Springfield School Board — November 10, 2025

6:36 So thanks for your patience, everyone. We'll be getting started in just a minute. Good, good. Okay. Welcome everyone to the Springfield Public School Board meeting. Um, we're we'll get started. Time is 7 0 5, um, and it is November 10th, 2025.

7:24 Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. I'm very And vice chair worthy. Would you, uh, please read the land acknowledgement? We acknowledge, we acknowledge that we are in the traditional homeland of the Ali Pua people, specifically the community that was known as Shiffman, the area that we now call Springfield Ka Pua.

8:10 People who have lived in this regions since Time Memorial were illegally disposed of their land and forcibly removed to what is now called the Grand Ron and Slits reservations for over several years, but most notably in treaties between 1851 and 1855. The Caap pya are now members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand R and the Confederated Tribes of the Slits Indians and members of the PUIs still live, work, study, and thrive in this area, and continue to make important contributions here in Springfield across the land we now refer to as Oregon and around the globe. This information is shared out of responsibility to honor the heritage and the humanity of all people, and To promote the unity within our school

8:56 District. Thank you. Um, we're gonna move to the approval of tonight's agenda. Do I have a motion to approve? I move. Go ahead, move approval. Second. Any comments? So, I actually, um, want to remove, uh, section five, uh, subsections, E and F, the approval of the OSBA elections. Um, I've received word from the candidates for position six, uh, for both the board of directors of OSBA and the legislative policy committee that they would like to come and provide public comment, but are unable to do so tonight. So hoping to get that, uh, moved over to the next, next month's meeting. So they have that opportunity.

9:44 Will we be discussing that when we get to that point in the agenda, or is now the time to ask questions? Uh, you can ask questions now. Okay. So what's the timeframe? When do we need to submit our vote? December 15th. Okay. So that still allows us to have, Correct. Okay. So do we need to, so we have a second to approve the agenda. Mm-hmm. So do we need to, a motion to, To amend. Yeah. To amend. Correct. I'm trying to, At this point, what you had was a motion to approve the agenda. Yeah. And a second. So if you would like to amend the agenda, uh, you would go ahead and make your motion to, um, with carry these items over to December.

10:32 Uh, ask for a second, take a vote on that, and then come back and approve the agenda as amended. Fantastic. Parliamentary procedure, we're gonna figure this out. Um, okay. So I would like to make a motion to, uh, to remove the items five E and five F related to the O-S-B-A-A elections and move them to the next meeting on December 8th. Second, Any additional comment? Um, why did you wanna move it? Oh, so the other representatives from, um, the other districts would be able to attend. They're not all able to attend tonight to give public comment. And so the ones that are running for the board of directors position six, and then the Legi Legislative Policy Committee position six,

11:17 they wanted to come and, uh, share why they're running for those particular positions. And wanted to give, you know, This board nominated me. I'm sorry, repeat that. This Board nominated me, so I was just curious why? Oh, because I didn't Heard that. Yeah. So the legislative policy committee is also some, one of the things that we're voting on. And so those individuals were interested in coming as well. And so figured doing it all in once rather than separating it out, made the most sense. Do you know if the SA law candidates will be able to attend our December Meeting? They will likely be able to attend virtually. Okay. But I'm working on confirming that with them. Thank you.

12:04 Okay. So, uh, we have a motion and a second to remove those two items. All in favor? Um, I guess we can do a roll call. Uh, director light. Yes. Director Cole? Yes. Director Degra? No. Director Langworthy? Yes. And I vote yes. Um, so the motion passes for yeses and one no. And then we'll go back to the motion to approve the agenda without those items. Um, any additional comment? Okay. Uh, with that, we'll go to votes. Uh, vice chair Langworthy, are we approving the rest of the agenda? Yes, I, I vote to approve the rest of the agenda. Wonderful. Uh, director DeGraff? Yes. Director Cole? Yes.

12:49 And Director Light? Yes. And I also vote Yes. Uh, so the motion to approve the agenda passes, um, five oh, and we will then move to Student Board Representative Communication. I do wanna note that our representative from Willamette Leadership at Academy is unfortunately Ill tonight. So we're wishing him a speedy recovery, so he will not be here. Uh, we'll move over to, uh, hunter Murphy from Thurston. You don't need to hold it down. My name is Hunter Murphy. I'm a SP President representing Thurston High School.

13:34 Our fall CLI climate, our fall Student climate survey broke a record for the most responses. More than 850 students shared their feedback on campus climate Halloween Carnival on Halloween Day, A SB put on a successful lunchtime Halloween Carnival. Many students participated in numerous activities, including but not limited to a costume contest. Connect four and traditional carnival games. Aim a SP Conference. A number of our A SP officers attended the annual state a SP conference in Seaside November 2nd and third, where we explored had it positive positively impact student experience by learning from a SP leaders across from around the state

14:19 a SB elections underway. Student leadership elections are underway with spots for ninth grade president and Vice President, A SB assemblies director, and a SB communications director. Grade level representatives will also be nominated soon, Showing up, making our Voices Heard Band an orchestra fall, concert band, orchestra and percussion kicked off the gear with their fall concert. Many musicians came out to play and some even performed solos. Great job to all our music programs. Fall postseason football, women's soccer, and Cross Country Thurston High School's regular football. Regular season ended on October 24th, 2025 with a win against North Eugene.

15:04 We were heading to the postseason with a first round playoff game at Home Against Bend. Our women's soccer team won their last regular season matchup against Eagle Point two, nothing, and are set to play a first round, first round game at home against Can b on November 4th. Finally, both cross country teams earned an at large birth to compete at State Go Go Colts. Opening night for Wizard of Oz is November 13th at 7:00 PM Tickets will be a available for presale and out the door come support our campus actors, musicians, and elementary school students all assembled to make this show a success. Our college and Career readiness day on October 28th was a success.

15:50 Seniors signed up for career prep workshops, college essay writing workshops, the ASVAB or campus tours at the University of Oregon, Oregon Institute of Technology, or Oregon Central Oregon Community College. More than 225 juniors took the a CT and our underclassmen tried their hand at the pre a CT top performing ninth and 10th grade, students will be recognized as a CT Scholars, Navy Strike Simulators. THS hosted the United States Navy, all hosted the United States Navy. All physics students and students in our career Technical education pathways toward the Strike Group, virtual reality experience, students had the opportunity

16:35 to try out simulations, showcasing the jobs of Navy sailors and pilots. Thank you. Thank you, hunter. Do we have any questions for Hunter Jonathan, or Director Light? Jonathan's fine. Um, hunter, I just had a quick question. I was interested by, uh, you mentioning that, uh, you did a student survey that involved 850 students. That's great. Thank you for doing that. Is it possible that I could get a, I'd love to see a copy of the, of what the report is. Obviously not identifying anybody, but do you know if that's a possibility or should I, yeah. Okay. I appreciate that. And are other board members at all in? Definitely. Oh, okay. So maybe the entire board

17:21 and very excited for Wizard of Oz, one of my favorites. So, uh, yeah, I'll be there. Thank You. Can you, can you remind me what time Wizard of Our House starts? Wizard of Oz opening IGN Night is November 13th at 7:00 PM 7:00 PM Wonderful. Thank you. Any other questions? Thank you. All right. We will move over to Lucy Rogers with Springfield High School. Good evening. And thank you for Giving me this opportunity to share a few highlights from Springfield High School. This last month, our homecoming dance was a huge success. The senior council worked tirelessly to create an unforgettable evening arriving at the school commons at 6:00 AM to begin decorating their creativity and teamwork transfer form the space into a stunning venue,

18:09 setting the stage for a beautiful night, filled with music, laughter, and lasting memories. Our pep rally also brought the whole school community together. Students from every grade along with teachers and staff, came out to show their school spirit. Before the pink out Homecoming football game, the event was full of energy and excitement. Kona Ice, as well as our LSU Student Club sold food and it was definitely a crowd favorite. It was the perfect way to kick off our homecoming weekend, celebrate our school pride, and make SHS so special. The final Home football game of the season drew the largest crowd yet with a record student attendance, incredible enthusiasm. The student section was fully decorated and nearly everyone dressed in themed to cheer on the team.

18:57 The energy in the stands made it a memorable night for everyone. Most false sports have now wrapped up with Cross Country, still going strong. Both the Boys and Girls team placed forth at the districts and the girls team, along with Adrian ses from the Boys Team qualified for state, we are now gearing up and getting excited for the start of our winter sports. At SHS, the Boosters Annual Trunk or Treat brought together students, families, and community members with a fun filled evening. Students went all out decorating their trunks with creative themes while families arrived in costume to enjoy a safe and festive Halloween event. It was a great reminder of how our school and community come together to support one another.

19:42 Excitingly, the theater department recently wrapped up on their production of Hanging by Our Fingernails, which was a tremendous success. The performance captivated the audience with its talent and creativity. And the costume contest added an extra layer of fun to an already impressive night. We recently completed our Oregon Department of Education Review of Pro Progress towards meeting expectations in areas such as teacher collaboration around data system, supporting on-time graduation, reducing chronic AP absenteeism, and ensuring equitable access to advanced coursework. We are proud to share that A, that Springfield High School met all eligibility requirements alongside Thurston Gateways and a three in mid-October,

20:29 we hosted a FAFSA night in partnership with LCC, drawing the largest turnout of seniors and families in recent years, especially impressive since FAFSA access had only opened two weeks Earlier. In late October, 75 students took the ASFA test, which helps students explore career pathways, including those considering military service. We also completed a CT testing and are gearing up to take AP exams. Finally, we are seeing strong student interest in Advanced pathways from AP to a CT testing, as well as our CTE programs. Advisory continues to highlight these opportunities so every student can find a pathway that aligns with their goals and passions. And we thank you for your continued supports.

21:16 Thank you. Lucy. Do you have any questions or comments for our Springfield High rep? Uh, the homecoming game that you spoke about, that was the pink out, correct? Yes. Mm-hmm. There was a lot of pink in the stadium that night. Yeah. Um, it was, it was wonderful to see so many students and, and family members actually participating in that. Um, and I also attended Hanging by Our Fingernails. Uh, it is such a unique show every single year. If you haven't attended, I highly recommend you check it out. It is, um, really cool. The students write it, write their, their skits. They perform them, they direct 'em. It's completely student led, including costuming and, uh, set design, all that sort of stuff. So if you haven't checked it out,

22:01 highly recommend it next year. All right. Thanks again, Lucy. We're gonna move over to Aiden with Gateways. Hello, I'm Aiden. I'm the rep for Gateways High School. Cosmetology students have their second Willam Lane Day of Beauty, and at Day of Beauty for the transitional students. We are also preparing for mentor meetings with our first year students. The salon is open to the public Monday through Friday, 1230 to 3:05 PM and after school hours on Tuesday from 3 0 5 to 8:00 PM in leadership. We reviewed the survey from last month. Students had voted on Spirit Day, weeks Monday,

22:46 Disney Day, Tuesday, Adam Sandler Day, Wednesday Do a day Thursday, anything but a backpack day and Friday costume day. The student body also voted on the prompt theme, which is Casino. As a class, we are brainstorming a community service project to do and planning a spirit week for our countdown to winter break. We are also preparing for our first assembly of the school year in advisory. We did a pumpkin painting contest, and October was substance use and misuse awareness month, which we did multiple lessons on our sophomores and juniors completed the pre a CT and a CT testing. And as a school, we are preparing for finals in the end of quarter one. Thank you.

23:31 Thank you. Aiden. Any questions for our gateways High school rep? No. I'm really curious what the most unique not a backpack was. So someone brought an inflatable raft. That's a pretty solid choice. Nicely done to that student. Uh, all righty. And last but not least, Bradley Norris from A Three Radical. Um, this, I wanna apologize for reading off of my Chromebook. Um, it actually, um, is relative to our first, um, subject, which this October, um, has been really ramping up on our school production

24:17 of our Town, um, which will run both the 21st and the 22nd, starting at 7:30 PM at the wildest theater just across the street. Um, additionally, our annual Halloween fall dance took place earlier this month, well, earlier last month, I should say. Um, and was a really great success. Um, the event ran smoothly and was run by student leadership. Um, it had an inclusive atmosphere and, um, plenty of fall decorations. We try not to focus on Halloween specifically, um, throughout the 23rd and the 24th of October. Students also participated in our first reviews of this year, creating slideshows that highlight their progress and experiences during this school year. So far, these presentations were shared with both teachers and parents, um,

25:02 and have allowed students to showcase their academic growth, creativity, and personal development. Student Voice had their first district meeting and have full launched their Handwashing campaign just in time for the cold season. Um, and brainstorming plans for the rest of the year. Um, this month also provided an important opportunity for education and awareness surrounding LGBTQ plus History. Month students explored the history of the LGBTQ plus, um, rights movement and the role that protests and activism have played in advancing equity discussions and advisory classes focused on understanding how far society has come through collective efforts and resilience and recognition of Native American Heritage Month. Coming up, students will participate in an interactive and educational slideshow and explore indigenous history and culture.

