00:00:06,900	Good evening. I’m Dan Eastgate, president of the Bismarck Public School board, It’s 5:15 P.m. on Monday March 11th. 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 Bismarck, schools.org.

00:00:24,030	Mr Share What you call the roll, please. Mister eastgate here, Mr Hager here, Mr lee here, Mrs Peterson here, Miss preskey here. Dr F Now, would you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? In, the United states of America and to the public for which it stands One Nation under God, indivisible with justice for

00:00:53,600	all Item one C, the BPS mission vision and values the BPS mission is to empower every learner to thrive. 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 BP SS values are inclusion, excellence, innovation and leadership.

00:01:24,670	You can also find a link in the agenda to the BPS strategic plan. Item two is to adopt the agenda. One of the wishes of the board members. A move that we adopt the agenda second. We have a motion to second. Mr Share What You call the roll, hager. Yes Lee Peterson. Preskey Eastgate? Yes.

00:01:46,430	Motion passes. Item three. Focus on success transpire Dr. Fost, Um Good afternoon board members. Nice to see all of you, Um a little bit before my time, I guess on the board one of the things that you’d asked for is to do A, um, review and analysis of our transportation system, looking for efficiencies and a way to make

00:02:08,170	our system better. And tonight we have that report for you. And. That’s gonna be our focus of success We have with us from Trans this evening. Remotely. They’ll be by. Zoom, uh, for everybody but Doug martin and Micah Brasfield, So. We’ll see if we can get him connected.

00:02:27,900	Good evening, everyone can everyone hear me, OK, we can hear you. Thank you for joining. Thank you for having us this evening? Uh, I’m Mike Brasfield. I am the director of advisory services for Trans Bar and Doug Martin. Our president is joining us as well.

00:02:44,970	Uh, we know that tonight is intended to be a brief report as much of this information has been shared internally with, uh, Cabinet and district level leadership and we’ll also continue in conversations with the operational Excellence Committee, so we’ll share briefly, Uh, just the results of our work that we’ve been engaged in since November and I will share my screen here. Can everyone see the screen.

00:03:09,000	OK if you give us one second, mike, I think we’re working on it on our side to get it so we can see it. Absolutely I’ll I’ll pause. I think we have you now on screen. Thank you. Fantastic. Um, so briefly.

00:03:35,470	Our agenda this evening is really just to remind, uh, the board and the community of the work that we were engaged to do, Uh, talk briefly about key aspects in the policy and financial analysis and then spend the majority of the time uh, really, At. The crux of what will impact future efficiency for the Bismarck public schools transportation system.

00:03:55,030	A transport was engaged back in November of 2023 and Doug and I had the privilege of going on site to visit the district, its leadership and transportation leadership. Uh and we completed a a full scope of an operational assessment that entailed us reviewing the route. Uh, Bell times, uh, key components of policies, the district’s budget and expenditures with regards to transportation costs.

00:04:16,270	Um all of which allowed us to do an in depth analysis on the overall efficiency of the system. Uh, that’s tied. To a proprietary tool that we use referred to as route yield, Uh, within transports tools of assessing the time and capacity of each run and bus route, um, and then ultimately culminated into our analysis of the current Bell times and their impact on your

00:04:36,830	operational efficiency. Uh, in the development of some alternative belt time scenarios, uh, for the district to consider, as it looks into the future, uh, possibly implementing changes for the 2526 school year.

00:04:56,870	Summary of those findings at a very high level was that and all the analysis and the data that we, uh reviewed the the key underlying factor, Uh, that’s impacting your ability to potentially become more efficient is tied to not having enough time between your bell schedules.

00:05:15,570	Um and so your ability to become more efficient to provide a higher level of service to students, uh, within your transportation system will be tied to creating a stronger framework for Bell times, um and evaluating. Uh, what’s possible, obviously, still putting The curriculum and academic needs of students first, uh but operating within a framework that allows your transportation operations, uh, to have AAA framework allows them to be conducive to their success as well.

00:05:37,000	At a high level we look at policies for every district that we work with, uh, to determine whether or not policies or or negatively impacting the operation, and we applaud Bismarck public schools, Uh, for the fact that your policies are are very comprehensive in the way that you transportation system should operate.

00:05:54,270	Um, and we didn’t find anything that was lacking or inhibiting your ability to to be, uh, more efficient due to a policy that was either missing or vague and and that’s important because oftentimes that that is a key contributing factor to, uh many school district Ability to be more efficient that they just don’t have the policies that that create that framework. Um, so that allowed us really to to determine that again.

00:06:11,630	That key limiting factor in current state is more so tied to the space between your Bell times as far as the financial piece. We look at a high level at um what your expenditures are, Uh, in terms of where your cost drivers are, and mo most of that, uh, as with any operation is tied to your labor and wages

00:06:29,830	so approximately 45% of the district’s expenditures are tied to Contract with Harlow’s and the employment of its bus drivers to provide, um, services on the general ed education side of the house.

00:06:49,600	Another 21% tied to your Bismarck public schools, Uh, wages for drivers who are who are providing services for, uh, students with special needs, and, uh, your early childhood education and then the remainder of the the budget and expenditures are tied to, um, operation of the fleet. Vehicle maintenance repair, um, equipment maintenance supplies associated with the operation of the vehicle. Uh, what we look at. When.

00:07:09,300	We’re looking at the finances is as we try to develop recommendations to make you more efficient. We’re determining, um, first where there’s the ability for us to help you enhance service delivery to students, but also, um, understanding whether or not our recommendations would allow you to operate in a more cost effective manner. And anytime we have the opportunity to make recommendations that do both.

00:07:28,030	That’s certainly our goal, uh, to enhance that delivery to students, but to try to do so, in a more cost effective and efficient manner, Uh, because we That that school district budgets are highly constrained.

