00:00:11,400	President of the Bismarck school board, it's 5:15 on Monday, September 9th. I called this meeting to order. Welcome to those of you who are joining us both here and also online, you can find our agenda and follow along online under the school board tab at Bismarckschools.org. Mr.

00:00:27,900	Sher, will you call the roll please, Mr. Eastgate, Mr. Hagar, here, Mr. Lee, here, Mrs. Peterson here, Ms. Preske. Please note all board members are present and accounted for. Dr. Fast, would you lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? the United States. And. Uh s Thank you, Dr. Frost. Item 1 C, the BPS mission vision and values.

00:01:08,600	The BPS mission is to empower every learner to thrive. The BPS vision states together our strong relationships build inclusive, collaborative and innovative environments that create agency and inspire a passion for learning, excellence and discovery. The BPS values are inclusion, excellence, innovation, and leadership. You can also find a link in the agenda to the BPS strategic plan.

00:01:28,230	Item 2 is to adopt the agenda. What are the wishes of the board? Mr. Hagar, Moved to adopt the agenda. So We have a motion and a second for Mr. Lee, I believe, got in there first, Mr. Sher. Roll please Hager Lee Peterson, Preske Eastgate. Yes, motion passes. Item 3 is focus on success. The mentor-mentee program, Dr.

00:01:56,870	Fasna, um, good afternoon, board members. Nice to see you. It's been a little break, so it's good to have you, uh, be back together tonight for focus of success. I'd like to introduce, uh, Miss Stacy Geiger, or, uh, HR director who'll be talking about our mentor mentee program, and she has several guests that she will introduce as they come up.

00:02:13,200	So welcome, Ms. Geer. Ms. Gagger. Good evening, President Eastgate and board members. Um, our focus on success tonight is on the BPS mentor. program, which is a collaborative between the LDI student support Service, and Human Resource department. And I just want to say thank you to Dr.

00:02:32,930	Tara Olson, Linda Hoig, and Tracy Reimbold for all the work that they do to help make this program a success. And of course, a wealth of gratitude to our mentors. Without them, um, we couldn't have this program at all. So this evening I do have Dr.

00:02:50,730	Tara Olson and some special guests who want to share their experiences with you, but before I invite them up, I would like to share with you. Went to work there. This year we've had 5157 1st year teachers with 30 teachers who are new to our district. 52 teachers in their second year of teaching in our district and a total of 87 mentors.

00:03:20,430	Each year, we survey our mentors and mentees and overwhelmingly the response has always been we want more on well-being. So we listened, and so as you can see by our survey responses. That we line intertwin nicely with um Dr. Fastnat's Elevate initiative.

00:03:47,400	So these common themes that we found were undereducators, we support, mentor, as well as mentee dignity celebrate the value of the profession. Opportunities, work life balance, wellness, and self-care often rise to the top. Well-being, meaningful time with their mentor and many state the value of sessions on wellness or self-care. So last year, um, Dr. Olson shared the opportunity with me to see a phenomenal speaker, Dr. Tina Bogren. In listening to the survey responses, we felt Dr.

00:04:14,830	Bogram would be a wonderful experience in supporting our mentors and mentees. So President Eastgate and board members, I would like to now invite Dr. Tara Olson to speak on behalf of her work with the pogrom and Dr. Tina Bren. Thank you.

00:04:35,470	Um, so as you can see, our feedback from our staff matched some of the things we are seeing in research in terms of being able to be supported through their personal wellness as well as professional wellness. So working with our administrative team, executive team, and our building administrators.

00:04:53,470	We landed upon using a community of practice model because it really builds the social networks that make people feel like they belong in the environment and then it provided learning opportunities for our veteran as well as new teachers, as you saw when um Miss Geiger. showed you, we have brand new teachers. We have teachers that are coming to us from other locations and then we have our veteran teachers.

00:05:09,370	So this community of practice model best supports all of them in a more personalized way. Um, Dr. Tina Bren at about the same time as we're doing this research, many of our buildings were engaging in um book studies around Dr.

00:05:28,030	Tina Booger's book 180 Days of Self-care, and they were having such positive feedback, we started looking into how could she support a launch into this program that we want to revise and with luck, she actually was available when we needed her. So, um, she began coming with us in August. She met with our um new staff.

00:05:47,230	are actually our mentors because that's one thing we noticed too, we have our mentors didn't feel supported in their role as mentors, and we want to build that up as a place for leadership, so she spent a full day just with our mentors. The following day, uh, she was with our mentors and mentees in both of those sessions, administrators were invited to be part of that process.

00:06:02,230	She will continue to come throughout the year and strategically planned around this cycle. Um, this cycle is, um, has been researched by the new teacher center, but it is a typical cycle that new teachers go through.

00:06:18,230	If you look deeply, it's a cycle most teachers go through and if you live in North Dakota, we all go through that. And so, and so she will be coming again in in November, January and April virtually to meet with our mentors and mentees during our dinner nights. Um, so most of you who know me know that I could talk about research forever, but research doesn't matter unless it goes into practice.

00:06:34,870	So with that, I would like to introduce to you, um, Tara Street, um, who is a mentor and an EL teacher, um, Ashley Is there a new 2nd grade teacher, and Lexi Joseph to share their stories. OK. Thank you so much. Um, I am so happy that I'm a mentor this year.

00:06:56,770	I've been teaching for 24 years, and I wish that I had something like this when I first started teaching. I didn't have the support, so I'm so grateful that I get to be part of this program. And Tina was phenomenal. She was wonderful.

00:07:11,730	I recommended her to my sister who's a counselor in another district, and I said you have to get her for your PD days. She's wonderful. Um, but she did talk about how that the phases of the first year teaching, you know, and how we start with that anticipation and then Then we're kind of just surviving, and then we get to disillusionment and then we work our way back up and it's

00:07:26,570	normal. Um, she was wonderful. She has researched to back up everything that she says, but she's very practical, um, something very simple that we said drink water. OK, that's something everybody can do. Take care of yourselves. She wasn't trying to sell us a weight loss program where you have to exercise.

00:07:44,270	It was take care of yourself so you can do your job. So I really appreciated her coming and I would love for her to actually speak to. All staff. I think she'd be wonderful for for everyone to hear. Um, Another one was don't skip lunch too. That was a really important one.

00:08:01,630	Sometimes we forget that I said the other day I was eating my lunch in my car and I'm like, wait, I'm not supposed to skip my lunch. I'm supposed to, you know, have lunch every day, but just to, she was very practical. This is normal, um, she was, she was real. You know, and she's taught before, she understands it. She gets it.

00:08:19,430	So anyways, I really appreciate that we have the opportunity to, to work with her as mentors the first day and she did a lot of training with us on how to work with our mentees, um, be an active listener, um, and then the next day we got to work with our mentees and and do a

00:08:33,330	training together. So it was wonderful. I'm so happy I got to be part of it. Yeah, Tina is absolutely wonderful, something that I really took away is she talked about a lot of like, let your mentor know if you're not OK. Um, and as we're entering that survival stage.

00:08:52,000	I've already told my mentor Lexi, like I'm not OK and not even mental health wise, but like my team said we're map testing this week and I said, Lexi, I'm not OK. I don't even know how to map test.

00:09:04,900	And so just having that one person to go to and Tina saying like it's OK, they want to help, they signed up for this role for a purpose, was really inspirational and letting me know I can go there and I don't have to worry about who would be the best. to address. Um, and if Lexi isn't, she knows who is the best person she can send me to the right person.

00:09:22,300	So one thing I really appreciated with Tina Bern is she talked about prioritizing well-being and even though I've been doing this, I'm in my 11th year. I still have to think about what can I do to prioritize uh well-being. So it was good for not only mentor or mentees to here but mentors as well.

00:09:38,470	So things that she talked about was prioritizing self-care, so making sure we're trying our best to prevent burnout because once you're in education, you want to stay in education, so just doing our best to make sure we don't burn out and take take time for ourselves, uh, working on enhancing our performance, so Making sure that we're always looking to improve our teaching effectiveness and the

00:09:55,500	mentor-mentee program really helps with that as a mentor, continuing to, you know, grow myself as a professional, um, she'd also talked about reducing stress, so she gave us some um examples of what we can do for like mindfulness and like, uh, Tara said, drink water, make sure you eat.

00:10:12,030	So that was really nice to be reminded to do that because sometimes we forget and then talking about a self-care routine. So what can you do to keep that sustainable year after year, um, It was really nice.

00:10:28,030	And the best part of it was being able to connect with my mentee or my two mentees, um, and to be able to share an experience together, when we met, met as mentors, she talked about and shared with us her anatomy of trust, and she called it braving. So I'm gonna go over the, it's the acronym raving, so each letter represents a different part.

00:10:46,170	Uh, it was boundaries, so making sure you set those boundaries with your, with your mentee and um making sure that they, they know those things, uh, reliability, so holding you or each. They're reliable, accountability was the A part. The big one that stuck out to me was the V stands for vault, which never would have thought about that. So making sure we maintain that confidentiality.

00:11:04,370	So that was really nice that some conversations that you're going to have as mentor Minte are going to be personal to to students and to their families, so making sure we keep that confidentiality was huge. Integrity, having a nonjudgmental approach and then the generosity. So the biggest part was being able to again connect with my mentee.

00:11:21,430	And trying to find the value in a in a connection in a relationship because I remember 11 years ago in first year teacher, I was very nervous, didn't know who to go to, didn't know when something came up, try to problem solve it was really hard to find that person even though I did have a mentor,

00:11:36,930	the program now compared to where we were 11 years ago is night and day difference. Um, and like Ashley was saying, I'm glad she mentioned it. If I, we don't know answers as mentors, we have other mentors that we can go to, so it was.

00:11:51,830	Nice to be able to connect with mentors so that we know who else can I go to on the team to find information. That was great. Thank you. Are there any questions for The mentor mentees or any of us? Board members, any questions? Mr.

00:12:19,730	Lee, Thank you, President Eastgate, uh, just looking at that, that first slide after the introduction, there's there's 87 mentors, correct? And so that just does that basically cover the first year teachers and the and the teachers who are new to the district. And 2nd year in the 2nd year.

00:12:42,770	So they each, each of the mentors have 2 or? Mentees Or how are they they may have more than one mentee per mentor always so yes in the past, it's been more 1 to 1, but as we looked at a community of practice, um, We asked mentors to be open to having multiple. It's a big mind shift for them, but we saw value in that in bringing others together.

00:13:07,170	Our student support services department has done that for a while, just they've got so many every year and they're spread out across the district, so, um, Linda Hoeg was a great resource and set that example and so many have multiple, but we did honor those that some were Just not comfortable and wanted to stick with one and so we, we honored that, so yeah, thanks, just

00:13:27,570	trying to add it up in my head here, but I think this is absolutely wonderful. I love these types of, of programs, um, where you have mentors much like our PLCs and it it seems like you get down to the uh the brass tacks, right? I mean, you're dealing with real issues, day to day issues that teachers

00:13:45,130	face, and the more help we can give them, the better. So thank you all for this presentation and your work. In this program. Thank you. But remember, Mrs. Peterson.

