00:00:11,700	President of the Bismarck School Board, it’s 5:15 on Thursday, November 14th. I call 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 www.Bbiarckschools.org. Mr. Cher, will you call the roll, please Mr. Lee, here, Mrs.

00:00:32,570	Peterson. Here, Miss Presky. All board members present accounted for. Ms. Peterson, thank you so much for calling in. um, Dr F Fasno, would you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. The lesions of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which you stands. I this. Liberty and justice for all.

00:01:09,430	Next up on the agenda, item 1C, the BPS mission, vision and values, the BPS mission is to empower every learner to thrive. The 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.

00:01:28,300	You can also find a link. In the agenda to the BPS strategic plan. Item 2 is to adopt the agenda, what are the wishes of the board. I move that we adopt the agenda. 2. Of a motion in a second. Mr. Sher. Hager, yes, Lee. Yes. Peterson. Yes. Pressy. Yes. Eastgate. Yes. Motion passes.

00:01:51,230	Item 3 is public comment. The board recognized the central role parents play in the education of their children and support active parent involvement in the educational process. The board’s practice of public comment reflects in aligns with policy BCBA and the spirit of its intent.

00:02:06,030	For classroom issues, it’s best to follow the chain of command from your teacher to the principal to the assistant superintendent, to the superintendent. For district issues, please reach out to Dr F Fasnot. If you wish to 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.

00:02:22,100	Groups are urged to select one spokesperson. Individuals will be limited to no more than 4 minutes and be notified with 30 seconds remaining to conclude the remarks. The board does not debate issues as presented but will take such matters under advisement. With that, please stand and approach the podium if you’d like to speak tonight. public comment is now closed.

00:02:47,100	Item 4 is the monitor district operations. There is no monitoring report scheduled for the 1st November board meeting. With that we move to item 5 on the agenda. Matters reserved for board action. 58 is the full 2024 Superintendent formulative evaluation. You can find on the agenda that the attachment.

00:03:06,970	With all of our OEs we’ve gone over. So far throughout the course of the year, and I do have board comments, um, board members were asked to provide any review and commentary for Dr F Fast and his performance. And so I have about a page here of comments I’d just like to read for everybody.

00:03:25,570	Throughout the review period, Dr F Fasno has demonstrated the exceptional leadership and integrity, his unwavering work ethic has significantly contributed to the strengthening of our district. Upon starting with the school district last year, Dr Fas not articulated the vision of where he wanted to move the district.

00:03:44,300	He’s effectively executed this vision with a cornerstone being the establishment of trust and integrity within BPS through enhanced stakeholder engagement and decision making processes. Doctors not as cultivated the high level of trust with the school board and the community through his exceptional communication skills. He ensures that stakeholders are kept informed, thereby fostering trust. Prior to making significant decisions, Dr F Fast diligently gathers input from all affected parties.

00:04:03,630	His ability to actively listen and receive input ensures that all decisions are well informed, and he has considered the perspectives perspectives of impacted parties. I commend Dr F Fast for his commitment to open communication, which is enhanced transparency within our community. I extend my sincere gratitude for long hours and dedication he has put in our district’s children.

00:04:23,700	Again, these are uh these comments may repeat themselves a little bit depending on uh who shared some of these, but they are on behalf of the whole board. We appreciate Dr Faszant’s willingness to garner feedback, reflect on choices, and make decisions after weighing all factors, as many others have said, I welcome the open communication channels and opportunities to share concerns.

00:04:38,970	Finally, I think it’s been beneficial. We think it’s been beneficial, um, for all of us to be included in the community forums and committees to help us as a board figure out the best way to hear from the community. Dr F Fassnan has gone into his 2nd year doing a great job leading our district.

00:04:53,130	He’s been the leader we need for our employees, explaining the importance of roles and programs that are serving the district. Dr Fasno has taken on challenges the district is facing head-on, including transportation, growth, and managing the budget.

00:05:09,530	Dr F Fasnot takes his own advice as well by being a lifelong learner and student, listening and taking in the perspectives of educators, parents, community partners, and board members. Dr F Fassnan has a common sense approach to his leadership position and is willing to have a respectful conversations with people who are willing to help BPS be the very best it can be.

00:05:25,170	Other leading contributions under Dr F Fast include growth in student choice to learning and further CTE offerings for students in BPS. I’m proud of the great work, Dr F Fasno is accomplishing in our district, and we believe we will only continue to build on the strong foundation.