25:48 Um, following this presentation, each student will contribute to a collaborative art project by coloring fish that will become part of a larger river display. This final artwork symbolizes unity, respect, and the interconnectedness of our school community and the stories and traditions of indigenous peoples. Last week, a three went through their accreditation process, which went smoothly. A three parents, teachers and students met with Cogni e evaluation team to talk about their experience with the school. Academically speaking, test state was completed successfully this month. Students, um, took their a CT and pre a CT and during this day, um, seniors had an opportunity, um, to discuss graduation and the culture.

26:36 They want to leave at a three, at a senior brunch meeting. I would also like to take a moment to, um, give my appreciation and continued, um, acknowledge my continued inspiration from our teachers at a three, um, and their continued action, including their, um, demonstration on Main Street last week. Okay. Thank you, Bradley. Any questions or comments, Jonathan? Well, it was so nice to hear that a three is doing an acknowledgement celebration around November is indigenous people's month. So it's, it's great that you're doing that. I had a question to the other schools that are represented here. Do you know if your campus is doing anything, uh,

27:24 around indigenous people's month? Well, I don't mean to put you on the spot, so, so anyway, I was just curious because it's, uh, sort of a big deal. Yeah. Um, A three is actually specifically focusing on the recent, uh, Klamath Dam removal and how young activism can continue to inspire change, um, and how to effectively communicate your ideas and create change in ways that are meaningful inside your community. That should be an interesting project. 'cause that was quite a big deal. Removal of four dams. Salmon are already, uh, showing up in the streams and they return the land to the people. So that's cool.

28:10 So I know that, um, there's a request for Confluence from folks. Um, do you wanna share what that request is? Do you remember what it is? Not told? Okay. Confluence. It's okay. Um, so I got an email from the staff at a three. Uh, they're looking for donations for Confluence, specifically any non-food, non-liquid trash. So plastic trash, plastic bottles, glass tin, or soda cans. Yes. Um, this is for our, it's a plastic world, um, art project that will be happening later this school year. Um, if you want to see your trash become really awesome, um, and motivated, like, uh, environmentalism art, um,

28:56 please donate it 'cause it'll be really cool. Is there any more specifics about what trash or otherwise? I see this as a tremendous opportunity. Generally Clean stuff would be awesome. Um, and this will be our next confluence on the confluence that's actually coming up, um, which will be, um, December, um, I think 10th and 11th. Mm-hmm. Um, is going to be be the change. So if you want to, um, walk through a three's perception of how the world could improve by 2027 and like our dreams for it, please feel welcome to stop by. It'll be really awesome. I'm in the econ justice part, so please show up. We have so much to say.

29:41 Yeah. Love, love every confluence I've ever been to. They're always so fascinating. And then just amazing, uh, the amount of work and effort that the students and staff put into them. It's, it's a good time for sure. So if we need more details, they'll be on your website as far as drop off date, ideally, and, and all that kinda stuff. Yes, I will check in with Amy and make sure that is a reality. Okay. Thank you. And then I did have one more question for Hunter. It sort of slipped by me, but, uh, congratulations. The Thurston football team has done quite well. And you're meeting Churchill again this Friday, is that correct? We don't have no, you need to press that. Oh, that's correct. Yes. And then is the game at seven and is it at Thurston?

30:30 I believe so. Um, I, I know the game's at seven. I'm not sure about the Location. I'm getting head nods from the audience. Yes. All right. We'll go with thank you. Especially the principal back there. That's great. And congratulations to the team and, uh, you know, good luck. Awesome. Anything else for our student representatives? Alrighty. So you all are dismissed. If you would like to stay around, we always welcome you. So this is a pretty packed house tonight, but thank you again for what you do and have fun doing homework this evening.

31:16 All righty. Um, so we are gonna move on to the public comment session of our meeting. Um, I did wanna make a brief statement before I read the public comment statement. Um, So these past few months have been extremely challenging for the Springfield School board, our staff, families, and community members. Many have felt frustrated and weary throughout this process, and that's understandable. We appreciate everyone who continues to stay engaged and invested in our schools. The board remains committed to following best practices for governance by ensuring that every action we take aligns with board policy, Oregon law, and the values of transparency and accountability concerns that arise will continue to be addressed in accordance with board policy

32:02 and applicable legal guidance. As we mo move forward, the board's focus must stay on student success in ensuring that our schools meet Oregon standards for safety, educational quality and equity. We are committed to providing every child with a well-rounded education that prepares them to thrive both academically and personally. And while some community members continue to reflect on past challenges, this board is choosing to focus on the work ahead by strengthening trust, improving collaboration, and ensuring that Springfield students and staff have the support that they deserve. Um, so again, want to thank you all for attending this evening virtually and in person, and we'll move to the public, public public comment phase. Um, so this is a portion of our agenda for public comment. The board provides three ways for community members

32:47 to share public comment, written, public comment in person, oral public comment, and virtual public comment written. Public comment is received via email. And the public comments that have been received via email for this evening have been reviewed by the board and have also been posted on the district's website. The deadline for submitting an oral public comment was today at 2:00 PM Those who requested an opportunity to speak this evening were notified by the board secretary about their request time permitting. The board may also hear public comment from individuals who signed up in person at the administrative office before the meeting. We encourage groups with a common purpose to designate a spokesperson. If your comments will be covered by a group spokesperson, please indicate so when your name is called. And I want to remind those members of the public

33:33 who have indicated a desire to make comments that our policy provides for a limitation of three minutes per person. As a reminder, the board will not hear comments regarding any school personnel, whether named or implied any complaints regarding a particular employee. Employee must be processed through the procedure set forth in board policy kl, which requires that complaints be submitted in writing to the superintendent. This procedure must be followed before there's any board involvement with such issues. A compliment involving a staff member should be sent to the superintendent who will forward it to the employee, their supervisor, and the board, again, speakers, a reminder that are reminded that their public comments will be limited to three minutes. And it looks like we have four in person and one virtual.

34:20 Is that correct? Okay. Um, so we're gonna go in the order that I have listed on my paper, and we'll be starting with Sarah b. She worthy, you ready to go? Oh, no. Okay. So not Sarah Bergen. Sarah Bergen, you're up next. Okay. That's me then. Okay. I mean, wanna, this is the first time, time it's been a competition, and I'm like low key Wondering how many other Sarah Bees are in the audience. I Know. Okay. So

35:05 My name is Sarah Bosch, and I'm a former, uh, Springfield teacher, as well as the mom of a current Springfield student. And my topic of comment this evening is the Division 22 assurances and missing elementary subjects. At the O October 13th regular school board meeting, district leadership reported that SPS had met compliance standards in all areas for the 20 24, 20 25 school year, except in career education and comprehensive school counseling. No other deficiencies were mentioned, which can only mean that the district had concluded that it has been providing elementary students with a viable, comprehensive and guaranteed curriculum in all state required subjects, including science, social studies, health, art, and social emotional learning.

35:50 If true, this would be great news and a huge relief for the 500 staff, parents, and community members who've signed my change.org petition to address our concerns about the capacity of SPS elementary schools to provide a comprehensive program of instruction, as well as those staff members too nervous to sign a public document. However, I'm back here today because we still remain without an explanation from leadership. We expect full transparency from leadership and our concerns will persist until they're addressed the satisfaction of all stakeholders. I'm asking the board to hold leadership accountable with answers to the following questions. Number one, how is the district in compliance with the division 22 assurances for ensuring that elementary school students are

36:35 provided with a viable, comprehensive and guaranteed curriculum that includes all state mandated subjects? Number two, how can the district submit the 20 24, 20 25 division 22 assurances prior to the completion of the ODE investigation into the complaint about assurances? Number three, how does the current elementary daily schedule provide adequate instructional time for all of the state mandated subjects? And number four, how does the current elementary school report card align with and communicate actual student student learning in the subjects of science, social studies, health, art, and social emotional learning? Thank you for your attention to this matter.

37:21 Thank you, Sarah. Thank you. Um, do you by chance have a written copy of that? Yeah, I sure do. Okay. If you like It. Yes, please. Absolutely. Thank you. How should I get it to you? Uh, just walk around the corner here. You Could just give it to Marty and she'll, she'll make sure I get a copy. Thank you so much. All right. Time for the more different. Sarah. Hello. Um, hi there. My name's Sarah Bergen, another Sarah b um, I'm here to explain in terms of brain science, how being an elementary school teacher, it has slowly turned me into a cave woman.

38:06 I wasn't always like this. Early in my career, my stress was adaptive, the kind that activates your prefrontal cortex, where executive functioning thrives. I was energetic, I was creative. I went home tired, but I returned back to school every morning with optimism. 21 years later, I am feeling not just stressed, but overwhelmed lately. When the human brain is overwhelmed, the amygdala takes over and the body shifts into survival mode. Fight, flight, freeze you might've heard of. And that's when the teacher brain steps back and the don't get eaten by the saber tooth. Tiger brain steps in. There are no actual tigers at my school, but my n nervous system doesn't know that. It sees these things as, as a, as threats kind of 34 students, 11 subjects a classroom lacking space time

38:52 or enough teacher to go around the expectation to deliver maximum results with minimum prep and a pace faster than students can learn. Managing multiple behavior systems, filling out eight point cards seven times a day, never ending emails, grades, referrals, technologies that glitch, policies that shift, meetings that multiply to-do lists. Lengthening using lunch is the only consistent work time every day. Most elementary level work is invisible happening when students are watching. So I'm here to invite the board members to come to our classrooms and make that work visible. Come to our caves and see the fire that we keep burning and the costs of keeping it lit. And when you would go ask about the invisible, both the cognitive load

39:37 that we're carrying while we're teaching, and the work behind the scenes. Ask about what occupies our time, how long it takes, what overflows into our personal time, and then do some math. Multiply the tasks by our class sizes, divide prep time by subjects. Subtract the interruptions and the unexpected. What is left? What you might find is that a deficit is there, and it's being covered by the untimed unpaid time and depleted nervous systems of cave teachers in survival mode who are so overloaded. It's difficult to access the high level functioning that this work requires changing how we teach, plan, and interact. I have a list here for you of from 14 different teachers inviting you to their eight schools, and we hope you'll come and see firsthand how long-term overload impairs our performance.

40:23 Ultimately short changing our students who need a regulated and present teacher, not this cave person. Thank you. Thank you, Sarah. Sarah, can I ask what school you're with? Okay. Um, I will go back and attend, go and visit you all again. Um, I love visiting the school last year. Um, I know that, uh, vice chair Langworthy and I are meeting with the, um, Thurston Elementary folks on Friday, so we'll make sure to get time to visit your classroom really soon. Yeah, we'd really love to like talk about our time and our workload.

41:08 We'd love, we'd love to connect with you. Thank you. All right, next up is Ingrid Nordstrom. Good evening. Good evening. At the September 8th evening or board meeting, I shared concerns about the lack of science, art, and social studies in my kids' school day. Since I have yet to hear any public discussion of these concerns, I thought I'd share an update. In early October, my fourth grader came home delighted to tell us about a science lesson. The focus was on the tendon, and they had watched a video in which a chicken's foot was used to demonstrate how the tendon works.

41:53 Then after watching the video, they made this project with just a slip of paper and a piece of string. They learned about the tendon and she loved it. I share this because I can see that some effort has been made to respond to our concerns. The district has invested in a science curriculum. I remain concerned, though, because teachers are still allotted only about 30 minutes per day to teach all of these subjects. My understanding is that teachers try to cycle through science and art throughout the week. But for subjects like these, this set up alone is likely to take at least half of that time. And notably, social studies remains absent. So although I appreciate the effort, the district's response continues to be inadequate. My second concern regards the functioning of this board.