00:07:44,700	Um, and that money that is not not being spent or wasted necessarily in the inefficient operation of transportation is money that can go back into the classroom. We will go through these slides pretty quickly. But. This This helps tell the story of of your current bell schedule and the impact on um your current route efficiency. So.

00:08:05,900	You essentially operate with a one tier or single tier system And the reason for that being is because there’s just not enough time to create a separate wave of transportation. So, you’re combining students on runs together. Um and not really having the ability to operate in separate tiers. Uh, this is Pretty problematic in the afternoon. As you see that most everyone is getting out between the same time frame.

00:08:23,500	Um and so what we’re looking at is what would it look like for you to essentially go to either a two or three tier system, um, and essentially be able to limit maybe some of the, uh, drivers buses that are needed to operate the system. These again. We’ll go through pretty quickly.

00:08:43,170	Um if we were running a true two tier system, you would see two very distinct peaks and valleys, But what you see is more of one peak with a little bit of a small valley. Um, and another subsequent peak.

00:08:59,800	We would like to see more of of two distinct peaks if you had enough space between bells to separate either into an elementary or and then a middle school and high school tier, you would see that, uh, but this just helps reinforce the fact that the majority of your buses are on the road at the same time for both your regular And. Your. Special education runs, uh, more so on the special education. You.

00:09:17,030	See that, uh, complete grouping of routes in one time frame and not distinct peaks and valleys, And it’s the same in the afternoon and again. What this is telling us is that you don’t have the ability to operate, Um Without having more space between tiers, uh, to reduce the number of buses and vehicles that are required to operate the system. So Part of what your challenges are tied to your lengths of day.

00:09:36,100	You have varying lengths of day for your elementary schools, which I believe are operating in about 6.5 hours per day. Um, some of your your secondary schools, middle schools and high schools up to seven hours and 17 or seven hours and 20 minutes a day, so that makes that kind of jagged framework

00:09:50,430	that you saw in terms of the, um, distribution of your bell times. Uh, so in order to to achieve a a more efficient network, your ability to again reduce the resources that are needed. Tied to whether or not you can separate those Bell times to create separate groupings of schools.

00:10:10,770	And so what we looked at in terms of possible future scenarios. Um and I’m gonna orient you quickly to just what you’ll see in in each, uh, section here.

00:10:28,800	You’ve got three separate options, the first of which are two tier options, the third of which is a three tier option, And in each option, the purple line would be your elementary schools. The blue line would be your middle schools and the green line would be your high schools. Um, in each option. I. Wanna make sure that that we convey that we’ve kept the links of day as they currently are.

00:10:44,100	Um, if if those were things that that were more flexible than we may model these scenarios a little bit differently, but we wanted to try to maintain the curriculum and instruction piece in terms of the time that students are in school at every level. Um, and then the key thing to to look at in.

00:10:59,370	Each scenario is, uh, the order of which students are going first. So. You’ve got elementary students starting in this first section. Um, arriving at school by 730 with a grouping of middle school and high school students on a second tier.

00:11:19,100	Um and I essentially trying to space the time out between tiers to allow for all elementary students to be picked up first, Uh those students to be dropped off buses completely emptied before they go back out and pick up another grouping of middle school and high school students. Um and what I want to orient you to on the right side before we go down the chart is the number of tiers so again. This is a two tier. Uh, schedule.

00:11:34,030	The number of estimated grants and in at at maximum, what we’re seeing for these two tier schedules is that there’s the the potential to reduce down to approximately 30 bus runs for each tier.

00:11:53,830	Um, if you’re able to go to a two tier scenario, there’s the potential to reduce down to 20 runs, which could certainly, uh yield significant, uh, benefits in terms of the time that students are on buses, um, having that length of time, um and allowing students to get to school in a more timely manner. That there have been some challenges with late runs.

00:12:12,470	Um so in this first scenario again, what we’re looking at is elementary students, Uh, arriving to school, first with middle school and high school students arriving in that second tier the the second option flips flip flops. Those.

00:12:30,300	Um, uh, arrival times instead of your elementary going first, uh, they would go last, and we know that there are benefits for many districts and having those secondary students, uh, get home first. Many of them are, uh, responsible for helping care for Siblings, um, some have, uh, work obligations for their families.

00:12:51,430	Others are participating in extracurricular activities and so having those secondary students, uh, go to school earlier, Uh, that provides, uh, the ability for other a after school oversight for some of their families and then the unique part about option C because you have so many more riders, uh, at your elementary tier, and so many more of your runs, um, are tied to providing service to elementary students, Uh, in order to have a True, three tier system be able to benefit Bismarck, Uh, you would have to separate your elementary schools across each

00:13:11,000	of your tiers. So have a group of elementaries that would go on the first tier a group on the second tier and a group on the third tier and they would either be paired with the middle school or the high school. Um, now I know that’s a very quick overview of this information.

00:13:25,630	And as I shared, I know that this is information that will likely continue in ongoing conversations with the Operational Excellence committee. But our overarching work is to try To help provide Bismarck public schools with recommendations that would allow you to enhance your current service delivery to students in terms of, uh, the length of time that they’re on buses, uh, making sure that

00:13:44,100	students are getting to school safely on time and ready to learn. Um, while also looking to allow you to operate in a more efficient and cost effective manner. So that concludes what I have. I certainly want to open up to if there are any questions. Board members. Any questions? Mr lee.

00:14:04,670	Thank you, President Eastgate? Uh, just looking at this. I. Maybe two questions. Um The. Multi tiered bussing. Is that something you see in the majority of districts nowadays, or is it something new that people are just starting to catch on to No, So. That’s a great question.