00:05:41,170	So, Dr Jeff Osna, thank you very much for your exemplary leadership and for the positive start to the school year. We appreciate all the work and time, energy and effort you’ve been putting into your position and, uh, we’re glad to be your board. Um Board members, any uh any additional comments like that, uh, just, just a quick comment.

00:05:59,870	I think this covered it, uh, really well, but, um, I think I’ve said this before, you are who we thought you were. We couldn’t be more pleased, um, you’ve done a great job. I get continuous comments from the community, how the communication has been, um, so much better this year that I think the transparency is better, and I know we always, um, are going to be looking to

00:06:17,030	get better, um, but I couldn’t be more pleased with the, the past year and the job you’ve done, and I I thank you uh for your service to our kids, Dr Fastnna, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Lee. Ms. Presky.

00:06:35,100	I really don’t have anything else to add other than, I think communications, you’ve just, you’ve, you’ve really taken it to a whole new level, and I appreciate it internally, your communication with the board, but also the communication that I see that you’re doing with the parents that you’re, you know, encouraging our district to do with parents, uh, your, your.

00:06:53,900	I don’t know how else to say it other than cute Facebook posts and you know, you actually put yourself into, um, you know, very relatable real moments. So, um, I think you are doing a great job. I really appreciate the hard work on the last budget. I know it wasn’t easy and we asked you, you know, to really, uh.

00:07:16,830	Be tough on it, and you were, um, so appreciate um appreciate you and the balance that you have done, um, in this first year. Thank you. Mr. Hagger. Thanks President Eastgate, uh, the board comments that Mr. Gate read, I mean, it, it, it.

00:07:35,500	Really, really hits the nail on the head so not to belabor it any any further, but I just wanted to, to make sure to publicly thank you, Dr Fosstnott, for, for your work. Um, the community doesn’t see it.

00:07:52,030	They, they, they see these meetings, but we as board members know the long hours that you put in, the care and dedication you have for the, the children and the staff of this district, and I really appreciate kind of all you’ve done, um. The vision and the direction that you’re moving things and this growth of opportunities for kids, kids within the community, so I just wanted to thank you for that. Thank you. Thank you board members. If you don’t mind, please, um, I guess, um.

00:08:10,770	For me to board members, um, thank you for, um, Sharing your thoughts. Thank you for sharing the support, but also at times sharing your concerns and your criticism. I appreciate that feedback. Um, we do that a lot. We do it monthly. We do it almost weekly.

00:08:31,530	We have those dialogues where we can, uh, engage, and I really appreciate that. Um, I think that’s about setting the communication that it’s open and it’s two-way and we’re all vested in seeing the district move forward and move forward for the betterment of our kids and our families. So I, I really appreciate that. I would you, I still believe there’s things.

00:08:50,300	I know there’s things that Jeffrey can do better, uh, and my mother would say, um, and just so you know, one of the things that I, two things I think that I hope you see, I guess, um, in the future as I do think there’s continued need to penetrate some of our underrepresented populations in in this community, um, we’re getting that feedback, we’re

00:09:11,330	opening it up, we’re trying to be better, uh, and, and garnering feed. Back, um, but I still think there’s some very intentional acts from my office we can take to get to some of those underrepresented, um, subgroups, um.

00:09:30,170	It, it’s just hard, the recent survey that went out, and I know I got some text responses that were in Spanish, OK. I’m gonna tell you that’s an under, I don’t hear that voice often. And when I do, a lot of times I don’t understand it. So how can I get past that? How can we do a better job of understanding a growing population or community.

00:09:46,230	The other one I would tell you that was a goal last year and I didn’t get it done, so I’m gonna just be open and honest, I missed the mark on that is, um, getting to our kids. I’d really think our secondary populations are a great way to get out there and just talk with them.

00:10:02,230	I see them, I interact with them, but actually having conversations with our kids. where they want to see their educational setting go. I think that’s something to focus on in the future, but I do appreciate your positive comments and, uh, I do want you to know that I have the absolute best superintendent job in the state of North Dakota, and I’m glad

00:10:16,970	I’m here. So Appreciate that. Board members, um, with those comments, I would entertain emotion on the fall of 2024, Superintendent formative evaluation. President Eastate, I move that we accept the Superintendent’s fall 2024 formative evaluation as satisfactory. Second, the motion of 2nd. Any further discussion? Seeing none, Mister Sher. Lee, yes. Peterson. Yes. Presky Hager? Yes, Eastgate.