00:14:01,100	I have one other other question kind of along those same lines, just wondering if these numbers are, are kind of typical in terms of, you know, 57 in the first year and then 30 who are new to the district. Does that increasing? Are we kind of staying levels what we were last year, um, you know, those off the top of your head. We're a little bit, we're lower this year.

00:14:14,970	This is probably one of the lowest years we've had for a while, um, typically we're in the 130 range about we were last year. I thought that I kind of remembered that, which is more meaningful. Not or more manageable, I should say, so hopefully, um, and it sounds like you were responsive to some of the needs from last year.

00:14:31,500	So again, I also agree that these are great programs, so thanks for all the work you guys do. Thanks. Thank you. Any questions or comments, Ms. Preskey. Yeah, thank you. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

00:14:47,570	I think it's really good to learn about these opportunities and it also highlights the resources that we have within BPS, um, you know, teachers that have been around the block for a few years that can use their experiences to help others who are who are. Um, I think is wonderful and it probably takes a little pressure too off of those, um, Oh my gosh, I just blinked it, um, John, come on.

00:15:08,830	I know you got this off of coaches, instructional coaches. Thank you. Sorry, I had it in my head before I pushed the button and I lost it, um, but I, I'm sure it takes a little bit of pressure off of, off of them and we, we often hear about instructional coaches when we go into the into the schools.

00:15:27,030	So, um, a really good program for especially those newer teachers, so thank you and thanks to the mentors that are out there doing the job. Thank you. And Mr. Hager. Thanks President Eastgate. I guess the question I have is how, how does one become a mentor? Is that something they sign up for? We do.

00:15:45,630	We actually have an application process because we look at as as an uh leadership opportunity. So we've actually developed a job description, um, in hopes that they can use that in their portfolio as a um professional growth showing, uh, leadership opportunity by being a mentor.

00:16:09,930	So, so with that application process, do you have more people signed up? To be mentors and we've utilized every mentor we can, so you get kind of a 1 to 1. Yeah, we do not have an overabundance. OK, thank you. Yeah, thank you, Ms. Guyer and, and the whole team for being here and presenting tonight, um, you know, I think everybody, no matter what age and stage, should have a mentor.

00:16:24,700	I do, and so thank you to those of you that raise your hand and say you're willing to, and to everybody else and remind everybody else in the room we should all have mentors, we should seek out people that can give us some wisdom and guidance and certainly appreciate what you guys are

00:16:35,930	doing for all the educators in our buildings. Thank you. That That now we good to move on to the next agenda item, or did you have anything to add? I would just echo thank you for acknowledging these uh fine professionals we do, uh, I what I appreciate is long before I was here, this program and

00:16:57,000	these people are really elevating the profession. We just happened to latch on the idea that they're really doing this really important work, and the more we can promote it and lift it, um, the better our educators and our staff are. So and I agree with you.

00:17:13,400	Even at my ripe old age, I benefit from having a mentor, someone you can bounce ideas across, so that concept is very beneficial, so I just applaud our mentors and our program and and thanks for all their work. Thank you. Thanks for bringing that tonight on the agenda. Moving on, we're going to item 4 public comment.

00:17:31,970	The board recognizes the central role parents play in the education of their children, and we support active parent involvement in the educational process. The board's practice of public comment reflects and aligns with policy BCBA and the spirit of its intent.

00:17:48,500	For classroom issues, it's best to follow the chain of command to your teacher, the principal, then to the assistant superintendent and then to the superintendent for districtwide issues, please reach out to Dr. Foznat's office. If you do speak tonight, we simply ask that you be responsible, be helpful, and be respectful. Our BPS students deserve to have adults model the expectations that we have for them.

00:18:06,100	Groups are urged to select one spokes spokesperson, individuals will be limited to no more than 4 minutes, and they'll be notified with 30 seconds remaining to conclude their remarks. The board does not debate issues as presented, but we do take such matters under advisement. With that, please stand in the approach the podium if you'd like to speak tonight.

00:18:24,800	Do you have a more robust audience tonight, but seeing nobody approaching the podium, public comment is now closed. Moving on on our agenda we're on item 5 monitored district operations. 5A is OE4. Personnel administration. Dr. Frosno. Um, yeah, tonight board members you have in front of you only 4 personnel, personnel administration. Um, I'm gonna, before I make any comments, I think I'll let Ms.

00:18:47,230	Geiger present this report as she's our HR director and then we might have some concluding remarks, so. Thank you, Dr. Fastnut. Welcome back. Thank you, President Gate and board members. Um, as you reviewed the report that you can see that um we were in compliance in all areas, um, except 4.8.5, um, with an exception.

00:19:09,630	So I'm page 10 indicator 5, I know we did not meet compliance with the retention rate for the secretarial and custodial staff, but I do want to share that we do have all those positions filled as of today. So that is great, um, great news for us.

00:19:29,430	Um, we have just a couple child nutrition left, um, and of course instructional aids is, is always a challenge as well, but, um, our work at BPS for retention and recruitment, um, as we continue to experience the challenges, um, with recruiting staff are an exit survey indicates concerns with pay. That was one of the um major comments in the survey.

00:19:51,570	So BPS did complete a market study of our positions with the public sector personnel consultants in February of 2024. The data compiled from 8 larger districts in North Dakota and other public, which included city, county, state, and we also included the private sector of comparable positions.

00:20:16,300	So the study was narrowed then by region because we felt that we need to be more comparable within the Midwest versus East versus West because there's just such a variance in salary. So our study was narrowed by um myot Jamestown, Mandan, Bellcourt, and Dickinson. So those were the districts and areas that were included. The study did reveal challenges in our cell reschedule and to marginalize cost. We work, we thought we'd work in phases.

00:20:40,370	So phase one, we condense the cell, the hourly salary schedule from 15 steps to 10, which allows our employees to move up a little bit quicker. Um, and then moving step one to step 2, to help us increase our starting rate and help in that recruitment effort so that we can kind of remain competitive,

00:21:01,170	um, with that first step on upon hire. Um, everyone did still continue to receive their 4% increase. They were placed on the new salary schedule so that they did still receive that increase that was awarded by the board.

00:21:23,800	Phase two is that we're looking at all positions that were 10% greater below market, and those are going to be addressed. That's our next phase and then phase 3, we will review the remaining salary schedule upon negotiations in 2025. Um, any questions on that part so far from board members, any questions for Mrs. Skiger? Um, instructional aids, um, continue to be challenging in our hiring.

00:21:51,370	Of course it's the nature of the 9 month and also the challenge of offering the, uh, benefits. But again, BPS is collaborating with local universities and colleges to develop an interest in a career in education with our current high school students.

00:22:13,830	So BPS currently has 17 students in the peer to peer program, which we are paying them as student workers, so they're actually working as an instructional aid on their um break time or period break period to um help us in that area as well, but also maybe spark some of that interest into going into education. Um, we also continue to seek out job fairs, um, and attend wherever we can to help in recruitment efforts.

00:22:36,170	As far as teacher recruitment, um, I again want to thank you, the board, and Dr. Fossna for the opportunity for us to hire early this year. Um, that was a tremendous help to us.

00:22:57,270	We could get out into those uh universities, we could do those first interviews and we were the first district to, um, hire these highly qualified teachers even before they graduated, so it was, it was. A great help to us to fill those positions. Not all of the other districts were happy with us, but you know, it worked for us. Um, BPS currently has 7 in the uh pair to teacher program in collaboration with the University of Mary and Minot State.

00:23:20,200	And we have 6 employees in the counselor plan of study program, and we just have one resident teacher in special education right now. Um, any questions on that part, sir? OK, just some last things I'd like to share with you that we're excited as of today was our first round of lane changes.

00:23:42,630	We have 160 lane change requests that were run through, so thank you to Paulette for processing all of those. Um, we have our on-site fingerprinting up and running so we had our actual fingerprinting done today so we'll give our employees uh, Much more friendly environment, let's say, to come in and have their fingerprints done.

00:24:07,570	And as of today we have 2,0243 employees with BPS 1,146 teachers. Thank you. So I'm open to any questions that you might have. Thank you, Ms. Geiger. board members, any questions? And anything dealing with O4 personnel administration. But For remember Lee. I think President Eastgate, uh, more of a comment, um. Just because this really ties in with uh.

00:24:36,470	What the board kind of brought to the table a couple meetings ago with the dignity index and things. And I think this is really Paramount for our district, for any district, um, especially a district this size, um, and when we look at uh.

00:24:58,800	Number 11, this is a huge charge that we we've given the, the superintendent to maintain an organizational culture that positively impacts the ability to staff to Responsibly perform their jobs and allows them to work in an environment of professional support and courtesy. And then if we, we look at, you know, what the board's committed to a culture of collaboration and inclusion where all employees are treated with dignity and respect.

00:25:18,570	I think that's a lot, um, that's on your plate, but I also view it as one of the most important parts of your job is to maintain that culture um among so many uh employees.

00:25:38,930	I mean, it's, it, it's hard, but, um, I think it's a trickle down thing, right? And I think it's um it it really is something that uh you place an emphasis on at the top, and I, I think you're, you're doing a great job there and I think we have to continue to do work in in that respect, but I appreciate that work and I think it really aligns with where we as a board not only

00:25:55,430	want ourselves to go this community to go, but also this district to go. So I think it's important. Thank you for your work on that. You're welcome. Thank you, Mr. Lee. Dr. Frosna, if you don't mind, I'll respond to that. I appreciate that, um, Mr. Lee, I'm, I'm.

00:26:14,070	Hopefully I'm glad you, you recognize it, the dignity index is part of that, but it's how we interact with staff each and every day. That's, I think, uh, hopefully my, my staff, my employees, because that's a good number for me to remember, 2243, and you know that kind of changes every day, um, but, um.

00:26:31,170	It's how we respond to them for leaders and how we address people, how we address challenges, how we address, um, uh, inside of the organization, how we solve problems, how we celebrate success, um, You're, you're exactly right, culture matters, how we treat people matters and uh um I hope it, I hope we find that that number of new teachers continues to

00:26:53,030	decline because it's not that um. We're not growing, but we're we're retaining those quality educators, those quality staff, and that's a great mark of an institution where you feel like you're valued and you have a you have a purpose and you can excel and and you're taken care of, so I appreciate that.

00:27:10,770	I, I hope all my staff feels that way, that we're making a good change there, so. If you don't mind too, if I can add a comment to Miss Geiger's points and let other board members add to that too is we really did put an emphasis on hiring early.

00:27:26,800	I don't know if you noticed it, but, um, one of the things when I first took office last year, I think all my leadership team came to me and said, we're getting beat, Jeff. We're getting beat to the employees because of the bureaucracy of BPS and how long it takes to hire, we're losing good candidates. We need to expedite.

00:27:45,130	that. So we just worked really hard. We know we transferred what 80 new employees, 100, we know there's always this bullpen that we could keep filling, um, so we're just very intentional like we feel very confident that 10 number of teachers, we will have a spot for.

00:28:00,900	We may not know today, the first of December, but we know it's coming, so let's get out there and find the highest quality uh applicants, hire them, get under contract, and we'll figure out where they're gonna be later. Um. That's a little bit of a risk, but it's a risk that absolutely paid off for the district.