42:40 Last week, I learned that the board voted to remove directors light and coal from their leadership positions. And that our new chair direct demanded that director light resign from his elected position on the board. Because he asked for an update on the state's curriculum related con investigation, a request he made on behalf of the community members who are repeatedly asking questions. I'm deeply concerned that instead of engaging in thoughtful, reflective conversations about what's going on in classrooms, our district leadership is wasting time and considerable financial resources on investigating board members. I'm a faculty member at LCC, and I've also been attending those board meetings, and it's been fascinating to see the ways in which the administrations at both institutions seem to be operating from the same playbook.

43:25 When a board member asks questions that the administration doesn't wanna hear, they accuse that board member of bullying or corruption and launch investigations in what appears to be an effort to undermine the board's credibility. It's an abuse of power. So, in closing, I remind the members of the board that you are not appointed here by the administration to serve the administration. You are voted in through a democratic process, and you are here to serve the school community. You have the authority and responsibility to ask questions, get information, and share that information with the community. You also have the authority and responsibility to hold the administration accountable. I want you to know that we are all here paying attention, but I also want you to know that I look forward

44:12 to supporting a board fully focused on the best interests of students, teachers, and families. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. The next person is Linda Burke. Hi, Linda. Yes. My name is Linda Burke, and I just appreciate the opportunity to share some of my thoughts and concerns with you. I really do. As a lifelong resident of Springfield, I,

44:57 I do wanna express these concerns for our school district. The legacy of this school district has been one of cooperation and problem solving. The stakeholders, families, students and staff, are not experiencing this shared goal. The past culture has been one of a receptive administration that listens to parents and staff and works together to address concerns and work towards solutions. The culture, this culture of concern, just seems to be lacking at this time. And the community is speaking to you. As concerns are brought to the administration, it seems that the response is often not to learn and listen

45:42 and address underlying issues. But instead, concerns are seen sometimes as a challenge to the administration. The internal complaints against school board members are a distraction to the real issues of curriculum, staff morale, and loss of enrollment. We teach students to respect and listen to one another. We teach them to seek understanding and work toward compromise and resolution. If we expect this process with young people, we can expect no less from our leadership. The administration spent $35,000 of taxpayer money because administrators filed formal complaints.

46:29 Instead of continuing the hard work of sitting together and talking to each other until you could come to a resolution, I and others are asking for a reconsideration of the messages that are coming from this administration. And I strongly ask for your willingness to lead with integrity, kindness, compassion for one another, and for the people you serve as a wise and beloved school superintendent once said, our model is compassionate, straight talk and servant leadership.

47:15 This is how we build that culture to which we aspire. Thank you. Thank you, Linda. Thank you. And last but not least, we have Roscoe, uh, Karen, virtually. Yes. One second. Uh, thank you board members for this opportunity to speak, uh, with you and with the public. I'm Roscoe Karen. I'm a retired middle school teacher who taught in Junction City

48:00 and in Eugene, a former instructor at the U of O College of Education, and a member of Cape, the Community Alliance for Public Education. The upheaval in the Springfield School district centers around a very basic issue. Who runs the district is at the superintendent and administrative staff, or the publicly elected school board. The answer should be both. Ideally the board and the superintendent work side by side as partners. But what if questions and concerns voiced by board members on behalf of the community they represent, are not adequately responded to by district leaders? Who has the legal right and responsibility to direct the district? The answer is the school board of directors.

48:47 The board sets the district's direction on behalf of the people who voted for them. Recently, two board directors needed answers to two pressing questions facing the district. First, what is the status of a teacher complaint to the Oregon Department of Education? That Springfield is not meeting the requirement of teaching all required subjects to K through five kids. Second, how does a school board find out about cost overruns on big projects? Both board members found great difficulty in getting adequate and timely responses to these questions. After repeated requests fueled by frustration, they chose to directly seek answers from the ODE. These board members were doing their jobs as elected

49:34 and responsible representatives of the community. District leaders chose to shoot the messengers rather than to engage in serious dialogue and discussion. They filed complaints against those board members for seeking answers to necessary questions. This reveals a serious problem in Springfield Public schools a lack of communication between the elected school board of directors and district leaders. If that communication had been consistently in place, the board members would not have needed to seek information directly from the ODE regarding the lack of a comprehensive education. Others beyond the board believe this is a serious issue in need of honest investigation,

50:21 75 teachers had the courage to sign a letter to the school board calling for, for a more well-rounded elementary curriculum. Not one excessively focused on reading and math. Nearly 500 people have signed a similar online petition to the school board demanding action on this issue. The school board in their superintendent must work together. This is currently not happening. The board, the teachers, the classified support staff, the principals, the parents, and the students need to be included respectfully as decision making allies. Sorry. Then your time is up. Do you, if you have a written version of your public comment, if you could please send that to us. That'd be lovely.

51:06 It's a deal. Thank you for the time. Thank you so much for coming. I wanna thank you all for continuing to show up, continuing to voice your concerns. We're here to listen and we're here to come up with solutions that, that we can all work with. Uh, so thank you. Please continue to show up here. Uh, we're gonna move on to our action items. So the first is to approve the consent agenda. I second move for approval. Thank you. Move for approval. Okay. Um, and then were you gonna second?

51:51 I'll second That. Fantastic. Uh, do we have any discussion? So I, I, um, would like to pull the, the two items, uh, one and two for the meeting minutes for some minor corrections. Okay. Um, did Already been, Already been done. Already been done. Okay. Wonderful. Uh, would you like to still pull, pull those? No, that's all right. Okay. Um, would anyone else like to pull something from the consent agenda? Okay. Um, so hearing no further comment, we have a motion and a second on the table. Uh, all in favor of approving the consent agenda as presented.

52:36 Aye, Are we roll call or? Yeah, we don't, I don't think we need to do a roll call for that. Aye, aye, Aye. Aye. Thank you. The motion to approve the consent agenda passes. Uh, so next on the agenda is approving, uh, structural engineering services. This is resolution 25 dash 26 0 1 8. And we have, uh, Mr. Brett Yancy on the line for that, I believe. Good evening board members. Good evening. Um, Good evening. Uh, thank you for, um, allowing me to attend virtually. Um, I've communicated with the board, uh, some

53:21 of the challenges that we have moving forward with property coverage coverage for some of our buildings. Uh, specifically the buildings that are more than 50 years old, um, that are built with engineered wood trusses. Um, we have the need to do some structural engineering analysis on those trusses. And I met with Vice Chair Langworthy and reviewed the procurement file. We went out, we went out for the district, went out for a request for qualifications for structural engineering services. Uh, we had five firms respond. We went through the interview process, uh, included a representative from, uh, our insurance, actually our insurance agent. Um, we, uh, it also interviewed those five firms.

54:08 And at this time, um, it is recommended that the board of directors approve the resolution for structural engineering services to Miller Consulting Engineers. And I believe Vice Chair Langworthy is prepared to make a motion. Okay. So I would entertain a motion to approve the structural engineering services as discussed a second. No. Is that what is, help me. We're gonna get this. Okay. Um, so you're gonna make the motion to approve it. Oh, okay. So I just say I make the motion to approve the structural engineering service as presented.

54:53 Yep. As presented. Good job. And I'll second Thank you. Thank you. Parliamentary procedures fund folks. Uh, do we have any comment or questions on this? I just have one question. Um, do we know what the timeline is on this? I can't see Him. Yeah, that's a Small, Can you hear me? Do you know what the timeline is at all yet? Even though he just hired, I I can hear you. Um, yeah, so that's a great question. Uh, director de Graf, um, we have already met with the firm, uh, in anticipation that the board would take action tonight. Uh, we really want to take advantage of the opportunities where we have, uh, no students out on break. So the plan is that we, um, are, are continuing to meet with them. We're going to get that structural engineering firm in our buildings during the week of Thanksgiving. We're also gonna be focused on the, the winter break, um,

55:39 for more of the intrusive, uh, potentially disruptive services. We do also know that there could be times when students and staff are in buildings. Those will be times where we focus on other areas, for example, gyms, auditoriums, cafeterias, things like that. Um, so the work, to answer your question directly, the work is gonna be starting immediately. Thanks. So, um, Brett, I guess I'm question about process. So I guess I'm, does the board normally need to, uh, authorize award of, um, these kinds of consulting contracts? Yeah, I, I really do appreciate that. 'cause this one is really confusing. So, um, we have policy around when, uh, staff need to bring items forward to the board for, uh, approval.

56:25 And that typically is when it reaches a hundred thousand dollars or more. Um, the situation we're in now is that we hired the firm on a time and materials basis. And the reason we did that is we don't know how much investigation and how much work is gonna be done here, because number one, we have to identify all of the trusses in our schools that are 50 years older or older. And in addition to that, then they have to do visual inspections. And if they see a potential problem, then they have to dig in a little further. As, as you, uh, likely understand from your, from your career, uh, many of those trusses are behind sheet rock and are in places that we'll have to actually expose that. Mm-hmm. So, um, the reason I brought it forward is so that we don't exceed the limits that would've required us to bring it forward. And I wanted, so I'm kind of playing on the safe side

57:10 by having the board go ahead and approve the services as a follow up. Once that service is completed, there will be reports developed. Uh, we wanna make sure we share those with the board. And then if there's potential repairs or revisions to those trusses that need to be made, then we'll have to go out for additional, um, bidding to do that work. So this is a multi-tiered multi-step process, and this is step one. And, and this is really just airing on the side of, uh, caution so that the board not only is aware, but that we don't, uh, potentially violate a policy. So I guess I'm, I'm confused. Are we thinking that, that you're thinking the cost is gonna be in excess of a hundred thousand for the, for the, the structural engineers work?

57:56 I think that it is likely it could be in excess of a hundred thousand. Do you, do you have an idea how, how, I mean, is there a not to exceed on the contract or, I mean, so what, um, Not at this time. Um, we do know that two thirds of our buildings need to be inspected. Um, we, the firm that we are recommending, uh, is approaching it with five teams of, um, experts. And then, uh, they're, they're using the, you know, the staff that is obviously qualified, but less expensive than, um, say principals in the, in the firm. Yeah. And that was, so part of the approach is that we're trying to make this as economical and as affordable as possible, but unfortunately, uh, until we really dig in and do say one elementary school, then we'll have an idea of how much an elementary school costs as far

58:42 as Thurston High School goes. Um, it's, uh, you know, that one is, um, that one is a really big concern because not only is it, um, 50 years old or older, it's also, you know, almost 200,000 square feet. Wow. And so is just as a reminder, the, the reason that this came about, um, is that there were at least three separate incidences where these structural, um, trusses failed. And unfortunately, Springfield, uh, experienced one of them with Thurston High School's auxiliary gym back, um, you know, several, a few years back. I, I can definitely see the need for this work and bringing in this, this expertise. I understand that. I'm just, is there, uh, a way

59:27 to, uh, cap this? I mean, what is the, the limit, I guess, that it would be that we're authorizing? Um, it's not clear to me what the limit would be at, At this point. There is not a limit on the other side. I mean, this is, they clearly understand that this is something we're concerned about, and we'll be monitoring this, um, uh, as we go along. But, but the firms, none of the five firms we interviewed could even give us a, a, a cap on how much this is not to exceed. That's the reason we're going with time and materials. I get that. Can it be, could we be that we authorize a certain amount and that if you're getting close, that you come back to the board for, We don't have an negotiated contract with the firms for not to exceed. Um, I, I mean, I will, I am definitely going to be bringing reports back to the board. Um, but this is one of those situations where we

1:00:12 can't stop the work if we stop the work. Right now, we don't have coverage on buildings that are 50 years old or older with engineer wood trust if those fail. So clearly this is a must do. Um, and I'm as concerned as, as the board is on, on the other side of this, um, you know, so I, I really hesitate to put a, uh, an amount on this. So we're not, we're not approving any amount. We're approving that this Miller Consulting firm is going to do the work and then give us the estimate and then you'll bring it back to the board for Us. Yeah. They're doing, they're doing the work, and then we'll have a idea of how much the services are gonna cost, you know, so, so say, uh, with the, with the work that's being done right now, um, if the most expensive employee in this firm,