00:10:52,970	Yes, motion passes. Thank you, Dr F Fasno. And 5B is board member school visit updates, uh, I do not believe we have any board members reporting from their school visits, but they are happening and you can look forward to more of those coming in the future.

00:11:08,430	Item 6 is the consent agenda, one of the wishes of the board. Mr. Lee, I believe you had a motion on this one. Give me a second to have a comment if you would, uh. Tonight’s a A bigger night, it’s always tough to to lose great teachers.

00:11:31,600	Well, Uh Tonight, Nicole Pullman cot, American Pageant with my brother Perry Lee at Century, and those are the only two retirements before us tonight. Mrs. Pullman is Just uh, just a rock star at everything she does, she served the state so well as a legislator, an incredible wife to Jim who she compliments so well, and he needs complimenting.

00:11:52,230	An amazing mom to her three kids, Colin, Grace and Nick, uh, which undoubtedly is her highest calling and that which she is most proud of. She exemplifies a a teacher who understands the art of education. She engaged kids, held them accountable, and truly expected the best of them and for them. So I’m sad to see her go, but even teachers have a life outside of school.

00:12:12,530	Unless you’re my brother. He stuck it out about as long as he possibly could. Uh, my dad was a superintendent in a small town, and he resigned and went back to the Department of Public Instruction in 1985. I moved up to Bono where my brother was already my coach, and then I had him as a teacher.

00:12:30,130	I also lived with him, so he was kind of my dad as well, at least for that year and it was a fun year, probably in irresponsible to have me living with him, but, uh, it all worked out fine. All 3 of my kids were blessed to have him as a teacher as well.

00:12:47,330	And my last child just snuck in under the bar this year, so it’s been a fun year to, uh, for him to have his uncle as a teacher. I’ve never met anyone who genuinely enjoys high school, uh, kids as much as he does.

00:13:02,800	He was a a master of relationships, getting in with the kids and then of course, prompting them to learn. He’s done that day in and day out, year after year for 43 years. I know how proud my dad is that one of his kids took his advice and became an educator.

00:13:21,000	Uh, it wasn’t me, obviously, but we are all extremely proud of the difference Perry Lee has made, so I just want to wish two very special people to me, Miss. Pullman and Lee Dog. A happy retirement. I think it’s so cool and fitting that they get to close this chapter of their respective books together, well deserved, you’ll both be missed. Absolutely. Thank you, Mr. Lee.

00:13:38,670	I, I can’t second your motion, uh, sitting in this chair, but I certainly second the comments, um, I also was a A proud or, you know, I’m not sure if you’d take credit or blame, like I like to say, but a student of Mr. Perry Lee’s, so, um, pretty phenomenal. Mr.

00:13:54,230	Hager, yeah, well, well said, Mr. Lee, I’ll, I’ll second the motion. I don’t think I made a motion, to be honest. I don’t know, I apologize. I, I circled the L, but do you wanna, are you good with the motions? I would, I would move that we, uh, approved the consent agenda.

00:14:14,470	Second, We have a motion in a second. Any further discussion? Seeing no Mister share the roll, please. Peterson. Yes. Pressky? Yes. Hager? Yes. Lee? Yes. Hegate. Yes, motion passes. Item 7 is the superintendent’s report, Dr F Fassnna. Many items on here. We’re going to start with major projects which I will defer to Mr. Sher. All right, thank you.

00:14:42,270	Major projects is back. We had a little um vacation for a while for major projects. Uh, I was actually on the site of our only active project that we have going on in the district are Currr Academy Silver Ranch, uh, foundations are dug, so concrete’s coming, uh, next week is what I’m told.

00:15:00,930	And, uh, uh, we’re all up at the groundbreaking, so we saw the, the steel and all the related equipment being offloaded, uh, so that’ll go up quick. So That is the Silver Ranch Project, and then I did update the financials, uh, for you to review, and I would answer any questions that the board might have.

00:15:22,770	Board members, any questions for Mr. Sheer? Eastgate, if I may. Yes, please, Miss Peterson. Not a, not a question, but I just want to think and and I I’ve been quiet and listening, and I wholeheartedly agree with everything that’s been said so far, um, about Dr F Fast and about the retirements and all of that, but when, um, thing

00:15:39,800	that I was really proud to. Um, very keen. Ms. Peterson, uh, groundbreaking that I’ve gotten to be a part of as as the school board, but I was just really impressed. I’m sorry, is my internet unstable? It’s back. You’re good. I apologize.