00:28:18,500	We were out there finding the highest quality applicants first, and as Stacey said, we probably had some neighbors that weren't too happy with that, but I won't pick on my neighbors on that. I'll, I'll talk to him tomorrow. Um, but, uh, it, it is really we have to be more aggressive.

00:28:37,170	I mean, she already shared the the pair to teacher or we're building a pathway inside of our high schools to get, you know, students ready to to advance to become teachers. It's all that work that really matters for us to continue to fill the teacher pipeline, so. Well done. Thank you. Thanks for that.

00:28:59,730	Board members see no further questions, um, with respect to OE4 personnel administration tells the board find OE4. Mr. President, in regards to OE4 personnel administration. I move that we accept this report as presented in compliance. I'll second. Motion the second any further discussion. Seeing done, Mr. Cha, the role please Lee. Yes, Peterson, Preske Hager Eastgate. Yes, motion passes. I 5 BGC2 governing commitments. And thank you, Ms.

00:29:36,370	Geiger, for coming up to present again on that. Appreciate that very much. Um looking at GC2 governing commitments, we'll start with the public reading. And then the board can determine. If we're going to retain or amend and if we're at what compliance level we're at. So here's the public reading GC2 governing commitments.

00:29:57,770	The board of govern lawfully with primary emphasis on results for students, encourage full exploration of diverse viewpoints, focus on governance matters rather than administrative issues er observe clear separation of board and superintendent roles, make all official decisions by formal vote of the board and govern with long-term vision. The boardal function as a single unit.

00:30:17,500	The opinions and personal strengths of individual members will be used to the board's best advantage, but the board faithfully will make decisions as a group by formal vote. No officer, individual, or committee of the board will be permitted to limit the board's performance or prevent the board from fulfilling its commitments.

00:30:35,230	Number 2, the board is responsible for its own performance and commits itself to continuous improvement. The board will assure that its members are provided with training and professional support necessary to govern effectively. As a means to assure continuous improvement, the board regularly and systematically will monitor all policies in this section. And we'll assess the quality of each meeting by debriefing the meeting following its conclusion.

00:30:54,830	Number 3 To ensure that the board's business meetings are conducted with maximum effectiveness and efficiency, members will come to meetings adequately prepared. B speak only when recognized. See, not interrupt each other. D not engage in side conversations not repeat what has already been said if not play to the audience or monopolize the discussion.

00:31:17,230	G support the president's efforts to facilitate an orderly meeting? communicate openly and actively in discussion and dialogue to avoid surprises, I encourage balanced participation of all members J practice respectful body language.

00:31:39,170	Number 4, the, the board will use a consent agenda as a means to expedite the disposition of routine matters and dispose of other items of business it chooses not to discuss. All administrative matters delegated to the superintendent that are required to be approved by the board will be acted upon by the board via the consent agenda 5 an item may be removed from the consent agenda upon concurrence of a majority of the board members present and voting. Number 6, the board will direct the district through policy.

00:31:57,100	The board's major focus will be on the results expected to be achieved by students rather than on the strategic choices made by the superintendent and staff to achieve those results. And number 7. The board by majority vote may revise and amend its policies at any time.

00:32:14,430	However, as a customary practice, a proposed policy revision will be discussed at one session of the board prior to being approved at a subsequent board meeting, subsequent board meeting. This brings the end of the reading. For GC2 governing commitments. Board members, any discussion about Mrs. Peterson. I'm, I'm glad that we had this one.

00:32:37,470	I think that this for those of us and I just want to commend, you know, Dr. Fast and again to recommitting to coherent governance and some of the policies that we take, um, you know, as we, as we kind of act as one and, and try to conduct, you know, orderly meetings and coming to prepared with some of these very lengthy reports.

00:32:53,930	So I just, I appreciate that this is on there at the beginning of the year just to recommit to the coherent governance model, but also let us know that you know this is that it's a business meeting, so there's.

00:33:06,700	A lot of things that kind of come, come into play that we've got to kind of do our homework on beforehand and, um, I just really appreciate both the preparation that the team does so that we're prepared to do that, but also that we as a board, um, continue to act responsibly, you know, within this.

00:33:23,930	So I believe that this is a, is a good one to come back to, um, for those that are kind of confused as to what that coherent governance means, and I think that um some within our communications you've re upped that idea of coherent governance so That those that are in the public that aren't sure how this all works, this is a good one to come come back

00:33:38,430	to that, so. More the comment than anything. Mr. Lee, Uh, thank you, Mr. President. Um, this has come up for about 5 years now, um, I'm just gonna point your direction to go governing commitment to at the end we'll assess the quality of each meeting by debriefing the meeting following its conclusion.

00:34:04,370	We've never amended that, um. I, I feel like we're we're in compliance with that exception because we, we do not debrief. It was part of Aspen Group what they wanted us to do, um, when we first uh installed coherent governance in the district. We did start with debriefing. didn't seem to be, I don't know if we weren't.

00:34:24,700	Doing it the way Aspen Group wanted us to, I'm pretty sure we weren't, but it didn't seem to have much value at that time. I've never felt a strong need for us. You do it, I'm open to if the board wants to.

00:34:45,500	Uh, to do that in the future, I would just say either we commit to trying that again or amending this to take that off so we can be in compliance next year. Fair point, Mr. Lee.

00:35:01,100	We have talked about that when I underlined it right away as I was reading it as well and it's one of those things where it's, it can be easy to just not add that in, and I think probably informally things get debriefed at times, you know, um, that we need to talk through or something to fix, but you're right, I mean the board itself has never done a formal debrief in my time either. So Mr. Hager, thanks, President Eastgate. So, so along those lines, um, Mr.

00:35:18,670	Lee, that last line. You know, if it's, if it's something. That we may potentially want to do. But not have to, could you change instead of will assess to something softer, maybe like may assess. I, I do think, um, my thought was.

00:35:42,670	Whether we use Mayor Will, I like May better, right, because if there's a problem, we, we may choose to to look at it, but, but I don't think we need to. I think it could be and may assess the quality of each meeting period. I don't know that we've ever committed to debriefing the meeting following its conclusion, and I'm fine with it.

00:36:01,430	I think it's been working fine without it, but I think we have to leave it open that we, we can assess the quality of the meeting if, if, if need be, it doesn't necessarily need to be uh at the end of the meeting, so as far as that's concerned, I would like to see it amended to and may assess the quality

00:36:16,830	of each meeting period. Board members any other thoughts on that? Ms. Preske. I, I would support that change and I guess my question is, I know I've asked this in the past too, but for something as simple as this, is this something that we can amend now and approve? If I, if

00:36:40,830	I may, I do think um Part of this was that we would, we would talk about it and then the next meeting change it by policy that would be the right work to do things under coherent governance.

00:36:59,200	I, I understand, I think we're all in agreement, um, but if we could put it on for, for the next meeting to, to approve that change? If my board, fellow board members, uh. are in agreement if you're OK, that's the notes I was taking, Mr. Lee, and to your point, Ms. Preske, I will change will to me.

00:37:16,800	And it'll be Reid assess the quality of each meeting period, and then I'll erase the rest and you if you wish, I guess that my recommendation too if you want to look at this as first reading. This is first reading, I'll bring it back to you next, next time we meet. OK.

00:37:37,970	on that motion on that then I would move that um in regards to GC 2, we amend GC2 governing commitments with the aforementioned changes. Second, We have motion in a second and discussion about the change. Seeing none, Mr. Shar the role, please. Peterson Preske Hager Lee, yes, Eastgate, yes, motion passes. Dr. Faz, am I correct? We can just bring that back next week then. OK, perfect. Or Ty, I'm sorry. Thank you, Ms.

00:38:05,800	Preske, at the next meeting. Um, moving on on the agenda, Mr. President, if I may please. So we have recommended to amend GC 2. The next step I would say is I would move that we find GC2 that we're in compliance with that one exception. Second, Motion in the 2nd any further discussion? Mr. Sher.

00:38:34,030	Preske Hager Lee Peterson, he's Gate. Yes. Motion passes. Thank you board members for that discussion. Moving on to item 6, matters reserved for board action 6A, the Bismarck's Renaissance Zone Authority request. Dr. F Fasnot. Yes board members we have with us tonight, Mr. Daniel Nair from the city who would like to talk to you about a Renaissance zone.

00:38:58,800	Good evening. Good evening, President Eastgate School Board. So I'm here on behalf of Bismarck's Renaissance Zone Authority and uh we would like to request your support for this ransom Zone program.

00:39:17,770	I'll give you a little bit of a reminder of what it is and why we're here, so, uh, the Renaissance zone is a state and local tax incentive program that incentivizes capital investment in the central areas of of Bismarck. The, uh, state law requires, uh, support of this program, not only from the city commission but from the other political subdivisions such as yourselves, Burley County, uh, the Park board, we've been soliciting support from as well.

00:39:37,100	So you may recall I was here a year ago, uh, around this time, and you did offer a 5 year support for the program at that time. However, we were only able to receive a one year extension and uh we made some changes to the program that I'd like to just outline for you, uh, and as a

00:39:53,030	result of those changes, uh, we have received support. From the other political subdivisions and so this would be the the final um support that we would seek. So a couple of those changes, um, there's a lot of details to it.

00:40:11,100	I believe the entire development plan has been provided to you and it's, uh, so I won't go into all of those details. The one that I do want to highlight is that we'd like to offer a greater level of involvement for for all of the political subdivisions, uh, that would be uh the opportunity to review and approve any changes to the development plan, which is The

00:40:27,230	program rules that we use to evaluate new projects and approve new projects. Uh, also, um, an opportunity to select a member of this board to be on the renaissance zone Authority, uh, and you may choose to do that or or not at your discretion.

00:40:46,370	uh Burley County Commission did request that and because they have, we want to make that available to any of the political subdivisions uh including the park board and so forth. Uh, the appointments are made on an annual basis in December.

00:41:03,230	So if you do choose to uh do that, uh, you could, uh, make that appointment by December for the following to start in the next following January. So those are the the three are basically components of this request. One would be to support a 5 year extension of the Renaissance Zone program.

00:41:23,700	Uh, the second one would be to, uh, support amendments to the program rules, development plan, and the third would be at your discretion to appoint either now or by December, a member of the school board to the Renaissance Zone Authority. Thank you, Mr. Nairn. uh, board member Peterson. And Mr.

00:41:43,030	Aaron, just a, a clarifying question with, um, if in regards to the board appointment, what is the, um, what is the time commitment or the expectations if, if we did choose to go the route of appointing one of one of the members, like, how many meetings monthly, all kinds of um role would they play? Thank you, board member Peterson. So the, the term would be at, at your choice, the, the typical terms are 3 years, those are appointed by the city commission.

00:42:01,630	However, among yourselves, you could change that term however you'd like the, the, the time commitment is really a monthly meeting. However, we only meet when we have projects to meet to decide upon, so, uh, this month's meeting has been canceled and we do cancel them occasionally, but I would expect a monthly meeting and then of course uh

00:42:20,830	packets are distributed. And there's preparation for that meeting, but that's the time commitment. Uh, Ms. Preske, thanks. Uh, can you go over just highlighting a little bit about this program, what it, how it's benefited Bismarck, um, in particular, I'm, I'm wondering if you can focus on the while we're providing an incentive, um, and a tax

00:42:47,400	exemption, you know, how that benefits maybe the citizens in the long run, um. Do you know where I'm going with that? Thank you. Yes, Bresky. So if you recall last year we had a lot of slides and charts and data and everything, so, um, and I can, I can summarize that for sure.