00:14:22,900	This is is something that many districts are operating with and whether it’s a two or three tier system. Uh, we’ve even helped districts move to quadruple Turing. Um, and the reason for that being is that there’s simply aren’t enough drivers resources, uh, and funding available to try to bus everyone in the same time frame? Uh, so we’re seeing this across the nation it has been

00:14:41,500	utilized in many districts, not not just as of late, uh, but for quite some time when you’re looking at ways to try to Both be more efficient. Um and again use and steward the resources that you have available to you. OK. Thank you? That’s.

00:14:59,230	That’s awesome I really like this, the only thing that worries me and I’d like you to kind of talk about this is At, least in our community. We have so many, um Um parents that at work, uh, both, uh, go to work, I. I look at elementary if if the elementary is at nine that scares me a little bit.

00:15:16,170	Um, because you can you can leave with your secondary kids, you know, still hanging around the house, but but the young ones it It’s tougher. Uh, do do you have any experience with that? Yes, sir. Um I what I would share with you is that every district is unique in in what works Best for their community.

00:15:33,830	Um And, so we We strongly encourage, uh, throughout this process where all of our district partners to engage directly with their communities to hear from them. What. What concerns Do they have about a particular grade level.

00:15:52,070	Maybe going first as you mentioned, um in some CA cases, many of the districts that we work with, um they they follow the You know the more recent trend of school start later for secondary student. They feel, uh, based on you know, some of what you see in the Journal of American pediatrics.

00:16:05,930	Um, but the high school kids middle school kids they need, uh more sleep and so we we prefer for them to go later, and those elementary kids are a little bit more, uh, excited or rambunctious in the morning and so they can go to an earlier start. But as you’ve mentioned, uh, for, you know, parents who were having to leave and go to work. Um, if you’ve got elementary students, there are that later tier. They can’t be left unsupervised at home.

00:16:21,970	Um and so it it really becomes what’s best for you and your community. Um and making sure you ask those questions early and and we certainly applaud the district for the fact that this is something that I believe that it’s in the plan to, uh, not try to move forward with this in next school year,

00:16:35,900	but to really engage the community get their feedback on what works best. Um and I’ll share it candidly that never, um are you able to develop a bell schedule that that makes everyone happy? Uh, but is it what’s best for all students in terms of those students who need transportation? Uh, does

00:16:51,470	it get get the majority of your students to school safely and on time and ready to learn? Um and what really does work best for your community? OK, Thank you, uh, just appreciate the work you did on this. I really like this idea. Thank you both. Yes, sir, You’re very welcome.

00:17:09,470	Thank you, Mr lee, other board members any questions? Oh, Mr Peterson. Um no, I. I. Wanna second. What? Um Board member lee had talked about that. I really appreciate the report and then just the possibilities. I think that are there and I’m excited to hear.

00:17:31,870	Um you know, I, I think that you had mentioned that this is gonna go back to the Operational Excellence Committee, which I think is exactly what these, UM committees are intended to do is to provide that stakeholder feedback. And, then I would just the questions that I had, uh, you know, swirling around my brain is just to also engage.

00:17:49,200	Not only that committee but also our after school programs and make sure that regardless of which, you know And that we would choose that we would kind of look at some of our our partners through our Bismarck parks and rec with our blast program and then our kind of, um, 21st century kids just to make sure that that would be something that could align to whatever choices that we make,

00:18:04,430	and I appreciate the fact that we have a year like like you had said to to dig into this and then make the best choices based on the community. Yeah. Very very helpful information. I really, I.

00:18:21,970	I can’t wait to get the PowerPoint in front of me so I can see it and analyze it. And And. Um uh and and really just take a look at it. Especially the numbers. Um I may have been a little distracted, trying to trying to see it when if you if you broke down the numbers of what this would mean for writers and Um And buses and that small chart

00:18:41,170	down on the bottom, right? I don’t know if you if you covered that I apologize, But. If, not can you maybe just help break that down for, um, for us, and for people who are listening at home, Um and then just to to wrap up my comment. I just I.

00:18:57,630	I am anxious to hear what the community thinks on this. I think you You said it right that this is good to have options. Bring it to our community and find out what? Um, what they think is the best. But for them, But.

00:19:16,070	Um I’ll let you maybe Visit again about those numbers if you already covered it, and if I’m absolutely think, no, thank you. Uh, so the it may be hard to see and and we’ll make sure that you get a copy of this.

00:19:31,370	Um, but the majority of your ridership so, for instance, in the bottom, uh, the top line your elementary ridership in the morning is approximately 800 reported riders, um, with 1190 so almost 1200 riders in the afternoon and and that’s key across the board in every category, uh, going to your middle school about 650 in the AM for, uh, Middle school about 850 or nearly 900 for, uh, the PM and then for high school, roughly 300 riders in the morning and then 430 in the

00:19:50,630	afternoon and so again if you’ll remember going back to that, that, uh, previous slide with your current bill schedule. Uh, you’ve got more students writing in the afternoon, which compounds the issue of the fact that everybody’s getting out around the 330 time frame, and it makes it nearly impossible.

00:20:05,670	Uh, to be everywhere that you need to be and to also cover and support your athletic and extracurricular activities. Um, so in current You on the the General Education side.

00:20:25,170	You’re you’re operating roughly Uh 50 bus routes I believe and what we’re saying is that by tearing and grouping um this this on the low end could get you as low as 20 bus routes per tier. Um, uh, between 2030 30 on on the high end, based on being able to just provide enough time to, uh serve students again getting them.

00:20:44,500	To and from their direct schools, uh, in a more timely manner and and taking into account some of the challenges that you have with an increase in ridership in the afternoon. Um, so again, this is this is a best practice. This is becoming, um, a a practice that many districts have had to really lean on coming out of covid with not having enough drivers.

00:21:01,500	Um, they’ve had to revisit if if they were a single tier system, we’ve seen many of our clients move to a two tier system if they were a two tier system. We’ve seen them move to three tier systems and so on. And again. The reason for that being is if you can divide your peak, Uh, distribution of routes across multiple tiers.