00:16:08,070	I was just basically just going to um commend the group that was assembled. Um, I was, I was quite impressed with the community members that came out to support that groundbreaking on a really cold day, but also confidence.

00:16:28,800	I think that that showed, um, that there was that many different we had park board members, we had obviously the, uh, you know, the fun, you know, some of the funding supports we had CTE members, legislators. Um, obviously all of us were in attendance, principals, just, just so many people that came out and so I just want to to thank the team for assembling that and and felt honored to be a part of it, and thank you for all of the work that’s going into that

00:16:44,330	project as well as all the others in the district. Thanks, Ms. Peterson. Appreciate that comment. For members anything else on major projects? Seeing none, Dr Fasan will be the 7B. Um, OK.

00:17:08,630	Next thing I had is just to provide to you a, a policy says I need to get you a copy of next year’s calendar for December 1st. So getting this to you, um, this has been run through our calendar committee, and that’s, uh, 20 plus people who work on that calendar committee and provide input, um, we reviewed multiple recommendations that came from internal, um, stakeholders throughout the district.

00:17:33,400	I know we had one from some, uh, um, Principles that shared, like, hey, could you build this in the calendar, so we took those recommendations, looked at options, built back a calendar. I think it’s important for the community to remember.

00:17:52,200	I know I’ve shared, uh, with several people internal and external, just some of the parameters that schools have to live by, um, as far as a calendar, um, some days, um, some length of days, the days we use, uh, PD days, uh, um.

00:18:09,800	What sometimes even what days we have take off school are outlined in law and also in school board policy, and I would, you guys are well aware of this, but for the public, um, OE 11 gives us some guidance on how to build the calendar as well, so using that, uh, we did come out of that committee with two recommendations, um, did put those out for a survey for the community. I was very impressed that we got a little over 3000 respondents to that, to just weigh in.

00:18:27,970	Do you like A or B? I thought that was a good thing. Um, I would tell you the, uh, and I think some of us shared this before is the challenge of when you ask for feedback is you get feedback.

00:18:43,000	And I had a lot of questions about the calendar and what it looks like, why it looks that way, um, why don’t we start here? Why don’t we end here? But I think those are all positive questions. It’s about helping to educate our, uh, internal and external, um, groups about what it takes to build a calendar with those requirements. So, um, I’m presenting the calendar to you for your information. Oh sorry I’m just gonna, yeah, Ms.

00:19:06,900	Presky. I was really pleased with this calendar. I’ve seen a number of them since serving on the board and some I’ve really kind of wondered why our days off like separated and not really giving a good solid, you know, like a Thursday, Friday along tagged on the weekend or a Friday and a Monday tagged on

00:19:24,500	a weekend, so I think it makes it easier for families to, to plan, um. For, you know, childcare and for also any uh of those fall or spring break trips that they want to take, so, um, I think this. This looks really good and I appreciate the work that went into it.

00:19:44,300	I, I appreciate that, and if I can. Before I conclude, I want to give a ton of credit to Mr. Kunons behind me, um, Mr. Steve K Kons really runs this committee. He sets it up. He organizes it.

00:20:02,970	He gets us all in the same room to talk about, it garners the feedback, um, he does this magic, um, so I really appreciate his work on this, so thanks Steve. Um, no other questions, I’ll move to budget. I just put this on the calendar or on the agenda, sorry, just for you to know that we’ve already, um, Mr.

00:20:25,870	Sher, myself and his team started building, uh, preliminary budgets with anticipated revenues and expenditures that, that whole budget process for 25, 26 is already starting, um, we’re gonna look at what those, um, what our preliminary projections are, particularly when it comes to student counts, anticipated revenue. those things that we can control and know.

00:20:44,530	I guess what I would just put in your ear and we don’t have to do it tonight, I’ll let Mrs. Brown do that, but we probably should start to think about a workshop time, end of December, early January for you to have some time to look at those preliminary numbers and also have your first look at that and provide your input as we start to build out a budget for next year, so just keeping

00:21:00,600	you aware. Good. Next one, OK. Uh, Choice Ready dashboard, you actually approved this in the consent agenda, and I really applaud Mr. Lee’s comments about the retirements, because those were, um, very significant retirements for VPS, but the one that was right behind it was, um, parties approved to share student data that is directly tied to this

00:21:26,730	choice-ready dashboard project and uh what I would encourage parents, particularly if you have graduates this year, this graduating class is the first class. for all of North Dakota that has to use the Chore framework for to receive the North Dakota State scholarship.