00:43:05,230	So the, the general premise is that the, the exemption, the tax exemption that uh these property owners would receive it's say both a income tax from the state and a property tax from the local governments, uh, they received that for 5 years, but only in exchange for fairly significant capital investments in the. Property.

00:43:27,100	So these are usually new construction buildings or major rehabilitations to buildings. Um, a lot of really all of the building, the major developments you've seen in the downtown over the last 20 years or so, um, have been involved with the Renaissance Zone program. So, uh, you know, for example, um, uh, the Broadway Center is a pretty major building.

00:43:46,400	Renaissance lofts, uh, and, um, the Grove Apartments um those are all fairly noteworthy examples. Now they, they do receive the exemption from the taxes for 5 years, but when they come back on the tax rolls, uh, it's at a significantly higher tax base, so uh we have done some studies to show that uh over the course

00:44:06,830	of time, uh, the citizens do recoup any of that exist that initial 5 year investment through that that that larger tax base and in fact the program itself has already recouped its long term um costs uh since since 2001 is when the program started. Mr. Lee, thank you, President Eastgate. Um, thank you, Mr. Nairn.

00:44:33,830	uh, it's a great explanation. I just want to give a testimonial to my past life I owned a small business. Part of my decision making process to add on to that business and double the commercial square feet was um, was really tipped on the side of if I could get help from the Renaissance zone, um, money's

00:44:50,970	tight and a small business, it's, it's, it's not easy to do these projects, uh, I went through the formal application process, which was fairly extensive, even the design. Um, elements that you have to come up with and kind of blend it towards your um uh the downtown or your the buildings uh neighboring it.

00:45:08,130	So I did go through that. I was um awarded that uh as a renaissance project, um, so I did get the, the 5 years, uh, um, you know, uh, abatement of property taxes, uh, and I went, I lived through that, um, while it's all great when when my building came back online and was was assessed I

00:45:27,700	knew it would be about twice as much, so. It was almost exactly double. So if you just look at that doing simple math, right? I got the, the 5 years, um, exempt, not abate exempted, and then for 5 years I paid twice what I would have paid, uh, if I hadn't done the expansion

00:45:45,470	since sold the business and the building, um, but guess what, that building is going to be valued at a greater amount uh. Forever, you know, so it's such a, it's such a win-win for small businesses but also for the community also for the subs.

00:46:03,100	That's why I've always been such a, a huge proponent of it because, um, um, believe it or not, small local businesses aren't are millionaires, they're not the people that just have money to throw around, um, these are, these are truly, uh, life saving um programs for them to to grow their business, to grow their footprint to to grow the number of employees they employ.

00:46:23,470	There's just so many good things about this, but just from the property tax, uh, example alone, it's it's a good thing for our city, so that's why I've always been a proponent of it.

00:46:40,430	I appreciate um a community that um that does things like this, that thinks outside the box, that capitalizes on it and it's uh just a great thing so it has my full support. Thank you, Mr. Lee. Appreciate the comments and the testimony. It's good, it's good stuff. We're with you on that. Board members, any other comments? So Mr. Na, just to kind of summarize what we're looking for here tonight to approve 5 year reauthorization along with the amendments.

00:47:02,400	Is that correct? And then also the option of an appointee from the school board. these are things that I imagine the Renaissance zone would prefer to see this come across as a motion and we probably need to do that, so, um, so board members, those are the.

00:47:19,370	I guess at least the first two, I'll bring those up for sure on a 5 year reauthorization we could with the amendments, I think that could probably be put in there, um. What are the wishes of the board? Ms.

00:47:36,900	Peterson, can I ask just one question of us? The reason I asked about the kind of not only just the commitment, but the role is, as I think about what exactly even what you just said, um, board member Lee and just the purpose of the program, which I also fully support the, the program, not, not sure if we, I mean, I'm not sure how, if, if we need to have an appointment um on the board in that participation.

00:47:51,970	I don't know if that if we feel like there would be enough of a question about whether these projects would benefit, you know. Local schools, so that's, I just would love to hear what you guys think about that because I, I don't know if if.

00:48:07,970	What kind of value it would be to also include um representation in that in that regular zone authority or maybe there's somebody that would be interested in serving on that. Um, just wanted to open that up for discussion before going right into motion. Good questions board members, um, I guess we had a board member that had interest.

00:48:25,570	It sounds like it's an open invitation to any of the political subdivisions. If not, we can also wait and the invitation is still there to us. Mr. Lee, uh, thank you, President Eastgate, just to, um, Maybe shed some light on Ms. Peterson's comment.

00:48:43,900	I, you know, I think, I think it'd be a good thing for us to be represented there, just to stay in touch with the program and and what the discussions are and what's going on, um, I, I agree we don't have to, um, I think it's nice to have that invitation and if other subs are going to be on there.

00:49:00,830	Be good at least to have our eyes and ears on on the discussion going forward. Mr. Hager. Thanks. So Mr. Lee along those lines and knowing your recent testimony, would you, would you be interested in, in being the representative for this board on that? See, I knew you were gonna do that to me. I would, I would, I absolutely would.

00:49:19,770	I think it um I feel passionate enough about it. I absolutely would. Great questions, great result. OK, um, board members, uh, unless there's another discussion, which I welcome, um, I'd also entertain emotion. Just gonna try to get the wording right for Darren.

00:49:50,570	Um, I would move that the Bismarck school board, um, provide a letter of support to the Bismarck Community Development Department for a five-year reauthorization of the Bismarck Renaissance Zone program. And support for the Renaissance zone development plan. 2 Motion in a second. Any further discussion? Mrs Sheriff. Hanger Yes, Lee Lee Peterson, Preske, he's gay. Yes, motion passes. Mr.

00:50:17,570	President, if I may, just, just to point out to the superintendent, this is one too where it'd be kind of nice to have a, I was going through the same process. Ms. Peterson was, but to have a, a yay or nay. Cheat up on both of them because it's it's a little hard to decipher from what was recommended like how to, how to make the motion.

00:50:34,170	It's always easier when it's uh when the hard work's done for you and we don't have to do it on the fly, so. Thank you, Mr. President. Fair enough, noted. Got that down. And, uh, do we need a motion for appointee or can we he just serve in the role? Go ahead. Go ahead, Mr. Hager.

00:50:54,030	I would move that Mr. Lee, our representative on the Renaissance Zone Committee. A second. Motion is 2 We had discussion. Mr. Sher will go to the roll. Lee, yes, Peterson, Preske Hager, yes, Eastgate. Yes, motion passes. Thank you very much, Mr. Nairn, for being here tonight and Mr. Lee for serving on the Renaissance zone.

00:51:15,830	Thank you all. Item 6 B CTE C R A C TC plan. Alphabet soup for Dr. Fazna. Yes, it's alphabet soup, um, so I. Or I just thought I could do this and just point at you and you click it. No, it's all right, either one, doesn't matter, um.

00:51:45,630	I As you know, we've been discussing, um, the pros and cons and transitions to um. Uh, to a full CT center, so we'll go to the next slide and um I just want to give you a little background as we talked about maybe the next step and, and I'm, I guess, looking for um an affirmation that you're OK with

00:52:03,370	the next step because right now, um, you have the Bismarck Public Schools Career Academy. Um, you're all aware it opened in 2010. There's 43 classes offered that are school-based courses and that, remember that they're school centered, school-based courses, um, we serve, um, all the BP.

00:52:24,330	students, but we do serve, um, rochial, uh, schools in our community and there's a few kids that come from outside of the Bismarck metro area, just a few, OK? But again, remember these are um locally school funded when it comes to how it's viewed by North Dakota Center for Tech uh Technical education, OK, um, so. Just, just think about that because you do govern our career academy.

00:52:45,070	You are the board of the Creer Academy, OK? How's that different than a CT center? Next slide, you'll, I'm gonna just represent for you the acting or active CT centers in North Dakota.

00:53:07,900	Um, this has grown as of late due to um the construction funding, if you remember, um, the construction, um, funding that came through with COVID funds and BPS applied for that, received some funding. For some of the work we're doing, but it also helped to build out some true centers and other underrepresented parts of the state, i.e an example would be Dickinson, Williston, and, uh, Watford City. OK, didn't have centers before they do now.

00:53:29,230	And so what I'd like to point or have you just remembered these centers get reimbursed at a different rate and I'm going to share that with you in the slide deck, but centers aren't school-based, they're center-based, and that's looked at by the North Dakota Career in Tech Education department, OK? However, can you see right in the middle

00:53:47,500	swath of that map, there's this big gap and on the next slide, if I can have you look at what we are offering is how can we address a true brick and mortar center in that gap of North Dakota and really Bismarck sits there, right? We are in the middle and we represent and,

00:54:07,800	and really feed that center part of the state. So right now in that center, um, swath of the state, we already have. A career academy that's approved operational. It's a CRACTC. That's a mouthful, I know, but the central region area Career and tech center is a virtual center.

00:54:30,700	It provides virtual career in tech education courses to many schools in this area and outside this area across the state. So it's already an approved center in the eyes of the state board, OK? Um, we are already a member, BPS is already a member of that um center along with over 40 schools in the central part of the of the state, um. Mr.

00:54:52,600	Phillips is already the director of CRACTC and Mr. Krueger, who is a BPS employee, is the assistant director for CRACTC. So we're highly interwoven to this operations of CRACTC already, even though it's under a different acronym, it's a different board that represents it's kind of in a different governing structure, but we are highly invested in

00:55:14,170	CRA CTC and how it operates. Um, what we're asking today is, I guess what I would offer. When you consider this is would you be OK expanding the scope of CRACTC to some of the brick and mortar classes, those 43 courses that we offer within the Cer academy for some advantages.

00:55:35,430	OK, so the Y that's on the next slide. Um, why a center? I think it boils down to three parts, and I'm going to dig into these three parts just really quick, but I think it's about elevating uh opportunities for CTE programming.

00:55:54,030	I think it's elevating services for educators and supporting our educators, we kind of hit on that already tonight and elevating and expanding community partnerships. So let's first focus on elevating opportunities. by moving to a true center model away from school-based model. I think we're gonna have more Opportunities for CT program with NBPS because I do think we'll afford some additional support from the state which help us, us expand that concept of CT for all.

00:56:19,230	We've talked about that, right? We want CT experiences for all of our kids. Well, there's resources and capacity we have to build in our system to ensure that. I think by going a center we can help support that.

00:56:39,370	We also have, um, uh, by moving to a true center, we hopefully will um get additional resources to help finish our silver ranch and Hughes work that we've already started, and we've talked about that as a board like that's an investment we're making. We got the grant, we're building the structure, but now we Got to help prop up.

00:56:54,470	We got to build those programs, OK? Um, I think by moving to a true center, we have the opportunity to build out more articulation agreements for uh dual credit CT courses. We have many now, the Career Academy is a leader in this already. um, thanks to Mr.