1:00:58 um, let me just do a real quick calculation here. Um, a hundred thousand dollars would give us in excess of 450 hours worth of work. So that, that gives you an idea of how much a hundred thousand dollars would give you. 450 hours of work is a substantial amount of work. Um, you know, bringing in five teams, they're gonna do this very, very quickly. And it's only trusses that are, that are, uh, large span trusses, 50 feet or more. So you can, you can really narrow down on the focus of the project once we have an idea of how many of those trusses are 50 feet or more. Um, the challenge we have with a building like Thurston High School is they're building instructional wings and instructional wings, those trusses until we,

1:01:44 and they have hard deck lids on a lot of them, so we have to take those lids off before we even know, you know, what those trusses look like. We can go by the plans that we have right now. Um, but again, that's a, that's a clearly a lot of work, and we need professionals then to help us do that work. We don't have any, uh, certified structural engineers on staff. And how many buildings are you looking at? Uh, two thirds of our buildings, um, are, are in this situation. So, you know, you have 15 or 16 of our buildings that are, that need to be looked at, including the administration building that you guys are sitting in right now. Lovely. Uh, director light, did you Yeah. Everyone look at the beams. Uh,

1:02:30 The building could collapse. Well, I hope not. So at the, the pace notified us at the end of last year that it could actually impact our rates. Did it actually, uh, impact our coverage at this point? They, they removed the property coverage, so, um, they could not find a reinsurer to move forward with this because of the three losses that PACE experienced. Mm-hmm. Um, I asked for a rider and we, they were unable to get us a rider as well. So this is, uh, something that is the, the reinsurers are the ones that are not providing coverage, and PACE only has a limit up to $250,000 per loss. Okay. So, um, if we we're in the investigation stage, right? Mm-hmm. So we have to inspect in the plan is

1:03:17 to start on the break and be completed by, Uh, I told them that I'd like them, we would like to be completed by the end of December, but you know, until the structural engineering firms know what, how many trusses they actually are having to look at and what that testing looks like, um, they won't, they won't know. But bringing five teams, five separate teams in is really gonna speed this process up. Okay. So that should expedite. Yep. So then if they find deficiencies, uh, I'm not quite understanding. Bullet point number two, there is no evidence of pre-existing structural damage. So if the beam looks great, uh, does that give us a waiver as far as, yeah, So, so thank you, uh, director light.

1:04:03 So that specific bullet point. Bullet point is, um, if you go two sentences above, it says the engineered wood trusses are currently excluded from coverage. However, coverage will be added back if the cause of loss is due to a named peril outlined in the policy named perils are things like fire, lightning explosion, windstorms, um, impact of aircraft. Those are all the named perils. So it has to, um, be due to that type of loss. And there cannot be any evidence of preexisting structural damage, which is, that's what the structural engineers are looking at, is, is there preexisting structural damage that's evident. That could be, um, natural checking in the truss. It could be wood knots that have, uh, that have, you know,

1:04:49 dislodged from the trusses. It could be a number of those things. And, um, the trusses, and has the trus been repaired? We have one school where we had large span trusses and we actually repaired it, and this is probably 10 years ago at, uh, two Rivers Do Rios. When we put that, and you probably remember it, we put that cable reinforcement, um, system in. So I feel like Two Rivers Dose Rios is a prime example of what a repair could look like. Okay. So, um, so if they found no evidence of a preexisting structural damage Yep. Is snow considered a named peril? It is considered a named peril. Um, so it is, uh, the weight of rain, snow,

1:05:35 or ice collection that is a named barrel in our policy. Okay. Thanks. So that's, that's what impacted Thurston is, I recall That's that's what impacted Thurston High School? That's correct. Okay. And so thus far, at least the inspection part is an open-ended contract with no two exceed limit? Correct. Okay. I mean, we could put a, we could put an odd to exceed of a half a million. We could put three quarters of a million. Unfortunately, you know, what would happen is once we hit, if we got to that limit, once we hit that limit and it stops, then we would have to go back and have the board act again. We wanna make sure that we're doing this as, as quickly as possible. My initial, um, I guess guess and hope is that we're talking, you know, under $250,000.

1:06:21 That would be my hope that we can keep the, the work under that amount. Um, and I know that we have a commitment from this firm, uh, to do this as, as affordable and as expedient as possible. Okay. But, uh, that number of course doesn't involve any of the actual repair replacement. That is correct. It does not involve anything other than the, um, inspection, the calculations. And the goal is to have the structural engineering firm provide, you know, stamped approval that yeah, all these trusses are in good shape. That's the goal. Will there be an issue? I, I, yeah, I believe there will be an issue somewhere. I just don't know what that looks like. Thurston High School is a pretty big building and, and you know, we, it's, it's been a struggle in the past.

1:07:08 So that's one that we are, um, really focusing on. And, and those are areas that we are, um, asking the engineering firm to focus specifically on. So Thurston High School is one that I'm saying that's our top priority. Obviously all the schools are priority, but that's one that if they go into the Thurston High School main gym and they find an issue, um, it is not unreasonable to think that they could also come back and say that gym should not be occupied. I'm not saying that's the case. I'm saying that's a possibility. I want to know that as soon as possible so that we can move forward with what necessary work we would need to have happen. And so, Fortunately, Springfield High School is a high school that's built with steel trusses. Yes. Yes. It, uh, doesn't have any trusses, does it?

1:07:54 It's it's cat, it's a tilt up concrete. Yeah. Uh, the One benefit of Springfield High School is construction. That's the proverbial silver lining. I Guess that, guess that's one way of saying it. So, and I, I think you mentioned it, but how many buildings or sites, maybe it's not buildings, but how many individual beams, uh, are you anticipating that we have to inspect? I don't, I don't have a good idea on the actual number of beams. Uh, director light. I haven't had an opportunity to go into all of the plans and, and count those and really understand what that looks like. We do have all the plans, obviously, on our schools. So that's the first thing that the engineers are spending time doing, is going through and getting copies of plans and really inspecting those plans so that they know how to narrow down the work. And they're, they're doing that work with obviously, um,

1:08:42 you know, lower level staff that know how to read plans and know how to, um, we we're not gonna have a principal do that level of work. So that's gonna be a lower associate that's doing that work, and it'll ramp up, including their, their quality control team, which is, is where the principals get involved, is quality control. Thank you. Good questions. Any additional questions or concerns from the group? I would just say I, yeah, I'm, I'm concerned about the open-end nature of the, the costs and not having any way to, you know, track those. Okay. Just be an open-ended type. What what I will commit, um, to board is, um, you know, once we have, say, uh, an elementary school, uh, completed,

1:09:29 we can come back and say, this elementary school costs $25,000, or whatever that number is, just so we can start gaining that information. Um, again, I, I will say it again. Thurston High School is the one that I'm really, um, more concerned about. I share director Cole's concern, uh, just because I think our, uh, we have a responsibility, a fiduciary responsibility to make sure we stay within our means. Uh, but I do understand the need to press forward with this, particularly as winter approaches and the possibility of snow and all that that comes up. So if you could keep us in the loop and give us sort of a play by play as we move through the buildings, uh, that would help allay some of my fears. Yeah. One thing that I would share is

1:10:14 that we do have resources existing in our current budget, our capital, our capital, uh, projects line in the general fund, that we are refocusing that budget on this project. So we're not, uh, we have money allocated, it's appropriated. Obviously, we'd like to be able to spend that on other things, but we do have the resources, uh, currently allocated to perform this work. Just one last question, Brett. Uh, as we move through the inspections, will the structural engineers be able to give us an idea of repair costs or is that a separate RFP? It would ultimately likely be a separate RFP, but they can give us a, a estimate based on their experience. They have a lot of experience doing these same types of analyses and these same types of repairs. So we'll have, we'll be able

1:10:59 to gain more information as the project. Thank you. All right. Anything else from the board? So we have a motion on the table, uh, with a second we'll go to the roll call vote. Um, we'll start with you. Director Light. Yes. Director Cole. I, I'm gonna vote no, I'm just concerned about the open-ended nature of the, the cost. So if there was something to we could get that would, we could stagger or, you know, step through it, then I would feel, I'd be happy to approve it, but just not an open-ended Noted. Thank you. Um, director Degra? Yes. Vice Chair Langworthy. I share, um, Cole's concern. Um, so I'm gonna say no.

1:11:46 Okay. And I'm gonna vote yes. Um, so the motion is going to pass three yeses and two nos. And if we could note, um, you know, the request for the information to come back to us. Thank, thank you Brett for that. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Um, moving on. We have two requests to approve out-of-state travel, and we're gonna bring up director of high school, uh, Mindy Larou for that. Perhaps maybe. Good evening. Mindy, Is she surprised?

1:12:31 Is this a shock to you? Mm-hmm. It, It's not a shock that they're on the agenda for approval, but I don't have them in front of me. Yeah. Do you want one of our board packets? We'll see. So what I have is, um, a request for Springfield High School girls basketball. Um, and they are going, So I'll help her out here. So, uh, you have resolution in your packet from the Springfield High School Girls Basketball team. Uh, they are looking to travel to Las Vegas, Nevada to participate in the Nike Ian Classic, uh, during winter break, December 18th through the 23rd.

1:13:21 And it does look like they are missing two school days for that, but there's no cost to the district for this trip. Um, I would entertain a motion, um, to approve. I'll move approval. Thank you. Second. Thank you. That is Director Cole making the motion and director light seconding it. Um, do we have any questions or comments? Grace, just a comment. I believe this is a trip that they've done before. It is, Uh, previously they've been going down to Arizona. It's a new location this time. Same. Uh, I recognize the, the name the Nike Tarkanian. Yep. Classic. Yep. I just, um, I just, um, wanted

1:14:07 to make the comment that, uh, I like having all the information, all the questions that I, I would've had are already answered. Um, I know they would've worked hard, uh, doing U of O Duck concessions. Yep. Um, and as a mom, I also like knowing that, um, the Eligi eligibility is spelled out and they have to be in good standing and working on their academics. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I think these trips are very valuable. They put you into an area where you're, you're up grading your skills at the same time you're meeting competition you'll never see in this area. So it really runs the gamut, and I think it, uh, puts, uh, our players in a more semi-professional learning environment, which keeps 'em engaged. Yep.

1:14:53 I love that we have these types of opportunities for our students. Um, all right. So we have a motion on the table with a second. I'm gonna call for the vote. Director light. Yes. Director Cole. Yes. Director GRA to gr. Yes. Draft graph. Mouthful there. Sorry. My cheer worthy. Yes. And I will also vote. Yes. So that is, uh, five unanimous approval. Um, and we'll go on to the next one. Uh, which is for, uh, Thurston High School and their cheer and stunt team. Do you want me to take this one? Go for it. Okay. So, the Thurston High School Cheer and Stunt Team would like to go to Anaheim, California to participate in the USA Nationals.

1:15:38 Um, they actually have to qualify to participate in this, and as you may recall, they're quite, um, decorated team we have from Thurston High School. So students will miss three days of school, and the travel will be February 19th through the 23rd. I move approval second. Wonderful. So we have a motion from Director Cole and a second from Director Light. Any comments or questions? I think there'll be competing against my cousin. You should go. And I like, I honestly think I will go to that, because that's epic. Yeah. Uh, you have to declare a conflict. I will, I will root for both teams.

1:16:25 Um, but, you know, definitely lean more closer to the Thurston side. Um, I love cheer competitions and dance competitions. They're just fascinating to watch, so I'm super excited that they, they get to go to this. Um, okay. So we have, I'm the only one that has comments. I'm guessing. Uh, we have a motion and a second on the table. We'll go to the vote. Uh, director Degra? Yes. I'm randomly picking now. Director, uh, director Cole? Yes. Director light? Yes. Vice chair Worthy? Yes. And I'll also vote Yes. What exciting opportunities for our students. Oh, fun. Thank you. Okay. Um, and we removed ENF from the action items. So we're gonna move on to our discussion with, uh, Dr.