00:21:17,570	Um, then it it does it provides you the ability to use the fine art finite resources that you have, uh, in transportation, which are your are your drivers? Primarily. They’re they’re the lifeblood of the operation, but it’s it’s extremely difficult to hire enough drivers right now, as we know, um and so tearing becomes a way to, uh, balance that level of service

00:21:35,900	and resources. Um, across all the students that you’re you’re Hard to serve. I. I would also just add real quickly, um, that the times Here are our estimates you could slide everything to the left or right for a particular scenario. If you wanted to, uh, for option B, For example.

00:21:56,030	You might be able to start elementary kids a little bit earlier and not have quite such a big gap. Um, there in the morning. The problem is that the length of day on the back end because the elementary school is so much shorter you you, you start running out of time in the In the afternoon the afternoon is is takes

00:22:13,100	longer, because you’re loading the bus to the school, so you lose. Five or so minutes, maybe as many as 10 that at schools that that struggle to load in a timely manner. The other piece is it was not part of our scope of work to reroute the system.

00:22:31,270	And that would obviously need to be done if you’re going to carry all these kids to their schools without combo runs right now, your system is almost 100% combo runs.

00:22:51,570	Meaning, Uh, you run out to a geographic area you pick up kids of all ages and you drop them at 234 different schools, and then you do the same thing in in the afternoon. You go from school to school, picking up kids and then run them all out and drop them off in in his best of a geographic area as as possible.

00:23:08,700	Uh, so once it was rerouted you we would better understand exactly how much time you need between the tiers so that could you know, move things a few minutes, one direction or the other. Uh, following up on that being that you’re talking about times. What is the from your scenarios. What is the earliest start time and latest, um, last Bell time schedule. Yeah. So an option A.

00:23:31,830	The Bell time would actually ring at 750 for elementary school, but you would need to drop them off at 730 so they would all be dropped at 730 assuming that basically that they would all have time to eat breakfast at the reason again. The reason you’re doing that is to have enough time to get back out for the second tier, So.

00:23:49,800	We don’t have any Bell times in any of the scenarios prior to 730. The latest is option C. High school dismissal time, which I believe is 415. Dr. F. There is a lot here just for the sake of the board and and thank you for the presentation. Uh, Micah, Doug. I.

00:24:14,770	Appreciate it, uh, first on a wonderfully coincident day when you’re gonna do my evaluation, you have my apology because I saw the link on the agenda. I didn’t go one page deeper to see the lack of a link to this presentation, so we will get that presentation out to you, then also make the link live for our, uh, general public to look at it.

00:24:32,730	Um, the the report that we received again is 70. Seven pages. There is a lot to digest with this, but I would tell you, Um as Doug and mike have shared with us initially is they can pro provide us some recommendations to save some significant dollars, which I think is was the charge of the of your charge to us to do this and

00:24:52,430	find out where we can be better, Um, going from 50 routes to we talked. Maybe 2526 is a considerable, uh, savings for us, and I do believe Micah made the perfect point. It’s about resource.

00:25:13,770	It’s about resources or lack of resources If, We, add 100 buses and 100 drivers just waiting to drive buses all the time. We could go pick up kids pretty darn efficiently. That’s not our present state. Uh so we need to look at just have a different, um, lens as we look at providing transportation service, um So. We’ll get that to you so you can see it and talk more.

00:25:32,830	I do believe, And I and Mr hager and Mr share and myself we talked about this is this is going to require a little bit because it’s 77 pages and shifting bell schedules is not something you do very easily. Uh, I don’t feel like it’s in my authority to just shift a bill schedule and tell everybody to adjust. Uh, it’s gonna take some time.

00:25:51,530	And your, uh, Miss Peterson’s, uh, point tonight we can need to talk with community stakeholders. I believe that would be my recommendation. When you talk to not only parents, but also staff. We need to talk to our childcare providers because, as you were concerned about an early morning start, Ms Peterson.

00:26:09,630	I also have that concern when you shift it, that becomes an afternoon issue. I can worry about my kid at home. My Elementary kid at nine o’clock, but if I move them to seven Now, I have my elementary kid at home at 230. Well. That’s also problematic, So.

00:26:27,300	It’s a matter of how to nuance those because The problem really exists on both sides of the schedule, based on most of our adults work day, So I. I. Just think it’s worth that again. You have my apology for not getting the link for you. We’ll get that out to you.

00:26:45,430	Um, but I do think there is many compelling um Much compelling information their report to just digest on Mike and Doug, if you have just a couple more minutes, I see board member Hager has a question or comment. Sure more more of a comment just kind of thinking about next steps Now that that we have this and, um Thinking about the operational excellence.

00:27:00,570	Committee and the folks that we have on the committee, I think are the right people to to address this, Um, to Miss Peterson’s point about, you know, the after school stuff. Well, we got Mr Gilbertson from the park board there so that he can help provide that kind of feedback when it comes to the blast program after school, we’ve got to Dr. Fos.

00:27:18,130	Not’s point We’ve got you know teachers in the room administrators in the room. We’ve got parents in the room, so I think it’s the right group to kind of take this and Kind of sift through it and kind of come back with maybe some recommendations or some thoughts from kind of the the broader community, So.

00:27:33,070	I guess I personally think the next step is to to get this in front of that operational excellence group and have them start digesting it. Yeah agreed. Mr Hager, I Think as we dig into that, like we’ve all talked about. I mean, I think we talk about the upper school blast? I wonder about before school, too.

00:27:47,930	If. We’re getting kids there a whole lot earlier, um, spending it over the variations Go with that Mike and Doug thinks, um, sorry. We didn’t have time to to really dig into 77 pages here tonight.