00:57:13,670	Heroff and his work, but we have more opportunities to do that in some underserved programs, OK? Um, I think also by moving to a center, um, we have um an opportunity to expand our on-site work experiences within the region, not just for maybe the kids and a a corner of our jeez, I almost said man Da Bismarck, um, but also around the region.

00:57:33,800	How can we get more kids in the workforce and having workforce experiences. So that's for expanding opportunities for kids. The next one is for educators. As a true center, a brick and mortar center, um, it was kind of mentioned this morning, those PLCs of professional learning, we have an opportunity to bring in more educators to support PLC work within the region. Now, BPS is fortunate.

00:57:55,870	We have many ag teachers. We have many tech ed teachers, but we also can lend our support to our rural partners that are really serving our future workforce in Bismarck, right? The kids in Wilton and Washburn and Linton, some of those kids come. Us, they come to Bismarck to work.

00:58:12,900	Well, let's support the educators in those programs to build those out, OK? We, um, by a true center, it's gonna lend us to having more resources for more robust curriculum and instructional resources because we'll have more um financial resources to help us with that, but it's also sharing equipment and you've seen pictures of the meat's lab before, uh, hopefully you've seen that uh

00:58:33,700	uh behind the Cer Academy, but that tours all over Syria CRACTC. and gives that opportunity for kids. Now imagine if we're a true center. All the schools now have some additional resources to build more of those opportunities so they can not only visit BPS kids, but they can visit other kids in our region, OK, and

00:58:53,470	help to expand those opportunities for our kids. I think that's a, that's a benefit not only for our kids but our educators because a lot of educators wouldn't get access to that equipment in their classroom.

00:59:09,400	So this gives them an opportunity to have some equipment they would never have an opportunity to use, OK? And lastly, uh, benefiting our communities, um, by being a true center. I think we're looking at regional partnerships, you know, we have business partnerships for our programs, Mr. Phillips does that. We have, you know, business partners that help us like Sanford. Well, really, Sanford's a regional player, right? They're regional influence.

00:59:29,630	Let's see them help other schools and within our region, but if you think to our north, when you get up to Wilton and Washburn, there's some energy producers up there, right, that probably support those schools. I know they do. Well, let's bring them down into Bismarck too. How can you the region.

00:59:47,870	How could you support BPS kids and regional kids, um, and so we want to expand those part business partnerships, um, strengthen the partnerships we already have, and, and look to see if we can expand those and I will say just a little stat that's from the census, uh, just recently taken, you know, when you talk about 6 and 10 young

01:00:03,930	adults will live 10 miles from where they grew up, where they're gonna work, and 8 and 10 adults will live within 100 miles of where they were born, and that's where they're going to work. So we talked. About supporting a region of kids and future students. This is future workforce.

01:00:22,970	This isn't just be Bismarck workforce because we all know, right? We all know people working in our community that came from Napoleon, that came from Linton, that came from Ellendale, wherever there that's the workforce we need to help and support, um, we're supporting kids in BPS that might go out to Washburn and work, but we're also supporting the Washburn kids that's gonna

01:00:41,370	come in Bismarck and work as an adult. So I think that's a a, that's a great opportunity. On the next slide, I just want to show you quickly the difference in funding, and this is where it boils down in a in a career academy model, um, you can see the non-highlighted sections about how the state reimburses

01:01:00,630	those programs, um, expanding programs um new programs, 50% the first year implementation of your high school, so they're gonna pay 50% of the teacher and the travel. Some equipment, but you get 75% reimbursement if that's a new program, if you're a center.

01:01:24,430	That's of everything salary, benefits, equipment, resources, supplies, everything, um, same thing is true with expanding programs are reinstated programs. Really simply as the state. Financial rewards center programs. More than school-based programs. They want programs aligned with centers.

01:01:49,130	So this is an opportunity for Bismarck to truly become a center where a career academy, but we're not viewed as a center, OK? So, um, that's kind of where this this ask is coming from. We could qualify for more reimbursement to help support our programs and expansion of our programs under a center model. Um, so next steps, I guess the final slide is, is. Um, we've been talking about this since last winter.

01:02:08,970	I think we've had, I've shared some information step by steps in correspondence with the board, um, little bit of a surprise, uh, the state board has been kind of asking questions, asking questions, asking questions, or we've been asking questions, not getting a lot of responses from the board and they finally, uh, got a hold of us, uh, week and a week ago and said, you're on the

01:02:24,870	queue for the September 23rd meeting to present your proposal. That's why it's like, oh bugger, I better get in front of the school board. And let you guys be aware.

01:02:41,830	I know, um, I, I believe, um, we, I have your support for this, but I really thought it's time for you to be on record and provide a a a motion and action that you support us continuing this work, moving, um, Not all, not completely, but getting a continue to develop this uh um brick and mortar, um, expansion of our CT program and moving towards the center model within BPS. Please be aware, as you do that, your governance.

01:03:03,770	When you move to a center model, you're not directly under governance. You represent in governance, and Ms. Peterson sits on the CRAC CRA board, it becomes a representation on the board, not necessarily the full board, uh, being under governance for these, but I do think the benefits outweigh those concerns and again as I hopefully articulated, we're

01:03:25,630	heavily involved with CRACTC already. We're already interwoven with the operations of that, um, that virtual center. So I'm hoping you would For us going to um the North Dakota Career Technical Education Board with your blessing that we want to continue to expand these opportunities for BPS as we grow into a true center model.

01:03:45,370	So I'd take any questions. Board members, Ms. Preske. Um, Dr. Fast, can you go to slide 3 where it showed kind of the the centers that are currently out there and then the big gap around Bismarck and then through that midsection, um, the one before that one, there you go.

01:04:08,430	So I guess my question is, um, just like looking back, I know that Bismarck was the first. To have a career academy. So is this a technicality in why we are not.

01:04:30,700	Um, a center or Was it not developed at that time? I mean, I'm just wondering if it was the timing of when we decided to make that move is the reason why we're missing in this picture is an exceptional question, and I wasn't around or at least paying attention enough that Dale, where's Mr. Harroff when we need him? He's a history teacher in this, right? Um.

01:04:50,570	And, and I will say when the funding came out for career centers, remember the funding that came from um the um COVID funds that we all applied for, right, and tried to get who are who are remodeling after? Everybody in the state was modeling after.

01:05:10,530	BPS Because they look at our career academy and say, boy, don't we wish we had that in our community, right? So to your point, everybody's been modeling their career academy, like, don't we wish we had that in our in our community. Now, that's perfect, but the thing that was missing for us is that regional partnership. BPS has been focused on BPS. It's been 10 years or 2010 you built the academy, you focused on BPS kids, you focus on the Bismarck community.

01:05:31,900	You help serve those kids. But really by capacity, you've been, you've your capacity is ramped up as our kids have become more interested in CT. We haven't taken a regional focus. Now the state over time, and I'm not gonna be able to tell you the year.

01:05:50,030	have said we will reimburse true center programs at a higher rate than school-based because it takes more to support them. Now, they've been doing that for years when I was however many years ago now when I was in Ellendale, I was part of the Wapain Center.

01:06:07,730	Some of our programs are school-based, some were center-based, and for the center programs, even the ones that were being served in Ellendale, we got a greater reimbursement and more support for those programs. So it's been around a while, but I Truly think BPS was a leader, you built the academy. It was great.

01:06:27,770	It's, it's the shining star of the Midwest, right? Um, it just was never truly viewed as a center in the eyes of the funding and policy model for CTE. Yeah, please. Another one. OK, and then to make this move, um, so, so we have to get an approval from the state to make this move. Is there, um, Is there an additional cost to BPS to become a center. Uh I'm gonna say yes, there's there's an additional cost.

01:06:53,970	There's an additional cost almost everything, right? Um, but I don't think it's substantial. I think when the center gets approved, CRACTC is already in existence. We're asking the nor the North Coast state career in tech Education board to approve a center that's already in existence.

01:07:15,230	We just want to add brick and mortar classes from all these regional schools into the center model, which for them. We will require more state funds to help reimburse them, right? Um. Will it require a governance structure, yep, CRECTC already has one, but we might have to change it, not a lot, a lot of costs cause those are people like me, administrators, maybe a board member, right? Not a huge cost.

01:07:35,570	We will have to talk about what's the operation side. Do they need a full-time director, you have a you have a career academy director sitting in the audience today that runs our career academy, Mr. Phillips, um, we have an assistant director. We have a uh assistant director for the um C or ACTC you saw Mr.

01:07:55,230	Kruger, I think, honestly, we'll have to talk about if you're going to support the whole region. Can we do that in the present structure? Do we have to maybe add some support to that. So there could be some additional costs, but you're also getting a much larger reimbursement to help cover it. Very good question. Ms.

01:08:13,430	Peterson, I have a question on slide 9. just wondering, you know, when it says new program funding rate, I really thought that was a really good stat, um, in once the center because like what you had just talked about with the historical nature of so many of our programs, we wouldn't consider them new because they've been around,

01:08:31,600	would everything from the time that this became a san um a center would everything be considered in its. Infancy in its first year, or would it only be like programs that are not in existence now.

01:08:52,500	I think we have talked about with the um state um representatives is they're not really new programs, but they're gonna be reimbursed at a greater rate than they are as a school-based program, even as an existing program, right? And I think, uh, every 2 years the state CT um department goes to the legislature and asks for um an allocation to support all CT programs across the state. We want to be in that discussion.

01:09:12,100	We want to be in their budget request before the budget request gets built. So I think that's one of the keys to us asking now, um, however, think about new new and expanding programs. What are we building at Silver Ranch? What are we doing there? Those are new and expanding programs.

01:09:28,030	So let's, let's not be in a 50% reimbursement. Let's be in a 75% reimbursement of total cost. That to me helps us get silver inch off the ground. We've talked about that, right? Um, and again, I think with um more resources and support from the state, we can now talk about CT for all, like, can we get reimbursement for middle school?

01:09:46,230	Can we get reimbursement for more programming? And I think that we help leverage the power of BPS and I'll say that with respect, we have power. We have influence. Can we get some of those expansions to happen.

01:10:01,930	That was going to be my second part is the middle school option is wondering how close or what, you know, even on this slide, it specifically says high school and then it says center are currently with the middle school, the way that you just described it, it would, it's still not, but we would then be We have leverage to be part of that conversation and increasing that middle school conversation for all.

01:10:22,030	Yeah Thank you, board member Peterson. Mr. Lee. Thank you President Eastgate, um. Just to kind of sum up, you know, moving from basically a school-based model to more of a a regional center, right? And this is more in in the vein of, of what Ms. Preske was asking.

01:10:42,300	Um, when we look at the increase in funding and increase for potential public-private partnerships is a long-term goal to for this to be somewhat cost neutral for BPS, um. I'm assuming we've run the numbers and we see a path to to making this cost neutral or great question, Mr.

01:11:02,770	Lee, and I hate to be on record saying here's what the number is, we've run the numbers and know that there's a financial incentive for the district to move this way, OK? Um. Do I believe, I believe it's not only going to be cost neutral, it'll allow us the capacity and resources to expand our programming, like out in Silver Ranch.