1:17:13 Brian Meger and Dr. Nicole Naama. This is our, um, where we're visiting this. 'cause we tabled it for the last time. 'cause we had tons to talk about last time. A quick point. We need an point of order. Do I'm sorry. No, go ahead. Well, uh, director Cole pulled the first two items off the consent agenda. Do we need to come back? No. Oh, no. We, we, they're okay. They made, Yes, we're good. Thank you. No worries. Would it be helpful to take a quick five minute to get everything up and running? That would be great. Okay. I have Dr. Hamm saying yes. Jeff shaking his head no,

1:17:59 we're gonna go with the person that has the mic. Um, so, so we're gonna take a quick five minute break. Um, restrooms are directly to my right if you need them. And we'll be back shortly. We're taking a break at 8:16 PM No, we should be able to get through. I think so. You left your what? I, I actually, this whole time allow. Okay. I hear.

1:18:47 I wasn't, okay, so do I hear from here? Okay, good. Here, screen a three. So the task, which we're gonna, so we're not, so we will get that side five brain. You and I are gonna need that too. Yeah. I'm like, Nope, I'm Winging it. We're just gonna fumble through this tonight. Awkward for everyone

1:19:36 we normally have. That is, yeah. Oh, and I'm trying to figure messy honor, honor thing, and was like, oh my gosh. So come on. Love for us to do this.

1:20:23 Evidence back success is Yes. Literally go and be like, okay, okay. We're not doing testing. Just, wow. Just like, how cool would that be?

1:21:16 Uh, yeah. There's so many of these different things. So let's do, so, yeah. So I wanted, like, another one. Pop me say, let's, let's try see typically like for boards that are working, and I'm like, Greg gives us,

1:22:54 Alright. One minute warning to everyone That I had Lamb Stewart. So whatever. Now, Alice, is that okay? Is that I went like two, two years ago. Okay. Yeah. That's where, okay. It was there before. All right. That was, it was good, Steve. Thank you. Time goes really fast. We, we lamb. I'll wait until Jonathan sits down.

1:23:41 This is, I'm actually terrified of this study. Okay, folks, we're gonna Get started again. So the time is now 8 22. And we're gonna turn it over to you. Dr. Dr. Nakayama. Oh, back in. There we go. We're good Now. I think it came on. Okay. Thank you. Um, I appreciate this opportunity to come back and speak with the board. If you recall from last time, we spent some time together talking about multi-tiered

1:24:26 system of supports in the area of behavior and with family resource. And today we're gonna be looking at our multi-tiered system of supports, um, with regards to mental health. So just a quick refresh, um, this is that graphic indicating what a multi-tiered system of supports looks like in this particular stance. We'll be focusing on the social emotional area. As you can see, um, along the side of the pyramid starts with high quality instruction builds upon that with those evidence-based interventions. We engage in regular screening. Our goal is always to offer that tiered continuum

1:25:13 of supports so that we are meeting student needs where they're at. We review our systems and monitor progress. We use a problem solving model and make data-driven decisions. And our efforts, of course, are, um, grounded in teaming with shared decision making and leadership. So as we think about what happens at the tier one or universal level for all of our students, part of that comes from our health curricula, where we are focused on building foundational social emotional learning, and mental health literacy in a developmentally appropriate way for all levels. We are teaching students how to recognize signs

1:26:00 of distress and get help. We are reducing the stigma around mental illness, and we are equipping our teachers and families to support students. So that's something that's available to all of our students. We know that some students are going to require more supports. So we layer onto that, those targeted supports. This could look like a small group intervention, either provided by our staff or one of our mental health partners, and it could cover a variety of topics depending upon the need. And then at that tier three or intensive individualized level, that's where we're talking about things that are done for unique students to meet their needs.

1:26:47 And that's where I'm gonna spend my time today. So in order to pull off this, uh, multi-tiered system of mental health support, we rely on a number of partnerships as well as our own in-district mental health professionals. Just a little bit of information about those who fall in this category. Um, currently working here in Springfield, we have 15 counselors, four licensed clinical social workers, and 15 school psychologists, three of whom are completing their internship with us. And in addition to all of their work that they engage in,

1:27:34 in their building based roles and responsibilities, be that academic advising and counseling. Um, serving as site coordinators for, um, 5 0 4, um, conducting evaluations to determine if students qualify for special education services. These mental health professionals also engage in some real specific work, um, given their background and expertise. I've listed these here, and I'll describe each of them briefly to you. So one is that they respond to Lightspeed alerts. This falls into that screening category where things are flagged within our system, um, that may indicate that a student is, um, at risk

1:28:20 of harming themself or, um, threatening the safety of others. And as part of their role, they are reviewing those along with building administrators following up when needed. Um, they do this during their work time, but like speed alerts also provides a, um, specialist who is monitoring round the clock. So we are covered both in evenings and our break periods from school. Sometimes those light speed alerts, particularly if they were ones that indicated a student was considering, um, harming themself, may lead to further need for assessment. And that's where bullet two comes in. Um, some of our students, based on comments that they make,

1:29:08 um, either online or directly to peers or other staff, are indicating that they might be thinking about suicide. And so in those instances, our mental health professionals are trained to conduct suicide risk assessments. We do this work in a team-based format, but the mental health professional is the one who's engaged in extensive training to, um, lead this effort. Sometimes it is, um, thankfully a transient, uh, risk, meaning that it may have been an off the cuff comment, but when assessed they did not have a plan to hurt themself. Other times we learn that this is a serious concern

1:29:53 for a student, and then the team engages in safety planning with that student and their parent or caregiver, um, because of course, student safety is our number one priority. Some of those lights speed alerts could be, um, not harm to self, but rather, um, threatening harm to the broader community. And in those instances, we may be tasked with conducting a behavioral safety assessment. So just like with the previous, these come to us a variety of ways. It could be through a student's online activity, which would be picked up through that Lightspeed system. It could also be, um, students sharing things with peers

1:30:39 in written form or verbally, um, maybe saying something that a staff member overheard engaging, perhaps in a direct threat to a peer or a staff member. And again, our mental health professionals in partnership with their building administrators use a team-based approach to conduct those behavioral safety assessments and plan accordingly, depending upon the outcome of those assessments. Our mental health professionals are critical when supporting district crisis response efforts. So if you recall from several years ago, um, our community experienced wildfires, um, in addition to the obvious safety threat, there was that piece of

1:31:26 how our, um, students and their families, um, dealing with this natural disaster. And so that was one of the ways in which our mental health professionals provide that district crisis response support. Sometimes, um, those district responses are actually needed when we experience a tragedy such as, um, the death of a student or the loss of one of our staff members. And in those cases, um, of course this is very challenging for all of those responding. Um, we use a team-based effort so that those closest to the tragedy are not also tasked with being a part

1:32:13 of the response effort unless they specifically ask to do so. And we are a part of a broader network so that we can call upon our neighbors should, um, the response effort be such that we are needing more than what our own district team can support. Our mental health professionals are, of course, then vital to the work that we do. Oftentimes it is behind the scenes, um, but it's critical for ensuring safety of all as well as, um, the response and the support that they provide. Our mental health professionals also serve as our official trainers for question persuade, refer or QPR.

1:33:02 And we have engaged for several years now in offering QPR training to, um, all of our staff. For those of you who are not familiar with this training, it provides support, um, to those without a mental health background on the warning signs of suicide and a process to follow for helping individuals thinking of suicide. And so this is for all staff to know in that moment if a student or even a fellow staff member were to share something with them, how they might go about, um, responding and supporting that individual in accessing help. Nicole. Yeah. Um, I was just curious the, the the amount of, um,

1:33:47 the professionals we have doing that work, are there, is there guidance about how many we should have, you know, the stu the number to the students we have? Um, and I guess how is our staffing level compared to that guidance? I know when I've looked at it to the state average, we have little fewer than typical for the state. It seems like fewer of those mental health professionals. Um, I'm not sure if all of those that I've categorized as our mental health professionals are also accounted in that, um, state ratio that you are referencing. Um, but I'll agree with you that it never feels like it's enough.

1:34:32 Um, that being said, each individual organization kind of has a recommended ratio, and I don't have those off the top of my head, but would be happy to look into that further for you. Okay. Yes. So when you say counselors, are you referring to like counselors in the high school? Uh, are they academic counselors as well as mental health counselors? Um, currently we have counselors at both the middle and high levels. Um, our counselors do engage in academic advising, but they're also running some of those, um, targeted supports that I referenced at the tier two,

1:35:17 um, support level. And so I believe academic advising is one portion of their Okay. So do they have, uh, is there degree in counseling, is there a degree in counseling or is there a special certification that these folks who are deemed as counselors have? Um, each has licensure through TSPC. Okay. Um, given their particular role. Mm-hmm. Okay. And then there's four licensed clinical social workers. Right. And then 15 school psychs to cover. So do they share schools because we have 12 elementaries, four middle, four highs. So, uh, how do those numbers work?

1:36:05 Yes. So, um, some of our folks are serving multiple buildings. Okay. And, um, some buildings are not limited to just one of these individuals. Um, you know, a couple folks could have that same assignment. Okay. So these, uh, mental health professionals, they're different from behavioral specialists then, is that a different employee? Correct. Okay. And what's, what's the background of a behavior specialist then? Um, I believe you're referring to our elementary behavior interventionists. Okay. I didn't know if they were just at elementary or you also had them in middle and high. Uh, no. Um, they are a unique role

1:36:50 to the elementary level. Okay. Um, their title is Behavior Interventionist. Okay. In terms of, um, their licensure, it is varied. Um, so of that group of 12, um, they come from backgrounds in social work, um, general education, special education, um, school psychology. I'm running through the list in my head. I, I think I've covered, um, their backgrounds. Okay. And then we use our mental health professionals to train the behavior interventionists, Um, to train them.

1:37:36 Or do they come in already having that training? I, I'm just trying to get a better handle on what a behavior specialist or interventionist is. Yes. A behavior interventionist is, um, not necessarily a mental health professional. So their background is gonna be as I just shared. And then they do receive training unique to the role that they serve here in our district, um, through their professional learning community or job alike group. Um, that training comes from both, um, our teachers on special assignment, um, other leaders in the district as well as our

1:38:24 outside partners, like, um, university of Oregon, um, Northwest, PBIS, some other partners. Okay. Thank you. All right. Um, so we also have mental health partnerships. And I'm very excited to share about this because, um, we do have mental health partners for each of our schools. These are community agencies that, um, we partner with, um, center for Family Development Looking Glass Options, Riverview Center for Growth, stronger Oregon. And most recently we added Head Co Clinic. Um, these partnerships are critical because they provide school-based mental health services

1:39:11 for students in need. By providing it at the school level, um, we can help families to overcome some of the barriers that they might otherwise experience in accessing those necessary services. And if a student is uninsured or does not have the type of insurance that, um, matches what the partner accepts, then at the district level, we can provide financial support so that they can receive those services. Um, to date, just in the first, uh, two months of school, we have had 14 referred students where we are currently, um, providing that financial support due to that mismatch with the, um, insurance and what is accepted.

1:39:59 In addition, we have a unique partnership with Ophelia's Place. Um, they offer girls empowerment groups and other services as requested. And so, again, thinking about our, um, tiers of support, that tier two targeted, uh, level of support affiliates place is one of our partners that is offering, um, groups at that level. We also have hoots or helping out our teams in schools. Um, they conduct onsite clinics at each of our high schools. Their clinic teams consist of both a crisis counselor and an EMT or an rn.

1:40:45 The design of hoots is to provide that short term counseling, um, that crisis intervention, sometimes even basic first aid, and then refer, um, for students who have more ongoing needs for support, they may refer, um, to any of the agencies that they are connected with, as well as the school's individual mental health partner. And we've enjoyed, um, that partnership for some time. Most recently, hoots has also offered to, um, work with one of the partner schools to do a mental wellness presentation, both, um, for youth and their parents or caregivers. And so that will be happening, um, in the next week. And they're another part of our continuum of supports, um,

1:41:32 that we're offering to our students. And then finally, we have our school-based health center. It's located at Springfield High. Um, it is not a district run, um, endeavor, but they offer both medical health services as well as behavioral health services. And so some students are receiving mental health supports directly through those, um, behavioral health services and or a referral out to another agency that would better meet their needs. I forgot to mention, as we were talking about our mental, um, health professionals, that they have an opportunity, given their very unique role to come and engage, um, with me

1:42:17 as a district team two to three times a year. And so it is with their support that we drafted our, um, district suicide prevention intervention plan and come back and receive a regular training on how to screen those lights, speed alerts, and conduct those assessments. And it's a really nice opportunity to check in, um, both as a whole district wide group, but also, um, with the levels about their unique needs so that we can make sure that we're addressing those. Any further questions for me? Yes. Um, are you conducting mental health surveys with the high school students?