00:28:05,070	Uh, we We do appreciate you guys getting it board ready, uh, to present to US five board members on this and yeah, getting back to the community, I think will be huge and II. I am curious to also see when we talk to Members, where people line up and what what cost you to their their households as well because this could also impact daycare issues, which are not, um getting cheaper and and other

00:28:21,430	supervision things that we have for kids, So. I mean I think that all plays in and we we won’t know until we have a chance to really talk to community members, So we need as a board to talk to our community partners as you’re talking Mr hager to our own staff to know what options we

00:28:34,930	have. And then, um, hopefully we’re able to put a very concise community ready package. Out there for community members to be able to talk to us about that. And Mike and Doug, We certainly look forward to you helping us with that as well.

00:28:48,630	Thank you so much for being a part of the meeting here tonight, Dr. Foss and I don’t know if you had anything else. You just have my apology again. I’m sorry I will get that out to you, and then we’ll make the link because I do think the public will.

00:29:03,100	There are members of the Republic that really enjoy digging through that there is a lot of deep information about, you know just how many kids we have capacity for and actually how many kids are riding each route and and we we get criticism about. Four buses. We get criticism about buses that are empty and you can just see it. They came in. They do an analysis of it. It’s really good information so absolutely.

00:29:19,100	It’s not a perfect thing, but we wanna do the very best we can. So thanks mike and Doug for helping us do that. We appreciate you guys. Thank you for having us You bet. Have a great rest of your night. Um As. We continue to move on with our agenda board members.

00:29:34,630	We’ll move to Item four. Is public comment. The board recognizes the central role that 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 the lines of policy. BC B a in the spirit of its intent. For classroom issues.

00:29:52,830	It’s best to follow the chain of command from the teacher to the principal to the assistant superintendent. And, ultimately to the superintendent for all district issues. Please reach out to Dr. FSN. We don’t have any public comment requests at our last meeting. Um, if you do speak tonight, we simply ask that you be responsible. Be helpful and be respectful.

00:30:12,430	Our BPS students deserve deserve to have adults model the expectations that we have for them. Groups are urged to select one spokesperson. Individuals will be limited to more than four minutes and will be notified with 30 seconds remaining to conclude the remarks. The board will not debate issues as presented, but we take such matters under advisement with that.

00:30:29,670	Please stand and approach the podium if you’d like to speak tonight. You can state your name for the minutes. See no public comment. Public comment will now be closed. Item five is a monitored district operations. We have no reports to monitor For tonight’s meeting. So.

00:30:58,800	We’ll move on to item six matters reserved for board action. Item six, a the spring 2024 superintendent Summit of evaluation. It’s always a funny one to kick over to Dr. Foss. Not because we talked about him. Which maybe I’ll that lead off. Is that OK? Perfect. As Dr. S not will make mention in somewhat jokes. Sometimes he gets, um I At. Least.

00:31:23,130	I like to joke that he can either take credit or place blame depending on how things come back as he’s as he’s joined us here in his, um, still in his first year at Bismarck public schools, but, uh, luckily we continue to do well on our marks here.

00:31:38,430	Um, I’ll let you kind of dig into the actual Policies if you want to doctors, not, but I’ll just State that things are going very well, I. I can kind of read the report from the board. If. You’d like me to do that before you do this, OES.

00:31:57,170	What would you? What order would you prefer to do there? Uh, go ahead first, OK? Um We appreciate board members giving opinions on this. And and Mr Hager really helping kind of compile thoughts and put them all together for the board on this one and board members, please. You can feel free to jump in at the end of the reading of the board comment. The board is pleased with Dr. Fn’s performance.

00:32:11,230	He came in with a plan and a vision for the direction he wanted to move. Bismarck public schools, effective leaders have a vision and are able to communicate that vision and get buy in from the stakeholders. We as a community are seeing Dr. Foss vision unfold.

00:32:29,300	The increased communication across the district to all stakeholders in additional avenues for district leadership to hear from the community and staff are making our district stronger. Communication. Listening to ST stakeholders are vital to ensuring best outcomes. For our students and for our community at large. Dr. Fos, not his strengths and communication and community engagement, which we as a district and a board are benefiting from As.

00:32:48,970	We move forward over the next six months. We’d encourage Dr. fs not to continue to find time to listen to and engage with and receive input from those closest to our students. Who. Of course we know are our parents, our teachers and our support staff. I’d like to thank Dr. S, not for all his hard work.

00:33:05,030	Long hours and leadership. You’ve done a great job. Dr. fsn this school year and you’re moving the D the district in the right direction. The board’s been very pleased Board members. You were certainly um, welcome to share any anything else otherwise. We can jump into the OES.

00:33:20,970	If if you’re right, I’ll just hit the E, and then they can really let me have it on board cards. I said. But. Um I. I guess I made the assumption I didn’t go back and look at last year and watch. Uh Dr. hornbacher do this presentation. My focus.

00:33:38,100	Tonight was all these were in compliance, except for the ELAR 2.1, which was the one that was not in compliance with exceptions. And if remember, we just covered that just recently, I guess, um, with many of these, uh I feel Heading in a good direction They were last year they continued to progress in a good direction.

00:33:55,870	But I will say in the academic sheen area, particularly with you’re gonna be getting the math and others coming. We keep coming back around to that that discussion we’ve had multiple times this year about Um what? What? What are we watching? And is that the stuff that’s really important to help us drive? Um, our success with our students forward. Are.

00:34:15,430	We, enabling our students to thrive by looking at the right data and monitoring. It and then making improvements in our programs. I think that’s the biggest thing in all these that we want to continue to work on over the next couple of years.

00:34:32,570	Um, you know, we we still in many areas, um are at or better than state averages, which is wonderful. Um, I was just sharing AC T data with some, uh for a presentation for the chamber. Um, this week we’re well above the state average there, which is great, but at the same time, there’s never an opportunity to to take your foot off the gas. We gotta continue to get better.