01:11:20,770	Right now, we've already committed to building that facility. All those costs are going to be born for us to expand them. We already know we want to do it. Well, let's get some additional reimbursement to help defray that cost for the expansion.

01:11:37,230	Um, so I, I think it's a total win for the district, um, being, um, having worked, you know, in my previous job over in Mandan, we use these. Same rationale of why we need to do this in the region west and south of Mandan because it helped transition a bunch of mandam programs into a center model which has benefited um all the regional schools there financially for resources and on the three reasons I articulated, I think

01:11:57,100	it's just a matter now. BPS, I won't say is behind. We've been a leader in CT forever. This is just really a governance mechanism of are we willing to be a regional player, not just a community player. And if that helps me.

01:12:13,630	It does, it helps a great deal and I would, I would say this, um, you know that. You are here for such a time as this. I mean, I, I know this is, uh, has to do with your background, something you just went.

01:12:28,600	Through and that gives me a great deal of comfort and it it makes a, it makes a lot of sense, so I appreciate the information. Ms. Peterson, follow up. Thanks, President Eastgate and one thing I just wanted to, because you had mentioned that I sit on the the Crea CRC ATC, however many letters I just might have said that board and one thing we, we just had our border board meeting, um, they meet about quarterly, um, so it's not as

01:12:47,400	often as this and at that time, I think there hadn't been a scheduled date, um, and he was alluding again that board had moved forward very much the same way that it was like supporting those those movements, so a point of. Wonder or clarification.

01:13:05,970	So as we make a decision today to kind of say, OK, we're gonna move forward. Is there still a point because this is one question that we had asked as a member of the the CRA board and the CRETC board was What's next because first you have to have state approval and then would we then have to approve at a later date once there was actually like a a concrete plan,

01:13:22,070	like, are we just a movie? Are we just kind of giving you the blessing to keep moving forward, but will it come back to us as as there's like the. Specifics, I'm, I'm just kind of wondering what, what the next step is.

01:13:40,330	I'm requesting that you give me formal approval to continue moving forward, um, if we got approved for this, I'd come back to you and inform you that we are. But please know that even if we get approval from the state that C or ACTC is, is a brick and mortar approved, right? And we can start adding courses, but we've said to every school that's in this discussion from Linton to to

01:13:58,370	Garrison and all the schools in between is, please remember, you can always retain courses that you want to keep yourself, and that's the same the truth with Bismarck.

01:14:15,300	If we have a course or a program, say, we don't want to give it to the center, we love this program so much we want to See it and make less money. While we're doing it, you can say we're not moving that to the center, but we want to move these programs to a center-based model. We get to choose that, and I would say that's operationally we've already talked about that is that's what we'll have to navigate.

01:14:32,030	You may still BPS may still live in both worlds. So maybe school-based model, some may be center model. It's not a, it's not an all or none. You get to make choices what's best for your programs, so. Good question. Ms. Preske, sorry, I thought another one. So as we have potentially 3 different career academy locations right now, um.

01:14:57,570	Could the Could the center is the center like all encompassing like it can be at one or it can be at all all three like. Let me, let me characterize that with my experience in Ellendale, right? The center, the true center building and offices were in Wahpeton.

01:15:19,070	They had a satellite center that offered classes in Oaks, and Ellendale kids went to Oaks to take part in those. But we also had a satellite program in Ellendale. Which didn't require brick and mortar. It was just a center-based program that resided in Ellendale. I think you have all those.

01:15:38,030	You have true center programs, you can have things that look exactly like they did yesterday, but they're gonna be considered center programs. You could have a satellite program that's a true brick and mortar, maybe a, a welding program in by Garrison using as an example that serves those kids that don't have welding now. So really all those ideas and virtual are all in the discussion of what a center could provide.

01:15:57,070	That is that ambiguous enough? That's terrible. The answer is yes. Yeah. Board members any other discussion? Or what are the wishes of the board? Ms. Peterson, I would move that we approve continued efforts to transition BPS CTE programming into a center model. So The motion is 2nd. Any further discussion? Seeing none. Mr share the role please.

01:16:33,570	Peterson, Preske Hager Lee, yes, Eastgate, yes. Motion passes. Thank you for the conversation and the slides around that that Dr. Frostno. 6C. We're looking at BSR one single point of connection. Dr. Fastn, do you want to speak to this? I, I will, and I don't know if Mr.

01:16:53,000	Sher needs to, I guess if he needs to, he can, but I mean you talked about tonight in GC2, right? If you're gonna make a change to policy, you get to do first reading. This is our first reading proposal for BSR1 single pointed connection. Let me just say we're adding a signing authority for the superintendent to this policy, so I can sign agreements such as for the civic center.

01:17:15,270	Or for SROs or things of that nature, I think just. I believe implicitly in your present governance structure within your present policies, you give that authority to me already, OK? I'm not asking for anything that we're not already doing, but I think explicitly there's some entities and I'm not. I think everybody gets their legal opinions.

01:17:36,170	They're all good, right? They just want it more explicit and some of the entities that we work with, I want it more explicitly stated, we're bringing that to you tonight, Mr.

01:17:53,430	Sher and I, just to make it explicit so we can provide it to them and say, yes, Jeff has the authority to sign these contracts on behalf of the district, so. That's what we're asking for. So that board members, I think I'll do a public reading of this for first reading and then uh we can discuss. And see if there's a motion.

01:18:12,500	BSR one single point of connection, the superintendent is the board's sole point of connection to the operational organization, the board will direct the operational organization only through the superintendent functioning as the chief executive officer. Signing authority, the superintendent or their designee is authorized by the board to sign agreements, contracts, and other official documents on behalf of the board. This delegation of signing authority does not extend to matters explicitly reserved by the board.

01:18:31,630	This brings you into the reading to single point of connection BSR1. Board members questions, comments. Or wishes. Mr. Lee. Uh, thank you, President East kid. I would move that we approve the revised policy BSR1 single point of connection for first reading. Second, motion is 2nd. Any further discussion? Mr. Chair, the role please. Preskey Hager Lee Peterson, he's gay. Yes, motion passes.

01:19:03,100	Adam set them as a consent agenda, one of the wishes of the board. Mr. President, I would move approval of the consent agenda. have a motion in a second. Any conversation? None. Mr. Sha, the role. Haer Lee Peterson, Preske Eastgate, yes. Motion passes Item 8 is the superintendent's report.

01:19:31,570	8A is the NHSAA spectator rejection policy. And I believe Dr. Fastnut will be handing over the microphone to Mr. Dave Zittleman. If you don't mind, I'm gonna let Mr. Zittleman take this and uh. He'll do great, I'm sure, but this is a good, this is a good change, sir.

01:19:48,430	I mean, I guess so we support it in concept, but I'll let Mr. Zimmerman share more about it. Good evening. President Denise Gates and board members, appreciate you having me come in tonight to. Visit with you about a new spectator ejection policy that was asked for.

01:20:09,570	Um, required and needed and by the member schools in the North Dakota high school activities which obviously Bismarck Public Schools falls under. Um, I did give you a copy of that. It's also in your agenda online, but I do have that in for you to write down any questions that you might want to ask me. In regards to the new policy.

01:20:26,500	Um, on August 14th, 2024, the North Dakota Activity Board of Directors approved a Class A review recommendation to add a minimum. It's a penalty for spectators are ejected from a contest during the regular season. The policy was drafted by the North Dakota School Activity sponsorship and Citizen Committee, part of being approved, the policies is effective immediately and reads as follows.

01:20:47,800	Any attendee ejected from a regular season or Activities Association tournament contests will incur a minimum 3 game slash event suspension. The team games events, and all their North Dakotaco activity games. Events and interim. At any level of competition if the ejection occurs.

01:21:11,770	With fewer than 3 games remaining events, 3 games or events remaining in the team's season, the suspension will carry over to the school sports season which immediately follows. Any attendee ejected for a 2nd time during the school year, she'll be suspended for a minimum of one calendar year from all North Dakota high school activities regular or postseason events. The North Dakota School Activity member schools may increase these minimum penalties at their discretion.

01:21:32,570	So what part of that does show is that there's minimums required there that they do have. Uh, in Bismarck Public schools in the past we have had suspended individuals from our contests for being ejected. Uh, we, we've also suspended athletes. We have a code of conduct that each student-athlete is required.

01:21:53,070	To sign Uh, and then we also have the right to suspend anybody, I mean it is our event as a fan. Obviously we don't require our fans to to sign anything prior to coming in, but being as it is a, you know, a privilege to attend Mother and right. We do have that say this is our event. And we can suspend them.

01:22:11,170	So with that being said, on Monday, the 16th, which is in one week, we do have our first meeting of the year with North Dakota school activities we actually have the North Dakota High School interscholastic activity association. First conference this weekend, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in Mandan at the Seven Seas and on Monday, we do have a meeting.

01:22:30,830	This is one of the agenda items, um, as you read through this, there's some questions that you might have in regards to this. Um, whether they're, if the policy is vague, whether if it's descriptive enough and so some of those questions, uh, Ben Loverick from Century is also here with myself.

01:22:48,670	I've had many conversations with Matt Fetch, the executive secretary of North Dakota High School Activities, excuse me, active executive director along with fellow athletic directors in our conference and, and our own and Dr. Faauna to discuss some of the things that are potentially like the what ifs. Um, that might take place based on someone getting ejected.

01:23:09,900	Some of those that I'll share with you right now are the potential that if you were to get ejected from a volleyball match, it says you would be sitting out for 3 contests. If you were to be ejected from the first in last weekend's crossover tournament, you could have been back already the next day.

01:23:26,830	If you're rejected from a football game that would take a minimum of 3 weeks. And so we have talked and, and one of the things that I would like to put into a proposal for our Bismarck Public schools is that it would be a minimum of a 3 week penalty. As opposed to a 3 contest penalty.

01:23:43,830	As I stated before, that could be as quick as a turnaround of 1 or 2 days after we get through some of those early season tournaments. It could be more like 4 or 5 days, but I like the idea of a 3 week. Suspension as opposed to a 3 contest suspension. That's one of the things Mr.

01:24:00,530	Levick, do you have anything else to add to that? Yes It's fine. He came to the longest school board meeting in Dr. Fassnt's tenure. So, I think, um, just in thinking about the things that we've dealt with, um, that we've worked with, with some parents, with some athletes, um, different things that have come up in that regard.

01:24:23,530	Um, you know, the, the inequities that can exist the way this is written right now is a concern, I think, for us. I think we want to be at the forefront. Um, I know that we've had, um, instances in our district where our kids have been on the opposite end of some things, um, and those are things that none of us, whether

01:24:36,230	it's us in Bismarck, Mandan, um, the BismarckMan area or conference or our state really want to see happening at all. Um, and so it's been unfortunate that those things have happened, but I think, um, in response to some of that, I think that's what this policy is for.

01:24:50,330	Um, it's just it might take a little bit of cleaning up. The thing that I do appreciate is that we do have some ability to expand beyond some of the minimums, um, and really decide what is it as a community, um, that we are OK with and what are the things that we're not OK with, um, and

01:25:03,170	we want to make sure that we get that message out loud and clear to people and so. Um, I'm hopeful that, you know, we can kind of clear up maybe some of the the. Questions that are in existence right now.