1:43:02 Um, I am not initiating that, but yes, that is something that our students participate in. Um, it's at a statewide level. When does that usually take place? Um, right now, in fact, there's a window of time in which to complete the survey and it's typically fall. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. October is mental health awareness mat. Mm-hmm. So that makes sense. Um, you know, I had, um, uh, I had the opportunity to listen to school counselors, and one counselor in particular told me how she, um, she would love to get into elementary schools and be able to work with children who, uh,

1:43:48 have support groups with a divorced parents support group, um, best friends group. Uh, she, she just had a lot of these things laid out that she had taught in the past. Um, would that be something of interest to start bringing things in into more of the elementary school level, just to get, um, get kids more, um, more education on how to communicate better with their peers or get support around their needs? Is that something that you guys have looked into, or, I wanna be sure I'm understanding the question. Yeah. Was the, um, counselor

1:44:35 who was at the secondary level interested in also, um, as part of their role doing work at the elementary level? Uh, that's how I understood it. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Um, I love that dedication, and I also recognize that each of our folks probably has more than enough work to do in their own buildings, but, um, groups like those that you're describing do occur at our elementary schools as well. So, for example, um, we've had elementary school psychologists offer the same type of, um, girls empowerment groups for the upper elementary grades. Um, they do so with support from Ophelia's Place in terms

1:45:22 of the curriculum and materials. Um, we have also offered grief, um, support groups at the elementary level, um, in partnership with courageous kids, um, a group here in town, um, and friendship groups that you mentioned regularly occur as well, um, led by a variety of staff. Oh, that's wonderful. Yeah. Is that, does all elementary, do all elementary schools participate in that? Or is that just whoever has the time to pull that together? It really depends on the unique needs of the school community. Mm-hmm. So, um, for example, we have had a couple schools, um, sadly, that just experienced considerable loss, um,

1:46:10 individuals coming and sharing about loss that they experienced so that it made sense to convene a group, um, that fortunately does not affect each of our school communities in the same way. Mm-hmm. Um, friendship issues are, I think, sometimes a constant. Mm-hmm. And so again, that's addressed through, um, those social emotional learning lessons, um, first provided to all students. And then for those who are needing some additional targeted support, um, that's where that group might come into play. But it really depends on the unique needs of the school community as to which targeted groups they may offer.

1:46:56 Um, some of our, um, mental health partners are also offering skills groups as well, just really depends on the needs. And those occur at the, the middle school level as well, correct? Yes. The affiliates place in particular, um, offers those girls empowerment groups, but their mental health partners may also choose to offer, um, other groups depending upon the need. It's amazing that affiliates place offers curriculum or for the girls to, to work with. Um, so with the behavioral, um, workers,

1:47:42 uh, do they have the ability to receive a PD of their choice to meet the needs of their school, our personal development? And tell me a little bit more about, um, behavior workers, Uh, behavioral interventionist. Yeah. Um, yes, in the sense that they, like all of our licensed folks, um, have opportunities to engage in learning of their choosing, um, on those, you know, teacher directed opportunities, um, throughout the year as well as their professional development days. And then we also have district directed professional learning opportunities.

1:48:28 Um, they engage in surveys, um, as a group to share what they're interested in learning more about. And so that's one of the ways in which those sessions, um, address, you know, needs that arise for the group. Any other questions or comments? Jonathan? It looks like you have some, I've got a few. Yeah. So with the behavior specialist specialists there at elementary only, so are they, um, do we have one assigned to each of our 12 elementary schools? Yes. And and are these folks, are they full-time?

1:49:18 Um, all but one of our schools. Okay. Um, same questions with the mental health. So if there's a behavior, I'll call 'em specialists 'cause interventionist is too big of a word for me. Uh, but a specialist at each building then do the mental health professionals actually sort of dovetail, uh, their time with the school. So, um, we might have even two folks that can work with kids at that time. I'm pausing to make sure I'm understanding and answering what I believe you are asking. Um, our behavior interventionists engage in

1:50:07 a variety of work, um, which we previously shared when we were talking about our multi-tiered system of support specific to behavior. So that work could look like, um, being a member of the school-wide PBIS team and leading efforts with the staff on how to teach expectations for all school settings, um, both classroom, non-classroom, they may partner with our classroom teachers on setting up a, um, classroom, you know, management system, for example. Um, they all also are a key part in offering those tier two or targeted interventions for students who require, um,

1:50:54 some additional supports around behavior in that realm. They may be offering a variety of different interventions. Each of our schools has a menu of, um, tier two interventions that they're offering. Okay. And then, um, our individual, you know, intensive supports are exactly that individualized for the student. And so they could be a key member of the team that's designing those individual behavior support plans and helping to train, um, say an EA and others to implement that plan. Um, reviewing data on how the student is progressing with that plan.

1:51:40 So those are some of the responsibilities of the behavior interventionist. And you referenced, I believe, how much crossover there are between the work of the behavior interventionist and, um, a mental health professional. Was I understanding that part correctly? Well, that was the question, but bottom line for me is I continue to hear, get input that behaviors are impacting learning of the students, the teach teaching of the lesson, uh, families that have pulled outta Springfield because they, they didn't feel they were getting the education, their kids were distracted. So the, the bottom line question is, do we have enough people to handle the behavior issues?

1:52:29 Are they diminishing, are they increasing? Um, what can we do as a board to support, uh, better management of, of this, um, issue? And I don't know if it was just post COVID, my suspect, I suspected it was before, but COVID didn't help anything either. Mm-hmm. Um, when I started my work coordinating our, um, PBS efforts for the district, the behavior interventionist position did not exist. And it was through our work that we identified a gap, if you will, in that there were no individuals, um, tasked with supporting behavior interventions.

1:53:19 That doesn't mean that they didn't happen, they did, but it fell to others' shoulders. And so we learned how critical it is to be able to have that continuum of support, um, not to rely solely on special education teachers to not only serve students with IEPs, but also students who are requiring intervention. And that's how that particular position, um, kind of came to be. So in that sense, uh, compared to when we started our district-wide efforts, um, in a renewed fashion 2013, we are better positioned from a staffing standpoint,

1:54:05 um, than we were at that time, given that there are the 12, um, behavior interventionists. And while these individuals do not carry the same title as, um, behavior interventionist, we do have a dean of students at each of our, um, four middle schools. And those deans, well, they have multiple responsibilities of course, um, are engaged in similar work to that of, um, the behavior interventionists at the elementary level in that they are working with all staff on those schoolwide efforts. They are members of the schoolwide PBIS team. They also, um, support the tier two

1:54:54 or targeted interventions that the middle school is offering. And, um, that could look like check-in checkout. It could look like a, you know, lunch group that meets regularly, whatever that school community needs. And they have received, um, specific training as well on how to design function-based behavior support plans for those students with those intensive individualized needs. Most recently, in the last two years, our middle school deans, I think in part because they saw what the elementary group was receiving, asked to meet collectively as a group and to engage in professional learning similar to that

1:55:40 of the, um, elementary group. So they're little over a year into that piece. Um, it's co-led by a school psychologist and one of the deans with more experience in that role. And, um, again, just helping them to provide similar types of supports that we're seeing and that I'm describing at the elementary level. Okay. So, so, and you've been here in the district for quite a while. Are these disruptive behaviors declining? Well, I would say that at any given moment, it could not feel like it, right?

1:56:26 Mm-hmm. But also, um, I walk through our schools, I talk with our staff and, um, even with some students and overall, um, I think that we are proud of the work that we've engaged in, and we know that, you know, we'll never have arrived, right? It's a continuous improvement cycle. And so, um, we're continuing to strengthen our systems and address new needs as they crop up. Okay. I mean, we, we track with Swiss being our sort of our tracking mechanism Correct. On behavior issues. And my understanding is they're deemed minor or major.

1:57:11 Are there other sort of delineations in the Swiss Dana, do we track for mental health or suspected or trauma or some of the other things that might be causing, um, these behaviors? I mean, I personally, I think if that, if we were tracking that, that's not information I necessarily would want to be made public because of privacy concerns, like regarding trauma and suicidal ideation and things like that. Like I, if we're tracking that, I would prefer to not see that because I don't wanna invade a student's privacy. Well, I think the determination first would be, would that data actually identify? I'm not sure. I mean, most data is designed or hopefully is, I agree with you, we don't want identify,

1:57:58 uh, but we do in, as the board looks at decision making, particularly around budget, I think it's important to have that information. Um, the quality ed model, and I I'm sure you're familiar with this, speaks about the, that integrated mental, uh, health model. And so trauma is, is, is part of that subset. So it's, I'm, I'm wondering, are we tracking this or do we have specific programs to sort of dovetail into the PBIS program? Uh, because otherwise it would seem that that PBIS maybe looks at all behaviors as willful, meaning the student has a choice, and if they're in the middle of an episode or something like that, maybe, maybe not so much.

1:58:45 So I'm just trying to understand sort of what we're doing. Again, for me, the bottom line is to reduce the number of behavior issues, disruptive behavior, particularly, uh, because I think it's impacting our, our schools, our learning, even our population student enrollment. Mm-hmm. So, um, to go back to the question that you opened with, um, we track behavioral incidents. Okay. And those instance are what we can see and measure, right? So, um, be that stealing something out of another student's backpack or, um, punching a peer on the playground

1:59:32 or shouting profanity at our teacher. Um, those are all behavioral incidents and they are recorded. Um, and we happen to use a web-based system, Swiss, but you could do any number of systems to record those behavioral instance, um, to the extent that, um, trauma or anything else that a student is experiencing on that given day, that given time then presents, like stealing something out of a child's backpack

2:00:18 or shouting profanity at their teacher. Um, we're gonna capture the behavioral incident and there's all the typical, you know, day time, location, were others involved. But there's also a category where, um, the observer, the recorder of the incident can, based on how it unfolded, they can note a possible motivation. Now it's just their best guess. Okay. Yeah. Based on what they're observing right there. And they may or may not go deeper with the, with the student, right?

2:01:03 Correct. Okay. Correct. What I wouldn't want to see happen is any of, um, our staff who are responsible for reporting behavioral incidents to, um, guess about the deep rooted reasons why any of us engage in the behaviors that we do. Mm-hmm. Right? Um, we can't begin to know a student and everything that they bring with them simply by looking at one incident of behavior. But that's where our teams really come into play.

2:01:48 Because if we start to see a pattern of behavior incidents, then that's when we can convene and dig deeper, learn more design interventions that are appropriate for that student, their unique circumstance, and help to address those needs and help that student to develop skills in whichever area they need it. Thank you. I, I still have more questions. So it is nine o'clock. I just wanna point that out. Is it possible to, to get those questions to Nicole, or do you think it's going to, like, I don't know how many questions you have and how, how long we anticipate, uh, those answers?

2:02:34 Well, it can be quick on, on some of them and then, uh, submit the rest, you know, so I, I, I just have questions about, you know, well, what are we doing then in professional development for teachers and staff around trauma? Um, you know, how much did we do last year? How much are we planning to do this year? Because, uh, unless I think this, the training is fairly specific and would be a great tool for them to have, I'm wondering how environmental or nutrition might affect behaviors, and is there conversation around that lighting, you know, room temp, you know, I don't think that our HVAC systems are always working so they can be really cold, really warm.

2:03:21 Does that affect things? Um, if the kid's having a blowout in the morning, how do, how does that get communicated to the rest of the staff? So there's a building awareness around, eh, this kid's not having a good day. Is that part of our synergy? If not, could it be part of synergy? You know, um, just trying to give building staff as many tools as possible, uh, for, again, addressing too much of these behaviors that, again, affect the learning of others. So, um, you know, the caregivers and school staff, you know, I have personal experience with a couple that have actually been injured by students

2:04:08 or threatened by students. So what is the district doing to support the staff, the caregivers? I mean, it's all part of the pie, and I think the better that we can do with addressing all the ingredients in the pie, um, and come up with some systemic, cohesive, collaborative process. Um, because honestly, I, I, I, I think we have some room for improvement in the areas of behavior management, So I'll leave it at that. Wonderful. So make sure you get your questions so we can get those responded to. Oh, get 'em to Marty. We'll, Okay. I don't put the Responses down Now, but I will get those to you. Wonderful. Um, any other I, comments or questions?