00:34:48,100	And. Um, I. Just see that theme running through what I’ve purchased? I’ve been a part of is this again that governance discussion melding in with how we’re doing with our OES and RS and how we’re monitoring student performance, how we’re monitoring student data and how we could be getting better with that, Uh, as we move forward,

00:35:07,530	which I? I do think if we get better with that, that helps you govern better helps us helps you resource allocate better to where the needs are at And, then that helps drive performance even better. So. Uh, the more we tighten that up, the better off will be and we just have some work there.

00:35:22,970	It’s gonna take us a while. I will tell you as we’ve talked about it might take us a couple of years to do that. It will not be easy work.

00:35:38,700	It’ll be hard work, but I think it’s uh all of you have voiced a and a very high interest in doing that hard work, which I really very much appreciate. Um, and as far as your general comments to this, I love my job. I love what I do I Thank you for letting me do it, and I look forward to continuing the work. Thank you Dr. fs, I’ll just just to make note.

00:35:53,400	Um, I Think You snuck in a knot in compliance when we were first talking about that on one of them, So. I just wanted to make sure it stated that it’s in compliance with exceptions. You and I know that But just for people that can’t read, um the form right in front of them, so it in compliance with exception all other ones in compliance.

00:36:07,270	Uh, board member preskey. I believe you. Like that you? Yeah. Thanks. Yeah. Thank you very much for the work that you’re doing very happy and agree the communication, the transparency that you’ve brought, Um in your time here as Superintend has been phenomenal, Um and I like your communication style, like I think that it’s um it.

00:36:30,500	It’s It’s easy and it’s welcoming to the the students to the teachers and to the community. So, um, appreciate what you’re doing and keep it up. Dr Franz, and I’ll. Just also add, um as president of the board this year, you and I have a chance for regular communication.

00:36:51,530	Um, as the appropriate lines of communication. Go on and you’re laughing because it’s true, um, and it’s for good stuff, and it’s for stuff we were working on and I. I just want community members out there that hear it very well. Is that when Dr.

00:37:04,830	fs and I have these conversations when, when an issue gets brought up in our district, he’ll tell me he goes. People. People don’t need to worry about, um Creating issues to get something done in a school. If. It’s a problem and it’s something we need to address. As, much as the board Dr.. FSN wants to take care of that problem.

00:37:20,530	I think it’s really important for our community and our stakeholders, our parents to know that for our educators to know that when there’s an issue if it’s something we can do about it, we’re going to do something about it. We’re gonna look into it.

00:37:32,700	We’re gonna make sure that things are being done correctly, appropriately, And, then we’re gonna take action and I really feel like the district has done that, and I appreciate your leadership as we as we work through things to Dr. Fost, um and as Miss preskey just said, as as Mr Hager did such a great job of, um, summarizing some of those communication things you let people know that and there’s no you don’t have to.

00:37:49,130	You don’t have to guess if if Dr. Faran is gonna work on something for you, and he’ll let you know if he thinks it’s being done, right or wrong, Um, and sometimes people also it it comes back. It couldn’t be a board member.

00:38:03,530	When I say people is that Just cause the district isn’t doing what we want doesn’t mean they’re not listening or that it’s not. They’re not doing the right thing. It’s just it might not be what Even if all five of us have a difference of opinion how something should happen. It just cause we’re not getting our way doesn’t mean it’s not being done. So. Um I. I certainly appreciate that.

00:38:19,070	And, um And. The phone calls are Appropriate and I appreciate you giving the information so we need those Um with that board members. Uh, we have this in front of us here today and you have a chance to, um What are the words of the board for a motion.

00:38:39,470	I would move that we accept the superintendent, Spring 2024 Summit of evaluation as satisfactory all second A motion to second any more discussion. Mr Chair. Lee Peterson preskey Hager eastgate? Yes. Thank you. Motion passes. Thank you. Dr. FS. Item six B. Computer science and Cyber Security Integration plan approval. FS. Yeah.

00:39:12,700	You got this last time and the, uh, presentation from Mass Misty Frank, and this is really just the part that, um she articulated we articulated to you. This. Is that just the integration part. Um, the two page document that is required by law that all boards have to approve by July. And that is what is in front of you tonight. So. You’ve received the presentation.

00:39:30,500	I Think we’ve addressed questions. If you have more, I’d be glad to help you with them. But. It’s here for your approval. Thank you. Board members. Having had a chance to review this with which the board Mr lee, President East Gate, I would move that we approve the computer science and cybersecurity integration plan.

00:39:49,170	Second We have a motion to second any further questions or discussion. I. I do want to just comment that, um again. I think it’s important for everyone to recognize that this is while this is A program that I think will benefit our kids.

00:40:07,370	Um, and then I really appreciate the plan that’s put forward and really being the most efficient way to deliver this program to our students, um, that it’s a legislative mandate that’s going to cost BPS $10,000. To follow a mandate, not something that we want to do, over and above of educating our kids. Um, so, uh, I just wanna make that known We’ll put Thanks, Miss preskey. Get.

00:40:31,300	I would just also like to say We love our legislators. Absolutely. Any other comment. Can I, Follow that up, please. Can, you go open discussion going here, Mr Share. We’re gonna go to the roll. Peterson preskey? Yes Hager Lee? Yes eastgate? Yes motion passes. Item six. July 2024 School board meeting schedule.

00:41:08,100	We had a chance to visit about this briefly, but talking about, uh, recommendation of moving a date as Dr FSN is, um Gonna be predisposed for a A national superintendent’s meeting. Is that correct? It’s part of it’s part of that AES a governing board work, I’ll, be out, uh, doing advocacy work. Uh, that week in DC.

00:41:30,600	Um so my I my apologies, But. We did kind of offer. Um two alternate dates to the board that are available. This room is available on July 16th or 17 just matters which one and it takes your action to change your schedule. So Board members.