00:21:46,770	So for the last few years it’s been a blending of the old model and the new model. This is the first graduating class that can only use this choicere model. Um, so with that, um, Choice Read some sometimes can be difficult to monitor. It’s not just a transcript, it’s not just grades.

00:22:04,070	It’s, you can’t just ask for it and get it from your, um, school as a parent and say, Yes, my kid’s gonna qualify. They got the right. classes, they got the right grades. Um, there’s much more complexities, um, and within the Choice Ready framework is essential skills, or do you are you collegere or are you a postsecondary ready? Are you workforce ready? Are you military ready? And if you’re actually meeting those

00:22:21,770	indicators, because some are classroom bound, some are not. Some are, uh, activity bound. Did you go out and do public service in the community. Check, that’s one component, OK? So what we do, and I want to applaud my high school principals on this.

00:22:42,600	Dr Johnson is, um, there has been a pilot for the last few years called the Choice Ready dashboard. It’s a bit of technology that has been built into PowerSchool, so students, parents, and educators can monitor a kids’shore status because it is individual to every single child.

00:23:05,470	So we have purchased in or bought into the Choice Ready dashboard uh after several schools have piloted that project for a couple years, one being Mandan, we brought it in. During my time there, so it was an encouragement to say, hey, we should do this in BPS and it should be rolling out very shortly. I know we’ve done the technology work. We’ve got the agreements with the provider signed.

00:23:22,700	Now it’s just a matter of sharing data and then beginning to communicate this out so families can see it, but I truly think it’s vital, so our families know that their kids are on the way to qualifying for a $6000 scholarship. So we want to make sure that they’re informed, so they get as. Best opportunities they can to earn that scholarship, so.

00:23:42,370	Just, just FYI in case people see it. It’s really, this is a big deal, so. For members, any questions on the choice Ready dashboard. OK. Uh, and again, I hope if parents are watching, um, just be looking for that, particularly if you got a junior or senior in, in school, I would be looking for that

00:24:01,130	because you want to make sure your kids could get that scholarship and have it available to them. Um, the last one is, uh, transportation bell time, uh, as you’re aware, we’ve gone through this. We did the community, um, forums.

00:24:20,300	We did some internal surveys with uh BPS staff and uh we had 208 staff members provide feedback on how they felt about um the transportation study, uh, tiered bell system and other um components of that discussion and then last week we put out that little snippet video to parents so they could get informed again about what thinking and considering, uh, as of this morning, we had a little over 1,006 respondents

00:24:41,930	to that survey, which I really think is a tremendous number that are providing us a quick confirmation or asking deep questions. Um, we’re gonna take all that information to operational excellence next Thursday on the 21st, and then let that committee begin to digest that and see what their recommendation is, if we’re going to stay the course where

00:25:04,600	we are now, and if If we do that, then what’s our, what are we gonna do to improve the reliability and quality and safety of our bus transportation system, or are we going to consider another option like a tiered be time schedule and how will that, uh, improve those same factors, and then what are the challenges we

00:25:22,730	have to address and I will tell you numerous, numerous comments about childcare. I mean, it all boils down to childcare before and after school. We all parents struggle with it now and moving their bell time just changes.

00:25:42,070	a struggle again, and so we’re very cognizant that that we are have to help address childcare issues in the community, so, um. Just letting you know that, that we’ve garnered a lot of input, and we hope to use that to make informed decision. So. I appreciate that. Board members, any questions for Dr Fas not on the, uh, transportation belt time update.

00:26:02,770	Of course, as board members, we’ve had a chance to be the, the forums and, and hear from folks and like Dr F Fast and I’ve been saying I’m, I’m guessing, you know, I’ll be curious to see how those surveys do come back just to hear it, but I would, I would guess that we’re going to continue to see some of those same themes like you’re talking

00:26:13,070	about the timing, how does it affect kids of the different ages and, um, as I’ve had conversations, as I’m sure other board members have with community members. This affects every household just a little bit differently. So it’s a really good thing, some it’s a very, a lot of hurdles for them.

00:26:26,270	So, um, and we know that and we also know that, um, we’re, we’re doing this, we’re looking at it this way, uh, to try to improve something, so I think that’s something also just to keep in mind is that what our hopes is to make something that’s even better, um, and finished products.

00:26:40,200	So thanks for your, your work on this, Dr F Fasno, um, with that, all the genits have been considered. I