2:04:55 I have questions, but I will also get them sent to you, to Marty. Thank you. Um, you're welcome. I, I wanna just briefly, um, this was a really hard topic for me to sit through tonight, and I don't know if I tried to be quiet with my crying over here. Um, and I've asked my kiddo permission to share this, and they've granted me permission, but, um, one of my kiddos had an incident of, um, they attempted suicide last year. And the way that, um, we found out about it is because they're, their friends at the school got ahold of us

2:05:40 and told us what was going on. And it was really rough. And not only did my kiddo need support, but the students that were in his friend group also needed support, because that's a really traumatic event for anyone to go through. And honestly, I can't give enough praise for the staff because they knew how to wrap around and support those kiddos, and they knew what to do When my kiddo came back. And the reason my kiddo started working on themselves and figuring out what they needed to do and recognizing what they were going through, um, their main motivation was they wanted to go back to school.

2:06:27 That was their safe place. That was the place where they had friends and where they had teachers that they knew would support them. Mm-hmm. Um, so these things work like the, some of the things that we have in place, they, they really do work. And, and my family is proof of that. I have a kiddo that's has senioritis very badly, but is otherwise thriving. He's doing really, really well. And I don't know that we would've had that, had the school not be there to support him and his friends, honestly. So just, I've told that team thank you a bazillion times. Every time I see them, I, I tear up because they quite literally helped save my kids' life. Um, but if you could just remind everyone, like,

2:07:12 what they're doing is, is making a difference in so many kids and families lives. So just really appreciate it. And now I'm crying again. I apologize for that. But yeah, thank, just, thank you. Seriously. Thank you, Heather. Um, that is such a powerful story, and I'm gonna get emotional too. Um, thank you for sharing that. It is absolutely what we strive for, to offer a safe and welcoming environment for each of our students, A place where they feel like they truly belong, and to offer a continuum of supports for those who need a little bit more at whatever point in time

2:07:58 they're experiencing that. And it comes together through the efforts of all of us, every teacher, everyone who wears a mental health hat, every support staff member who is contributing to that environment. Absolutely. Thank you. Okay. Now that my, I'm crying and you're crying, um, we'll move on to the next topic. Um, thank you again, Dr. Naia. I really, really appreciate you sharing all this information. Sorry for making you cry. Yes, thank you, Nicole. Appreciate it.

2:08:44 Okay. Uh, reports and information. So we're gonna start with, um, the OSBA Fall Convention highlights, and I'm gonna give myself a minute. So, uh, four of us were able to attend and we had a lovely time. And, um, we'll start with whoever's interested in, in contributing and sharing what they learned. Don't, don't all rush to do it. I feel like I've been dominating the discussion, so other board members would want to go first. That'd be great. I'd like to go. I will go. Um, yeah, the conference was great. Made a lot of connections. I learned a lot.

2:09:31 Um, I first went to, uh, Matt Lierman, I hope I'm saying that right, let's talk leading through complexity. Um, he was, he was absolutely amazing. Um, I like that he brought up the Pledge of Allegiance, noting that in visible is more than a word we recite. It's a duty of leadership. Um, he encouraged courageous conversations and, um, something that I really, really liked. Um, the big takeaway was disagreement isn't failure. It's evidence that people care. The task of leadership is to turn that energy into connection, learning, and progress.

2:10:17 Democracy doesn't need us to, when every argument needs us to keep talking, because in every city, town and school district, democracy runs on dialogue, and it's up to us, each of us, to keep it going. So he was amazing. Uh, another one I went to was a talk I went to was Stronger together, unlocking the power of superintendent board partnerships. Um, these were, it was a panel and it had, um, board chairs and, um, therefore superintendents, one being the regional board development trainer and superintendent of OSBA and, uh, which they all stress the importance of well,

2:11:05 of, of the superintendent, um, helping assist board members become well-informed and the abor and the importance of the no surprise rule, which I found to be critical element. And being in a well-informed board member, which I also find a missing piece in our partnership. And I hope that we can be on the path to improve. Um, I went to elevated learning through high quality instructions, information of high quality materials can be a lever, and ensuring that every student every day engages in meaningful affirming grade, grade level learning. And the last, uh, one I'll mention is building community,

2:11:53 building belonging, state resources to improve school climate. Um, that was also really wonderful too. And the last thing I wanna leave with is, um, right now we have a lot of students that are in fear, and I really, um, with ICE, and I really hope that we can get some safer resources out to our community members. 'cause it's, it's imperative that we, we see them, their struggles and we support them. Thank you. Um, this is, uh, I think the third, uh, stake convention I've gone to. Um, I, um, the format is you have a keynote speaker,

2:12:38 and then they have all these breakout workshops that you can choose to go to. And, um, they always have so many good ones. I, I miss out on, um, a lot. I guess my criticism there is that they, they should record 'em or something. Um, 'cause I would, I would benefit from a lot more than I was able to, um, go to. Um, but, um, one thing I do like is when we get together with the other regional board directors and, um, and then I, uh, uh, just feedback. When you go into these workshops, you kind of workshop, you literally workshop things and you ask, ask each other questions and give input. And I really value hearing from other districts. And it also made me, um, thankful for this district because, um, we are doing so many things right, that I had a lot of people ask me questions

2:13:23 on what we're doing here. Um, so that was, um, that was nice to learn about what other districts do and then share what we do. Um, and there's all, all kinds of classes on ethics and public meeting laws. Um, I went to one was how to advocate with the legislature on, um, different questions they had proposed, um, to the group, um, which is part of, um, a board members' roles, advocacy at the state level. Um, and so I just got a lot of thought out of, um, maybe mostly interacting with other board members, Jonathan. Well, the overall highlight for me was the acknowledgement and celebration of our own Sally Golden as the,

2:14:10 this year's teacher of the year. Her family was up there. I mean, it truly was a celebration. Kudos to, uh, your department for supporting her work. Uh, I know it takes a team, but she is truly outstanding. So we're, we're very fortunate to have her in the district. Uh, I also went to, I went to the pre-conference, which was with Mark Lehrman. And some people just have the gift, right, of being able to work with people, bring people together that, uh, the, the master facilitator. Uh, so it was really great conflict to conversation, bringing disparate groups together who don't necessarily agree and be able to create that common ground. Uh, I think it would be fantastic to invite to this area

2:14:56 for these courageous conversations you mentioned. Um, I also, one of the most, uh, unique one that I went to was our shared history, A tribal perspective. So I got some real insights and, uh, you know, how, uh, indigenous people look at, at the system and what they contribute. Uh, this particular person, person giving the session was not only a board member of Jefferson County, but also was a member of the, um, warm Springs tribe. And so, um, yeah, it brought to mind, uh, things that we can do or should be doing. Hope to have a conversation on that. Uh, student performances were amazing. There was a group from Sunset High School in Beaverton

2:15:42 and acapella singing group that was really good, right? Were incredible. I know. It was like, yeah. So, um, and then the Woodburn High School Mariachi group was also really, really good. Um, and so, by the way, you know, Nicole, I totally agree with, why don't they record these sessions, right? I have a little micro recorder, so the ones I went to plus the entertainment, if you guys want the recordings, I, I have all those, but there's so many sessions I can't go to. So if they were recorded and then available afterward, uh, I think that's a suggestion we should really give to OSBA and follow up on that. Um, and then finally in the exhibition hall, um, uh, boy Scouts of America at a table. I've never seen them there before,

2:16:27 but they, you know, their intent was to try to get more access to schools. Um, I happened to have a lot of experience in the Boy Scouts and realize that for many kids, it is the saving salvation that that, uh, pulls 'em into from a nerdy kid into a leader. It's open to boys and girls. And, and I think it's something I would like to see a, our district support more that access or trying to get kids engaged. Everybody has to find their tribe. And particularly with the budget cuts, uh, we might not be able to offer as much as we did in the past. So partnerships with these groups, I think will become imperative. Um, and then finally, um, oh, nope,

2:17:13 that's in different sections. So that was the conference end of story. So let me know if you want recordings of any of those. I would love, yeah, I would definitely love recordings. There's so many things to learn, so many different options. And like, how do I run and like clone myself to be at all these different places to learn all these different things. Um, y'all have highlighted a lot of it. I do wanna mention that, uh, vice Chair Langworthy and I got stuck in a corner when we were watching the Mariachi band, uh, with the dancers and couldn't move for the entirety of that performance because the dancers were directly in front of us with their, their skirts. And it was awesome to see it up close. They moved their feet really fast. Um, the one, the last thing that I did at the conference,

2:18:00 um, was, is when we were doing the round table sessions, there was a, a section on the new leadership institute program that OSBA is doing, and it's called the Board of Honor program. And so I brought back handouts for everybody because I think this would be phenomenal for us to try to go for. It's something that would take at at least 18 months. There's, they're thinking this is a brand new program that the launch was literally at the conference. Um, but there's 12 balanced governance standards and lots of different things that we need to do to show that we're, we are doing the things we're supposed to be doing. Um, but the cool thing is that all of these things directly tie to, um, activities

2:18:47 that make a difference for student success. And so they include like an adopted organizational vision and mission statement, um, evidence of orientation and onboarding process, student achievement reports, uh, board professional development log, um, examples of innovative policies or pilot programs that are supported by the board. Like, there's lots of different things here. And so I would love y'all to look at this when you have a minute and tell me what you think, and if this is something that we should look into, but wanted to share that with you all. Um, yeah, and you covered, I think a lot of the highlights for me. I, I just like the opportunity for us to all connect,

2:19:33 um, when we're there. And so, uh, the last lunch session was a little bit difficult to connect with, but because we're attempting to do trivia in addition to networking, I don't think those two work simultaneously together. Um, but otherwise it was, it was a weekend that I'm really glad I went to and I gained a lot from. Um, and we had some of our, our district leadership there. Do you have any thoughts, comments? Y'all have been to these a bunch of times. You're good. And yeah, we're gonna go to the superintendent update anyway, so if we can just segue to you, superintendent Hamilton. Well, I don't have anything to add really. The conference is for you, and we were just there to support you. So I'm glad that you all found something meaningful from the conference. Uh, we have been focusing on a lot

2:20:21 of different work over the last several weeks, but one of the things that we've been tracking closely is the conversation in Salem around, um, the budget. And after the last economic forecast, one of the things that the governor did was ask state agencies to begin preparing plans in the event of reductions. What might that look like? And you have maybe heard some of these conversations over the last six weeks. I know OSBA had a, a webinar where board members could tune in and get the latest information. Uh, one of the things that you heard me share during our regional gathering was that as we've been tracking this, it seems like every week to two weeks the information changes.

2:21:07 So we've not wanted to get out in front of the state and in front of the departments and in front of the governor. And, uh, today, about 10 minutes before the public release, I received an embargoed preview. So a lot of notice. Um, but 10 minutes later, I was able to get online and see that the Oregon Department of Education has released their plan in response to the governor that is posted on the ODE website. It is also posted on the Oregon legislative, uh, website, um, OLIS and I forget what the ISI mean, we are an organization of acronyms, and this is one, I can't remember. I think it's Oregon Legislative Information System System.

2:21:53 Thank you. I think so everything that you can imagine related to the legislature is in that system. And this information has been posted there. What will happen now is that the legislative fiscal office will review the proposals next week during legislative days, these proposals will be shared with the legislature. And then on November 19th, the next economic forecast will be released. One of the things that was made abundantly clear to us, and I want to reiterate, is that no reductions in any of these plans are being implemented. This is a planning exercise.

2:22:39 And in February, when the legislature meets for the short session, they will likely be asked to take up this topic, look at the financial forecasts, look at the proposals, and make some decisions around that. So I share this with you because at the state level, there is concern around revenue flowing into the state through local revenue and how changes at the federal level are impacting our local financial situation. They are tracking this, they are looking at it. They will be having conversations. We will continue to stay, uh, in touch with this information with our partners.

