers are now. And I will say I appreciate your response to that as I um probably had uh a different
kind of I've got a little nervousness. I believe it was probably how many years ago did we have a buyout and it was before I got to the district so it had to be prior to 2011 and I will say that as much as you know so this is the same time period as people were coming in and
we have amazing teachers now as well. I was about to say that piece because >> 2004 is the last time we >> because some teachers that have interest in this um have mentioned that oh yeah I was hired in the last group the last time that we did the buyouts and so
there's there's a cycle time to this and it's probably about that time now. >> So that was a good fast fact that kind of helped me get onto this on to onto on on board. >> Thank you. >> Great question. Thank you. Okay, hearing
no more questions, I will call for the vote. Those in favor, please say yes. Yes. Those opposed say no. Motion carries. 5-0. >> All right. >> See, you're applauding back there. >> All right. Good. Thank you. Um, all
right. Moving on to >> You got to go help me with my anxiety now. We got all be >> Yeah. Moving on to follow-up board questions. We didn't have any from the previous board meeting. Um, and I I didn't capture any today. I know we did have some questions, but seems like we
we received a response one way or another through our KPI reporting and other things. >> Okay. >> I just have something I wanted to say. Um, >> I have had a lot of staff and teachers reach out to me lately. Um, and I'm in a
unique position where I have been a staff member. Um, so I know what it's like. Um, I've experienced climate in the district and I'm really concerned that some of the that the climate that
our teachers and staff are working in right now. I'm concerned about it and we're losing people and the the messages that I'm getting are I can't I can't stay in this anymore. I'm hearing concerns about stress that
are leading to um hospitalization, morale, communication, and people feeling like they're not being heard. Um our staff well-being links to student success and if our employees are feeling this
way, then our students will not benefit from from that. Um so what I'm asking is we can take this seriously and come up with a real plan to improve staff climate. Um,
including like where we're at now, what specific steps can be taken, what the timeline is, and how will we share our progress with the community. And I would add I've also heard some concerns on um just the exhaust not I
don't know if it's exhaustion but just frustration that you're in. >> Okay. Any other followup board questions? >> Oh, I did have one on just for the policy meeting that were we supposed to
get some information on the two different um uh >> the two that we were going to discuss or whatever. I thought we'd have some stuff to review. >> Yeah. >> Oh, just like stuff to review before we go to that meeting. >> Okay.
>> In preparation for the next committee of the whole policy meeting. >> Y Okay. Okay. >> Okay. All right. Thank you everyone. Uh that concludes our meeting this evening. I'm going to adjourn at 9:21 p.m.