01:25:15,700	Um, I know in other communities, there are reasons why it's written the way that it is, um, and it's gonna be different for everybody, and I think that's the difficult part when you have a top-down policy.

01:25:28,570	It may not be the same for everybody all the way across the board, um, but that's gonna be kind of our opportunity I think here coming up, um, to address some of those questions across the state when we, when we meet on Monday, so.

01:25:46,800	Ben Spectator behavior is not one of my favorite things when hosting any event, whether it's a regular season contest or a North Dakota High School activities contest as you can imagine, there's lots of things going on, and I think that having a policy that people are aware of. That will, we will follow through with is very important for us.

01:26:04,000	Uh, I don't like to say that this policy is vague, but I say that there's a few things in here that we, that as an association and as athletic directors this weekend that we can go through and talk about and make sure that we kind of have a little deeper look at everything and deal with some of those scenarios that I talked about before, um, and then also the ability for the Bismarck public schools or the West Region or North Dakota school activities to have a stiffer penalties.

01:26:22,500	In place based on the actions of whatever happens, right? And so the first, the first time it happens, it could be a full year based on what happens. In the event that it goes on. Now, if an athlete is there attending, let's say a football player goes and attends a volleyball match.

01:26:39,700	And they get ejected in that interim period of time, they're also going to be non-participants in their own sport. So this this has many things that need to be in writing, I believe, that need to be in here, the interim, whom and what happens to them in that time frame.

01:26:57,230	And so I do like the idea of rather than 3 contests, 3 weeks, we will, we will reevaluate that. We'll put that into a policy to present, um, as a Bismarck Public schools and we'll reevaluate that and I'll be sharing that information with you. You open to questions this time, Mr. Zilleman. Let's do it. I'll about lead off.

01:27:18,230	So, um, in that example you just gave about, you know, a football player at a volleyball game, let's say it's a non non athlete, but a student. And the way it reads right now, and this is why I understand like we're talking about possibly making some revisions, but it says that team's games, is it fair to say that districts or that schools,

01:27:32,470	games and events. So in other words, if you get in trouble at a, let's use the same example, you get in trouble at a football game as a spectator. Are you out for 3 weeks from all. Pick one of our local schools you're at Century since Mr. Levick's here.

01:27:45,100	You're atcent you get kicked out of a game. Are you out of all century athletic events for 3 weeks? Yes, that's, that's how I would understand it. That's how I would like the policy to be that anything from the beginning of your suspension to the end. That you would be Unable to attend any. Sure, Sched activity. Got it. Thank you. At any level.

01:28:08,930	We'll go from here over, I think, Mrs. Peterson. Things thinks President Eastgate. Mr. Zelman, this is, um, I really liked, um, what you and Mr. Larvic talked about with communicating it and obviously right now you have a code of conduct policy that athletes sign, but I see this a lot in maybe some family members or other spectators, so

01:28:26,300	what are some of your thoughts, um, on making sure that this would get communicated out and that parents and family members would kind of understand what what's at stake.

01:28:49,830	A few weeks ago I wrote a A Paragraph of information and I shared it with our superintendents, uh, that they thought was just fabulous, uh, to present on social media and before presenting on social media, I, I felt it was very important for us to get the questions and answers from all of their athletic directors and administrators that attend, uh, the NDIAA conference because someone from each school in a region needs to be there, um, with that being said, I think

01:29:05,470	social media is a good platform to do that. Um, we have many different ways of doing that through our local Facebook, Twitter posting on our individual school accounts with Twitter and so that information's out there. With that being said, I've had to, I've had to.

01:29:26,700	Had you of the questions that I get to ask is I didn't know I couldn't do that. And my answer to that is you're an adult. And that's not how adults act. And so it's, there's an understanding, I think that sometimes people don't realize that it's, it's not their right to come in and act that way.

01:29:44,770	And so I give him that plain and simple answer is that you're an adult and you need to act like an adult. And so you're right, we can get it out, the information should be there. It's out there right now.

01:29:58,900	Someone's going to Buffer back and look at me many times tonight and try to listen to it one more time, but It is out there. It is on the North Dakota Isco activities web page. I have no issues with presenting the information that I gave. I do appreciate our fans. We do have great fans. We need fans. We want them there, but they need to behave.

01:30:15,300	And if they can't behave, then there's a consequence and which has been in place and now it has became a a policy with North Dakota high school activities and so as Ben said it copped down, makes it a little clumsy sometimes, so we need to establish our own little policy within the policy to make sure that we're following through with that.

01:30:31,700	And again, having 3 schools we want to get ourselves on. On par with each other. Board members, I'm gonna come back to Dr. Fosna and I saw you had something to add. I'm just gonna make sure to address your question. And in essence, getting the word out is exactly why Mr. Zittleman's here.

01:30:45,630	I mean, we had the statement, we knew we were going to put that out. Let's start informing uh fans, um, but being in front of the school board and people hearing it here carries weight, right? So this is part of getting that out, um, I will echo while I have the mic. I'm glad we have fans.

01:31:06,470	Was that a century game Friday night? Hundreds and hundreds of great fans supporting our kids and even the even the opponents, they were supporting both. But For the sake of his clarity, and I appreciate Mr. Zittleman's clarity as a coach, which I've been as an official for 25 years.

01:31:28,970	A ticket does not allow you to act like a jerk to officials, students, or coaches and just want to be very clear, that's how you want to act. That's the consequence. You can leave.

01:31:48,170	OK, so I think he says it very nicely, act like an adult, yes, but I've also booted people out of games as an official and as school official before it we just gotta have a higher level of behavior and it kind of goes back to the dignity index, how we portraying ourselves, right? How we carrying yourself, so. Thank you, uh, Mr. Hager. Thanks President Eastgate, I guess first comment, it's kind of unfortunate that we have to sit here tonight and have, have this, this discussion, um, Mr.

01:32:07,930	Zittleman, Mr. Levik, I, I appreciate you guys very much at sporting events having to address these things, and I know how difficult your job can be. It's not fun to have to go and have those kinds of conversations. Um, I'm more than supportive. Of you taking a harder stance.

01:32:26,030	In this policy and having a timed, you know, 3 week or longer suspension, um, you have my full support to do something along those lines. So thank you both for for what you guys do. Thank you Mr. Hager. Mr. Lee Uh, thank you, President Eastgate, just, uh, maybe a question then a comment.

01:32:48,500	On the question side, the the ejection is that uh I know you both done it, refs have done it, like, does it come from anybody in a supervisory capacity at the event or does it have to, uh, say for instance, do you have to, Mr.

01:33:06,330	Zittleman, agree with it or does Ben, if it's a century ben have to agree with it or how, how does that work? Well, with any objection, I think that that we're obviously going to look at what happened. We're gonna, we're going to investigate as well and the We've we've suspended people from further. Competitions throughout the years without an on-site ejection.

01:33:30,100	So we've investigated, we found some information, we looked at video, we've made an ejection based on an investigation with due process, and then we go forward with what we need to do with an ejection. If the referee is going to eject somebody for behavior in the in the crowd.

01:33:45,600	That's their right to be able to do that, and we, we follow through with that, OK? If someone at a sophomore B basketball game when there's not an administration in place generally speaking, we don't have an administrator at every single contest, which is difficult. We'll interview the officials, we'll interview the coaches, we'll interview other fans, and then we will obviously interview the person that was ejected or asked to leave.

01:34:05,830	And so at that point then we make determination based on the information we get. And last year I had to take care of suspending people 4 times. I was not at the event. We did not have an athletic director at an event and we I investigated. And that's how we. Put a suspension in place for those individuals. So.

01:34:26,800	I maybe didn't answer your question. Well, no, you did, uh, so, but I'm still a little unclear. So if a ref, um, ejects someone, they are under this policy. Yes, OK.

01:34:42,170	Now you may not get ejected, but it may get back to you and you may do an investigation and they could still be subject to this Paul, which I, I like that, um, for sure, and like Mr. Hagar, I, I fully support, uh.

01:35:01,900	What our district's doing and what what you advise you guys would give us, I would, when I, when I run that, uh, the comments back in reverse, so your volleyball game, you could be there the next day, right? Football might be 3 weeks. Then I'm thinking, well, if you're um a volleyball parent and He acted poorly, no excuse for that, but you could miss a lot of games in in 3 weeks. So I'm just wondering if there's.

01:35:18,600	A medium between the two, like a 15 day, but again, I would defer to you guys and what you do, I think they still have that year, they do it again, there's a year looming over their head. I think that's a huge thing, a huge deterrent for it to happen a second time. Um, But yeah, opened up.

01:35:35,800	To your and I would say that the volleyball example that I gave, if you, if you have to miss 3 football games essentially without playoffs, you're missing 33%. If you're a playoff team, you're making 20 missing 25% of your, your son or daughter's competition.

01:35:54,000	In volleyball, if you have to miss 3 weeks, it's likely going to be 6, potentially 7 games, which is about 33% of their contests. So it seem it's obviously more contest, but the percentage of contests that they do have. Now our goal is that we don't want to have to suspend anyone. However, a suspension is what it is. It's a suspension.

01:36:15,230	And we do give suspensions for athletes with our code of conduct for 6 weeks for alcohol and drug violations and that can mean. The rest of the season, so. I, I appreciate just to point out, I appreciate the percentages. I wasn't thinking that way, but it totally makes sense to me. Ms. Preske. Yeah, thank you. I, I like this policy as well, so just a couple points of clarification.

01:36:35,900	What is in bold given to us has already been approved by the high school athletic Association. So that's already in place and then you're just looking at some other clarifications like moving it to the 3 weeks and that will come back to us. OK.

01:36:59,070	And then does this apply to coaches? Well, coaches and athletes within competition have a different ejection policy. If an individual is ejected for two technical fouls in a basketball game, they have to sit the rest of that game plus the next game. The second violation would be 4 games. Same with coaches. Now, again, if a coach his behavior is what I would deem inappropriate.

01:37:19,700	They, they could potentially be sitting for longer based on what happens, circumstantially. Got it. OK, and then what about those out of town guests, do they face the same repercussions? that's where things get maybe a little clumsy because identifying those people, they're rejected, they take off running, generally speaking, when you do.

01:37:38,970	When you do an investigation and you talk to people, they'll give up a name and then it's the next piece is going to the following district, and then you just do all the investigation work and these take. A while investigations and so. We do our best to do a full investigation, pass on the information.

01:37:59,830	Take video and drive to Mint and meet him in Washburn and uh share that information. And those are the things that we want to do because we want to make sure that we're identifying the right people, identifying the right circumstances and situations, and we've done that and we've done what we need to do in order to make sure that we have a healthy positive environment. Interactivities.

01:38:19,470	And those are some of our Our, our goals obviously with high school activities is we want that positive healthy educationally based. Environment. We don't want any disruptions. And getting back to the Ms.

01:38:39,870	Preske about within that policy that is written, it does have on there the, you know, the minimum in the second sentence there or the second line, and then the second to last line increase these minimum penalties at their discretion. So we do have that discretion within their own policy. Mr.