00:41:46,330	Um, if you have had a chance to look at your calendar if you can take a look at it, we can discuss this and Talk about a date. I’m. I’m good, either one President Eastgate.

00:42:04,100	Um, I would I would like the 16th as it stays the closest to a Monday, but Whatever the board The rest of the board can fit in their schedule is fine with me. Other board members, either either data can make work, OK? Same with you, Ms. Preskey, Ms Peterson. Either it OK? I also could What that said, Uh, if any board member has a motion This require a motion Mr Chair. Yeah, yeah. President is kid.

00:42:32,430	I would move that we have our July meeting on July 16th at 515 in the Tom Baker room. We have a motion. We have a second, I’ll second Motion to second Mr Sheriff. We can call the roll. Preskey hager? Yes lee? Yes Peterson. Yes, he’s gay. Yes. Motion passes. Thank you, Mr Chair.

00:42:56,970	Item six board member school visit updates I know we have at least one and maybe two. Remember preskey. Well. I visited Liberty and Mister lee. Do you know what they start their day with a deep breath. And. You know what else they were doing? They were celebrating kindness week. OK, Sorry. We’re just joking with each other. Um, yeah. So Liberty School. It was a great visit.

00:43:23,630	Um I had to postpone it, cuz I had a horrible cold. So. Um, getting back there. I I it was It was really nice to see the kids and they were all happy and the sun was shining. So. It was a beautiful day at at liberty and yes, it was truly kindness. Week. Um So. We talked a lot about the space.

00:43:43,000	The school. Beautiful school. Um, one of our newer schools in Bismarck. Um, the addition of Elk Ridge, uh, was a relief of 100 and 40 kids, and it’s really hard to think about a brand you know of a very new school in our system, you know, needing that relief so soon? Um, but really, now it’s It’s a

00:44:01,670	school of four sections of every grade level with 20 kids in a classroom which is really when in our target of where we like to be, um Uh, with our class sizes.

00:44:22,970	Um One thing that was pointed out to me was that in the beginning of school, there’s there’s two girls, um, that have now I guess offered to be leaders and they welcome and greet. Um kids coming in, and it’s something that they’ve just taken on, and especially helping kids that need some special assistance. Um, into the school. Um, maybe their kindergartners that have a little bit of that anxiety about leaving Mom or Dad.

00:44:42,500	Um, situations like that, And she just really Raise, these two young leaders that have really stepped up. Um, the other thing I did is when we were walking around the There was an instructional coach that was actually meeting with, uh, a group of, um third grade, um, teachers, and this was really interesting.

00:45:01,900	I sat in there and listened to the conversation for probably about 20 minutes. We’ve had a lot of discussions here as a board about instructional coaches, so it was really interesting to just listen in and hear what they were doing.

00:45:20,730	Um, so next year, they’re starting a new reading curriculum and so a lot of them were the Was centered on, um, meeting the challenges of some of the kids. Um, how to challenge them, uh, into the to another level when they’re ready for that, um, ways to work around the new curriculum, new books, Uh, and And. So. It was just really, really informative to sit in there. Um, and listen to that conversation.

00:45:44,300	Um, talked about the the the way that they have, um, improved over the year. Um, they are 90% proficient or advanced with their kiddos and they started the year at 82%. So. They’re seeing growth, um, in their school as far as achieving those academic standards, Um The the teacher. Uh, She not sorry. The Soup, The Principal not the Superintendent.

00:46:07,700	Um you know, she she doesn’t have an, uh, an assistant principal, and she is receiving one from, um do to our budget. Budgeting for next year. And she just repeatedly, um, you know, emphasized how grateful she was to that we that she’s gonna have an a an assistant principal next year and just what That means to her

00:46:30,100	What that’s going to allow her to do. Um, she has 55 teachers with evaluations to do on all of them and and talked about how difficult that that really can be, Um, to help them and and improve them, Um and keep them around, too, right? Mm. Also just really taking. Um, she said.

00:46:52,500	They they really are getting more focused on getting back to note taking and writing and retaining information for kids. And, so we had a discussion about how Covid really changed some of some of that for our students.

00:47:12,430	Where, Um, maybe they got away from taking notes in class to really doing homework over the computer and and the Internet and on apps, And So. You know they’re really trying to step things back to really Do more about taking notes and it they’re seeing that the kids the students are are able to retain the information a lot better that way.

00:47:32,670	They also adopted a new slogan in the school, The Liberty Way and, um, crediting that that be the behavior issues have been cut down in half from last year, and they’re really crediting that change in attitude. Positive. Praise Liberty Liberty Way to that, and they’re celebrating all those kind of, um, moments, uh, when the students are doing good things so Good visit at Liberty. Thank you.

00:47:56,630	Are some Thanks a lot, Miss preskey. Mr hager school visit. I Do I do have one this This time I had the The privilege of going to Centennial Elementary school last last month. I think your your kids went there, didn’t they? Yeah. Famous alumni. Danny’s Children. Um so Visit a centennial with the principal Jessica Nichols.

00:48:21,800	So it’s It’s Miss Nichols first year at Centennial, So. We did spend some time a little bit visiting about kind of her background education. How. She got started. Um Miss Nichols is a BPS product herself. She would graduate from Bismarck High, um, started teaching at Riverside.

00:48:42,430	Moses eventually became assistant principal at Simley where where she was prior to to moving over to, uh, Centennial. She said. She’s really enjoying the the change and being back at an elementary school. That’s she said. We’re you know, she kind of came up and where she she really has a passion for elementary school kids.

00:48:59,170	So we talked about, you know, some adjustments to staff, you know, having having a new principle in the building and her being, you know, first time full principle, not just in assistant principal and, you know, adjustments to leadership, And, she said the staff is Absolutely been great. She couldn’t say enough nice things about her staff and and the work that they’re doing.