2:23:24 Um, I know that OSBA was planning to send a release to board members today as well. So when you get home tonight, or if you're interested tomorrow, I would encourage you to check your email. They will have ways for you to stay connected, uh, in parallel to the information that we are sharing with you. At this point in time. We are not being asked to do anything, uh, as school districts other than stay informed. But one of the things that we will begin doing more is communicating with our community around the impacts at the state level, on the state school fund and on our budget situation. So as we get more information and we organize that, uh, we will be carrying that forward. We'll, we will continue to bring updates to you as a board.

2:24:11 And then, uh, I know Brett is tracking this very carefully as well. He was meeting with the business officials this afternoon, and we will begin integrating this information into our budget work sessions, which will begin, uh, in January. So just an update for now to let you know that we're tracking. If you have an interest in this and want some more details. I'm happy to forward information to you that was sent to me. Uh, I would encourage you to first look for your OSBA email to see, um, what information is in there. But, uh, the proposals are lengthy. The Oregon Department of Education has prioritized funds in multiple ways, and they have come up with a pretty extensive list of proposals that if they are asked to make reductions, they have a plan for that.

2:24:58 On the brighter side of the world, uh, I just wanted to echo how great it was to celebrate Sally Golden. Her speech was the first speech that she has been able to give in her role. Uh, it, it will just get better every time she gives it. She's so passionate. She cares so much about the work that she does and the impact that she had has been so deep and meaningful. And it was great for so many other people to see how a special education teacher working with students in that 18 to 21 rage has the kind of impact that Sally has. So it was a pleasure to be there with her and to celebrate her. Thank you for being part of that. And then finally, I just, uh, wanted to share with you, I had a chance to join my colleagues across the river, uh,

2:25:45 superintendent Mickelson, uh, the new superintendent for the Eugene School District and Superintendent Sproles, the Bethel superintendent. Uh, we were asked to come and speak to the City Club of Eugene. Uh, it was originally and asked to Superintendent Mickelson to come and talk about herself. And she asked that, uh, superintendent Sproles and I join her. And so we did, uh, she did a beautiful job opening up, uh, that our time together, we were asked to come and, uh, share successes in our district. I mean, there's a lot of heavy stuff going on, but we're also doing some pretty amazing things in our district. And so I came prepared with a really long list. Uh, Craig and I have done this before, and it's been, uh, more of a panel. So when we started and, um, superintendent Mickelson got up

2:26:32 and, uh, started with her speech, a very formal speech, I leaned over to Craig and said, did you prepare a speech? And he didn't bring any written materials either. So we had a, a lovely, uh, conversation between the two of us about having to raise our game the next time we're in a room with, uh, superintendent Mickelson. But it was a great it time. I had a chance to celebrate a lot of the great work happening in Springfield. In fact, I probably owe Superintendent Spro some time 'cause I think I took some of his, while I was celebrating all of the great things happening here. I understand that that has been recorded. So if that's something that you're interested in listening to, uh, please feel free to go and, uh, hear about the great work happening in our other districts as well. And with that, I'll kick it back to you. Thank you. All right.

2:27:20 So, uh, the last portion of our agenda this evening is the board communication and comments. Um, I'm just going to just go down the row and go from there. Uh, vice chair worthy. Yeah, I got a little confused earlier with the, um, the conference and then the board communication. I mentioned safer earlier. I'll mention it again. Um, I do think it's an important resource that we should, um, put on our website. We have a great platform to, to do that with. And yes, Todd, I I did watch that, that video and that was a hard act to follow, but you did really good. So,

2:28:05 All right, director Degra, everything's going well with SEF. Um, I haven't had a meeting yet since the, the gala and Todd talked about it last time. We'll have meeting soon. Awesome. Uh, director Cole. Yeah. Um, I don't have anything to report on you. I didn't, unfortunately, I didn't get to make to the conference or, uh, and, uh, the elkcock has it met, but I did wanna kind of make a proposal to the board about, and make an argument for reconvening the sites and facilities committee. Um, so I, we heard tonight about issues with the, the trusses and the, the work that's gonna go on there with and evaluate those. We have, we recently received, um, the reports that ODE did on all our facilities

2:28:52 where they were looking at, you know, there was five and a half million dollars in a DA improvements they were recommending. There was a priority there, the capital work at all of our facilities. What was, there's, um, 38 million over the next two years, 150 million over the next five years. Um, that, and when you look at, um, student enrollment here in the district going down and continuing to go down and, because it seems like it kind of caught us off guard this year, but our enrollment is going down faster than the state average. At what point, um, you know, do we need to look at consolidating facilities, closing schools? Other districts are having to go through that exercise. Bethel, Corvallis, you know, Portland, you know, these other ones.

2:29:37 And I something maybe, um, we could, you know, start to look at that and have a group that would help us through all of that. I think it's a way to, um, gain some additional community engagement. You know, we have some members of the community involved in that and communicate that and, and they can help us work through some of those issues. So I'd hope some that's something maybe the board would consider us doing. Again, I haven't seen that report yet, but I think with the potential decrease in funding, and as you stated, the enrollment decline, there's a lot of factors that go into it. So there will be a lot of decisions be coming before the board, particularly through the budget process that we, the better, more information we have,

2:30:22 the better decision we'll be able to make. So, um, I'd like to see that report and then we've got this trust thing looming over. So I think it's all important. Um, so first off, I'd like to, I don't, has anybody received a invitation to the Eugene Symphony Youth Concert? No. I'm seeing blank looks. Have you already? Yeah. Okay. Hmm. Interesting. Okay. So you all should or will, including our superintendent, uh, so that your spam box or whatever the other box. What's that? It might be in the junk mailbox. Yeah, I get everything else from them, uh, but I'll check. Anyway, mine comes, it's Tuesday, uh, November 18th at 10 30. How many have ever been,

2:31:07 I've been to Symphony events. I have not been to one of the youth concerts. Well, you should go to that. We have really excellent, uh, participation from our elementary music programs. Uh, and there's just nothing like sitting in Silva with 2000 excited kids. It's really pretty cool. And then you'll also be able to take a look at the, the new director of the symphony mm-hmm. Who, uh, I guess is pretty outstanding. So be looking for that. If you haven't seen it. Um, Can you confirm that they have my ridiculously long last name spelled correctly? Oh, Wow. Because that, I have noticed a lot of emails I'm getting forwarded because my email Okay. I'll make sure. Multiple a's like a lot more a's than you would expect. Okay. So getting back to the land acknowledgement,

2:31:53 I was on the board when we crafted that and we worked really hard. It was quite a process actually trying to get the language right and working with the, the, uh, area tribes. Um, and we mentioned specifically at the time that we didn't want that statement to become hollow. In other words, we needed to go beyond just making sort of the statement at every meeting. And I think maybe we might want to revisit that it isn't just Indigenous People's Month. It's really are we honoring and celebrating all the cultures that make up this community and in particular our schools. So I think there's things that we can do better, uh, to make it, uh, more meaningful, um, use it as a learning experience for our students. Um, so yeah, I would like to, at some point,

2:32:41 probably in the near future, uh, be committed to a discussion around that. Uh, director Langworthy mentioned some of the, um, fear around, uh, the immigration efforts that have been taking part. They've really hit home in this community now. So in addition to students and families, I wanna make sure that we're giving buildings and staff the same guidance and probably probably a unified guidance around all of our buildings so that there's a cohesive response, whatever that might be there. It's been some pretty good information put out. Even in the Register guard, there was an article about what to do, but again, the more we can get ahead of the curve and provide our people with information, I think the better we'll be.

2:33:27 Uh, finally, I'd like to sort of address some of the, what's been going on. So, a lot has been said and written about me of late, and I would like to take a moment to respond. School board members are charged with providing the vision and making decisions that will have a long-term impact on the students, staff, and families in our community. In order to carry out this mission faithfully, it is critically important that board members have timely, complete, and accurate information. I've been involved in education for too many moons to count. As a bo as a business owner, teacher and school board member, I've seen firsthand the power of engaging curriculum. And I have witnessed how teachers can literally inspire curiosity and transform the lives of students.

2:34:15 I want Springfield students to leave our school district with an interest. They can't wait to get to one that makes their world infinitely bigger. That is why I am so passionate about delivering a well-rounded education. One that includes science, social studies, health, the arts, and applied and technical skills. I believe that what teachers do makes the most difference in what students learn. A school leader therefore must make every effort to support excellent teaching and learning. This means that staff must be listened to, encouraged to propose improvements, resolve difficulties, and share in the work of school advancement. Outstanding school districts value their teachers and staff as competent professionals

2:35:01 and important members of the team. This is why as a school board member, I've always supported the hard work of all staff members. This is why I appreciate and value their input. And this is why I am motivated to ask questions, seek out answers, and find supports that address their ideas and concerns. And yes, this means if I must seek out information beyond what district leadership deems necessary to provide during my time serving as an elected official, I have made it a priority to reach out, listen and learn from staff, families, and community members about what matters most in educating our students. I pledge to continue to do so. Anything less would compromise the responsibility I have

2:35:47 when entrusted by the community to educate every student every day. Thank you. Thank you, director Light. And I think we are all in agreement with wanting to make sure that we're doing what's right for the kids and what's right for our staff here. Thank you. Um, y'all brought up, um, ICE agents in our, in the area, and that's terrifying for a lot of families and a lot of students. Um, I've received communication from my kids' school about their processes, so the information has been disseminated. And I brought, I was really concerned at the start of, um,

2:36:32 the school year when the executive orders were coming out that were directly impacting our students of color. And so, um, I, I know that district leadership has made efforts to make sure kids and their families are gonna be safe. And I know that they've also reached out to, um, our local partners because our families need to hear from their trusted for some, from people that are trusted in the community. Um, it's one thing for, um, as Todd so eloquently put in an old white dude to say, this is what we're doing to protect our students. It's another to hear it from a trusted individual. And so I know that information has been disseminated, and I highly encourage you, uh, to connect with, um,

2:37:18 both Superintendent Hamilton and Taylor, um, regarding what we're doing. Um, the one thing I did wanna mention, um, or actually I have two things. So, um, the Wildish Theater, it has welcomed a new general manager. Um, Molly Sky has started, and she's gonna be working with Cameron, our, the existing executive director, or excuse me, general manager, um, through that transition period. Um, but we have lots of really fun performances that are coming up. So if you have not checked out our amazing local theater, I highly recommend you do. So. It, there really is no bad seat in the house, and it's a, a great opportunity just to come and see what's going on downtown.

2:38:03 Um, the other thing I wanted to bring up, and this was an email that we all received, um, and it's also been on social media and, um, McKenzie River Tap House on Wednesday is gonna be hosting a, uh, non-perishable food drive, um, that'll benefit our students. And they will be accepting donations between five 30 and nine. And all the food that is donated is gonna go directly into our schools and the pantries that we have at our, our schools. Um, because this is a, a scary time for folks, and not everyone has received a hundred percent of their SNAP benefits. And so if you know someone that's struggling with food insecurity, um, I highly recommend contributing in any way you can.

2:38:48 This includes going and participating in the event on Wednesday. Um, checking out what options are for little free pantries in your neighborhood. I have a larger little free pantry that is going up in front of my house. Um, tomorrow. My small one's just not cutting it. It's not meeting the demands. Um, but see if you can stock those little free pantries. See if how you can contribute to, um, the organizations in this area that are supporting our families that are most in need. Um, we're better when we work together. Like that is a straight up fact. And this is a really trying time for a lot of people. And so, especially as we go into the winter months and things are colder, and, uh, more and more people are gonna be struggling, anything we can do to alleviate, um, the hardships

2:39:36 and stress that our community is facing, I, I highly encourage you all to do So. When and where again? Wednesday From, oh my gosh. Hold on. I think it's five 30 to nine at the McKenzie River Tap House, and that's off of 58th and Maine in Springfield, McKenzie River, Tap House. Tap House. And they have food and beverages that are for children as well. Um, Well, I guess they can just be on my way to the Thurston game. There You go. There you go. Um, all right. I believe that is all for tonight. Thank you all for sticking with us, uh, and for continuing to be supportive of what we're doing here at Springfield Public Schools. We will be adjourning at 9:38 PM Thank you.