01:38:55,770	Fetch, I visited with him a few times now in the past few weeks, and he always says to me those are very good questions, David, and we will address them and again we will have many questions. In order to shore this up a little bit. And Unfortunately, this has had, has already been had to be used in the state of North Dakota. More than once. Yeah.

01:39:13,570	So you're right, when you get those things out, when you, we get this policy out, you're right, Ms. Peterson, that it's good for people to know, but. People know better But as long as you put it in front of them, I never, I didn't know that we couldn't do this. It's not, not a great, great response. Mr.

01:39:33,670	Zittleman, thanks, um, you know, thanks to NDHSAA too for for getting this out there for the whole state. I think it's important that for Bismarck Public schools be able to reach out to other athletic directors and activities directors and work together so that like you said, these things will follow people to their activities, um, I appreciate most what you said that, you know, at the end of the day what we're really

01:39:47,970	trying to do is try to provide a positive safe environment. I heard you repeat that several times, and I think that's exactly what this is about is that this isn't about trying to catch people doing wrong. We're just trying to say don't do wrong. Like you said, being an adult.

01:40:00,900	And so the hope is that we are able to keep our youth, um, both sports and activities. I'll be places where kids can have a great place to be and that fans can still be there and be encouraging.

01:40:17,530	Um, as a, as a sports announcer here in town, I get to read the behavior policy at many contests, and yet we know it falls on deaf ears a lot and so I think by having, and again, I know that as activities directors you're allowed to.

01:40:31,800	Uh, you know, you've had to do these before this policy has come across, but I think it is very important that people understand that it's serious and to show up to our contest ready to be a good fan. And not only adults, but obviously we're we're this is in place for our kids and these are things that we talk to our kids about at early meetings with all of our building athletic directors going through.

01:40:48,430	The their policy manuals that they have for the schools or athletic directors speak to them about fan behavior. We have kids that are athletes sign a code of conduct and we make sure that we want kids to come there and promote a positive environment as well.

01:41:08,270	No So in the interim, if you have any questions in regards to this, feel free to email me or call me after we do have that discussion at North Dakota High School activities meetings on Monday. I will be meeting with not only my building athletic directors but our West Region athletic directors, EDC athletic directors to put together a little more formal. Local type policy that embodies all of this as well. Thanks very much for presenting tonight.

01:41:34,900	Sorry to keep you really late tonight. Yeah, we appreciate your work on this very much. Um, Moving on to the next agenda item we have item 8B. Dr. Foznat's enrollment update at this time of year where we show this, um, I just want to make a couple of bullet points. I'm gonna hand this over, um, to Mr.

01:41:54,700	Barnhart and Dr. Johnson to give you the details for each of their divisions, but if you remember the report you had before, it's quite big. You could put it on a letter format. It was a lot of colors and graphics and numbers, um, really, my team and I just thought.

01:42:10,830	Maybe for public consumption at a board meeting, a little simpler version is better, a little easier to read for our patrons that tune in and watch this online or get our documents.

01:42:27,730	However, with that, um, that deep knowledge that we that you may have been accustomed to is still in her office, so do you ever want the deep Spreadsheet, all you have to do is ask, and we can provide that to really anybody who wants to have it, but, um, this is our idea of a little simpler, easier to read version, um, key points instead of every grade, you know, by building having a kind of a, a class size average.

01:42:46,300	We're just doing it by K through 3, which you have a target for and 45, which you have a separate target for. So you can see in that building because sometimes a class may run over, but then you have a couple under so operation.

01:43:01,370	we kind of always have to look at where the stream is, you know, what's coming down the stream or up the stream, um, so you have that, um, you have, it represented by feeder. We thought it was informative for you to be able to see the elementary schools which feed the middle schools, which feed the high schools, so you can see a feeder pattern coming in from each of those divisions or

01:43:17,970	between the divisions and how they're feeding our buildings, so you have a a feeder total and building totals within those feeders, um, you'll also Note that the difference between last year to this year is still represented so you can see by building if they're growing, if they're not, um, and, um, you know, look at that

01:43:38,170	again for their middle school and the high school inside that feeder. Um, we did represent South Central at the bottom and and BSEP and Head Start a little separately, but the South Central numbers are represented in the total, and if you see the gold, um, buckets, the gold columns on the far right, uh 6285.

01:43:57,430	Elementary, 72, um, 74, 29 for secondary and 101 for South Central that feeds the 13 8 15 for a total enrollment so you can see it. Now, that total enrollment does not include BSEP and Head Start because they're not really in the state, um, they're in state camp but not in the state count.

01:44:16,730	So they're listed separately, um, I guess I hope you find it informative, my team and I'll give a lot of uh credit to Mr. Barnhart and his, um, team for helping to work up a new version of this. So, um, Mr. Barnard, you want to kick us off? Yeah, thanks, Dr. Fasnot.

01:44:35,430	Good evening, uh, President Skating Board members, as Dr. Fos I already kind of walked you through here with the feeders and just the condensed version, hopefully that this will be a little bit more um digestible for our stakeholders, um, and easier to read.

01:44:50,300	I know it's been difficult for me at times to look at that robust document that we've had and as Dr. Fosna already mentioned and alluded to, we will continue to keep that that document um as internal and we'll continue to review that routinely. Um, just, just a couple of things that I would add. Um, already to what Dr.

01:45:10,570	Faznat has already mentioned our kindergarten numbers, as you can see, um, we're coming in at 918, probably the lowest kindergarten, um, cohort that we've had in a decade. Um, as we looked at the work with Rob Schwartz, um, in the past, we do feel that those numbers will start to take um in an uptick as we move forward, uh, starting next year in the years

01:45:30,430	to come. The other piece I would uh also mention would be 3rd grade. Our highest cohort with 1144. That will be a bubble that will soon be to reach the middle school, and so I know Dr. Johnson will have um his eyes on that bubble as well, um.

01:45:49,070	And then just to round out, I would also mention, um, if you look at the um the differential section, so September 10th last year, and then right below that, the differential 23, 24, um, you can go across and take a look at where schools are down or up, um, in comparison, if you take a look at Liberty, Liberty Elementary is an interesting

01:46:09,270	one. I think it would be interest of the board as well, um, coming in at 472 students in comparison to last year, they're down 9. And so I would play, I'd say that that plays into the low kindergarten numbers, but I don't think that those numbers will stay long um when you look at the building

01:46:28,130	permits within Bismarck, uh, we've been collecting those over the last 6-7 months. Liberty actually comes out with the highest number of building permits within the city, so, um, that's something that we continue to watch as we move forward.

01:46:47,300	And then, uh, just when you look at the comparison, um, with the enrollment this year and then with the September 10th differential, we are down 38 students, um, this particular school year, um, in comparison, but Um, with that being said, it doesn't mean that a central registrar hasn't been busy, um, on any given year we have anywhere between 5000 to 700 elementary students that roll in and out of our, our district on a yearly basis

01:47:08,730	and so, um. Just uh round things out, I would say that the other maybe piece of information or information or tidbit for the board would be transfers. As of last week, we processed 269 transfer requests.

01:47:29,970	With that being said, uh, we've been able to honor 88% of those transfer requests we try to accommodate our families whenever we can. Um, that's the highest percentage of um granted requests that we've had since I've been in this position. I'm proud of that as well. Um, the highest number of transfer requests come from Miller Elementary and then Moses Elementary is a close second.

01:47:49,100	Um, there's lots of reasons why we receive a transfer request, but it also says a lot about the wonderful staff that work both at these buildings, um, as well. And so at this time I'll turn over to Dr. Johnson for some highlights from secondary. Thank you, Mr. Bernhardt. Thank you, President Eastgate members of the board.

01:48:10,000	So, um, we had some predictions at the end of our May meetings, um there where we uh we're looking and projecting student enrollment and we are above uh the projections that we had for there were uh.

01:48:29,400	Up 42 students at the middle school than what we had projected and up 22 high schoolers as compared to what we have projected a better way of looking at that is, um, that increase of 64 that we thought we were gonna be that we're above and beyond, but when we compare to the beginning of the year, and we look at the growth, we're up actually 81 students in middle school from the beginning of last year to this year, we're up 42 high school students there were down

01:48:46,770	currently 13 students at South Central. Um, but when you add that together, if you want to take a look at 123 secondary students that were increased. We also have about 30 students in the registration process for South Central here to over the next uh week or two that are scheduled to come and have those meetings.

01:49:06,430	So again, whether we're up 110 kids or however you would like to look at that. We know that kids are uh coming in just to clarify, um, in the numbers on the sheet that 4 or that 7,429 does not Include the South Central numbers there at the secondary, that's uh at the bottom.

01:49:22,570	I did my math like 2 or 3 times just to make sure, so that that's uh represented there. So that's just at the 6th schools, and we always talk about that we've got 6 schools. Main schools and we also have the Career Academy in South Central, so at those 8 sites we're serving 77,534 kids currently.

01:49:45,500	Um, that's much larger than a lot of towns that uh. Myself at one point grew up in and things like that too, so again, just realizing that plus then all the staff that's on campus, so again, we have um a lot of great opportunities to serve kids, um, we have built all of our 3 high schools to be

01:50:03,100	at that target capacity for about 1600 and our middle schools at a target capacity for 1200.. 1 thing that I will see is that uh Horizon did have a little bit more growth that's uh beyond the projections there of what we expected when we start going into the feeder.

01:50:19,430	has really been consistent and part of that is that there's other uh primarily like Minoa and Apple Creek and uh some other places that feed in there and so we always see a little bit of growth.

01:50:36,700	We see some families choosing to come from, whether it's homeschool or private school coming and adding in there, walk through, though it's lower, that again you're looking at the feeder and you're seeing just the larger numbers that are coming through there and again, we believe that that'll be steady across 1000 plus and we'll probably increase here as we follow the feeder as Mr. Barnhart.

01:50:53,430	to at this point, the last I would say is that we have one grad, so South Central graduated one student already and so we have one grad, so I won't report that every week, but it's a question I always ask. Thank you, Dr. Johnson. Come back to my agenda. Dr. Foss, anything else in the enrollment update or moving on. Item 8C, the pledge of assets. I will hand this over to Mr.

01:51:17,770	Sher. All right. Thank you, Dr. Fastnat uh President Eastgate members of the board. So just real quick, uh, uh, entry code requires the board to have pledged securities in the amount of $110 for every $100 of public deposits, um, can say tonight that all business and public school funds are either insured by FDIC covered with

01:51:39,700	pledge collateral or swept daily into commercial paper, um, all of our partner banks are listed below with how we pledge those, uh, dollars, um. A little bit different for some of them.

01:52:02,700	We do a lot with cash sweep or CDRs is essentially FDA insurance through multiple banks, um, and we also have some individual CDs and then the federal insurance FDIC. So I would, uh, answer any questions. We are in compliance with this. Um, if, if. Some old timers remember, I shouldn't say old timers, people have been on the board for a while.

01:52:16,670	Uh, we used to have to do this twice a year and now we only have to do it once a year and this is your annual report on pledged and this this is audited also. Board members, any questions for Mr. Cher? We Seeing none. Uh, Mr. Chair, thank you very much for bringing this to us, uh, to our attention today to be able to review. We appreciate it.

01:52:35,370	Thank you to everybody for your participation in tonight's board meeting. All gen items have been considered, I declare