00:49:17,100	Um, so anytime you have somebody new come in, they have some different thoughts on maybe how to do some things, and there’s always a period of kind of adapting to to some some change new leadership. Um, one of the examples that she gave me of things that they’re they’re doing there.

00:49:34,230	That would have been a little bit different for for staff was she turned it sharing kids, um, wi within a grade and the idea there was Um, pick a subject, you know, math or reading that you know you have kids with with skill sets that could be 1 to 99 and trying to Take certain kids that are having, um maybe excelling at a concept or struggling at a concept and and

00:49:51,830	having them move classrooms around. So now that that teacher is not trying to teach 99 to 1. Now they can bring it into kind of a range where all those kids are trying to learn kind of that concept in there, kind of at a at a even playing field.

00:50:05,700	If if you will, a little little closer so that they can really focus on achievement and getting those kids to develop and get to where they need to be. Um You know, Miss Nichols again talking about her staff and and Administration again said she feels really supported by by Mr Barnhart, the only time she needs something or has

00:50:25,030	a question. She. She feels like she can go to him and get Get a response and get some help. So After a little conversation. We toured the building. Um If you’ve ever been in Centennial. There’s some Some odd spaces like the The back.

00:50:43,270	Hallways are real strangers a bunch of room back there and they’re they’re trying to find ways to utilize the space. But there’s fire codes so they can’t use it for storage. They’ve made it some creative spaces for for kids to kind of go in and and collaborate. Um, the other thing that’s always struck me is odd, and so has the same thing as the the janitor’s apartment. That’s That’s there.

00:51:00,270	Um, they’re using it now for for office space, but it’s always been kind of strange to you know, back in the day have a have the Or live live at the elementary school. Um One other thing, too, as we were touring the building.

00:51:14,030	Some kids were going out to a portable so they still use a portable for for music classes there so they don’t have a dedicated space other than the portable for music. Um Kind of winding up the tour.

00:51:32,300	We ended up at the gym talked to, uh, Mister sma for for quite a bit, which I actually saw her at basketball tournaments this past weekend with her century cheerleaders as well, Um, so at that moment when she was finishing up class, and this kind of goes to and we talk about all the time, the amazing support staff we see so at Centennial from the moment her gym class ends.

00:51:46,200	They have four minutes to have lunch set up, so watching them in that four minutes how efficient they are to have that all set up and ready to go for those kids because they are they’re there and they’re going Um and then on the back side of that they’ve got 11 minutes to clean up.

00:52:01,500	So so there again, you know, it’s It’s one of those where we’ve talked about where they don’t have a dedicated, you know, lunch space. They’ve gotta share that gym and how? How efficient that support staff is that they know they’ve got to be there and they get it done, and she She again, Miss Nichols couldn’t couldn’t say enough good things about the janitorial staff and and how they go above and beyond.

00:52:16,170	And that’s just kind of a prime example that they they get in there and get that those things done so quickly and kind of a team effort there as well. So. That’s my, uh, visit in Centennial. Thanks a lot, Mr Hager. Thanks for the school visit reports tonight board members Moving on the agenda. We’re at Item seven.

00:52:35,900	The consent agenda. What are the wish of the board. I move that we adopt the consent agenda. Second Motion is second. Any discussion? That for sure. GER. Yes Le Yes Peterson? Yes, preskey. Yes, yes. Motion passes. Item eight Superintendents Report eight, a major projects. Yeah.

00:53:07,700	I will hand off to Mister Cher because he’s got the only report tonight. So, Mr Chair Thank you Dr. S, not members of the board. Uh, for today we have, uh, facilities update. So. We have, um one project that’s nearing The end in one project that’s just Getting started, Um as far as the actual construction or bid process.

00:53:31,300	Um So first on Lincoln Elementary you can see from the pitchers. Uh, That we we’re Very confident that we will make, uh, start a school. Uh, there was actually one long lead item that we were nervous about in actually end of July beginning of August that was installed, uh, two weeks ago.

00:53:53,700	So that long Y linga lead item is that’s a completion item now, so that’s pretty exciting, uh, had to do with our electrical gear in that building. The other one that we’re talking about is the Korean Technical Center in the northeast side of Bismarck. Um, at some point, the board will have to consider a potential name for that.

00:54:09,170	Building, Uh so we’ll have to bring that for the board consideration in the future. Uh, that’s currently being advertised. The bid opening is on April 3rd and the board will have, uh That consideration in front of them at its board meeting on April 11th. Another thing That’s that’s not on here. The property that we own, uh, on the north side of town. That’s, uh, near 26th Street.

00:54:30,570	Uh, about 70 acres up there. We’ve had some interest in that so Dr. fos, not and I will continue to meet and kind of weigh some some options there and and if, if so bring back, uh, the necessary information to the board for consideration, uh, in the future.

00:54:51,570	Uh, we also do have your, um Financials in front of you. The. One thing I’ll point if you may or may not have noticed, the seemly roof goes up and down. Uh, how, uh, Mr will Swanson and I decided to do that, instead of collecting revenue and then expenditure.

00:55:08,200	What we did is we expensed it and then we offset the expenditure so that, uh, by the time the end of the year that 602 will then when we get our insurance check, we’ll go down to just the deductible amount. Uh, so just wanted to point that out, Um And I would be Happy to answer any questions that you may have 01 more if I can Legacy high school.

00:55:29,300	We’re just finishing up some last minute paperwork and stuff, so that will be My goal is to have that officially closed either this month or early next month. Um And you know, there’s not any work really going on anymore, And.

00:55:48,330	He just they’re probably troubleshooting some last minute uh, punch list items so With that any questions that we may have Thank you, Mr chair board members. Any questions? Seeing. None. Dr. F you good on the major projects and In that case, all the gin items have been considered. I declare this