Board Meeting - Regular Meeting

I want you to keep reading every day and to stay curious every single day and to dream big every single day. When I uh was a student in the Montgomery public school system, I remember on my report card um the phrase learn by doing and it is one of the things that I uh use as a um stabilizing force in my life to learn by doing. Literacy is the foundation of all learning. Today our students were able to witness this message in a powerful and unforgettable way. Good morning everybody to do a shake. Let's shake it off. Shake. Shake. Shake. Shake. Shake. Shake. Shake. Shake. Hands up. Hands up. Hands up. Woo. Okay. It was wonderful, but it's also nerve-wracking cuz you, you know, little kids are the most honest people that you're ever going to meet. And if they like it, you will know. And if they don't like it, you'll know. But they were very engaged. um which uh is very encouraging for me and exciting for me because I was also a curious kid. Um but there was a disconnect because I um you know had a problem learning to read and I wish that there was um an app or a tutor uh like L around when I was growing up. So to be back here today uh with a book that I uh wrote um within this amazing app to um offer something that will benefit these kids is it's it's the best that you can ask or hope for. I'm a living breathing product of the Montgomery public school system and I feel that it was the best education.

Um, I I I Oh, well, let let me just look right right down the barrel and say thank you to all of my educators.

Good Afternoon. The board meeting for January 13, 2026. It is now 5:00, has been called to order. I am the president, Pamela Poris. We will now ask uh Pastor Levy Walker to lead us in our invocation. Let us pray. Eternal and wise God, we thank you for this beautiful day and for every moment of this day that we have been able to bless or be blessed rather to embrace the highs and the lows. God, we say thank you for them all. We thank you, Father God, for this great gathering of leaders, educators, and all who are watching that have committed themselves to the future of these young students in the city of Montgomery, Alabama. We recognize God that every decision that's made in this room, it reaches far beyond these walls, into classrooms, into homes, and even into the lives of our children. So today, we ask God that you give us clarity of mind, that you give us integrity of our heart, that you give us courage concerning our convictions as matters are discussed and decisions are made. Wherever there's complexity, God, give us great deals of wisdom. Wherever there's pressure, give us and grant us peace. And where there's uncertainty, God, give us discernment. We lift before you the students of Montgomery public schools. May they be protected, encouraged, and inspired to reach their fullest potential. We pray that every teacher, every administrator, every staff member is strengthened for their work. We ask that you renew their passion. We ask that you reward their dedication. And we lift up every family in this city. May their homes be places of safety and support and stability. And may our city continue to move forward and toward greater opportunities and greater excellence for every child that

is under this uh administration. God, we thank you and we pray that all of these supplications are made known unto you in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. We all shout, "Amen." Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.

Woo! It's hard to go on after that, pastor. Let us now stand for the pledge of allegiance. of the United States of America. All right, we have all of our board members present and accounted for and we have established a quorum. Um, we will now move to our next item is the approval of our agenda. May I have a motion to approve our agenda?

Madame Chair, I move that we approve the agenda as is.

I second. It has been motioned and second. May I see a show of hands for those in favor of approving the agenda as printed. It is unanimous. And now to the board president remarks. Greetings MPS family and happy new year to all of you. On behalf of the Montgomery Board of Education, we want to welcome you back and thank you for your incredible work you do. We started this school year with the superheroes theme. As we enter the last half of this school year, I want to remind you who you are to us. Now, you may not wear capes or leap tall buildings, but every one of you has a superpower. Whether you teach teach in the classroom, drive a bus, serve meals, clean buildings, support students, work in our central offices, or lead a school. You are a hero to our children and community. This year, we ask you to fully step into that role. The mission is clear. Give every child in Montgomery public schools a chance to succeed, grow, and thrive. There will be challenges, but you've proven time and time again that nothing can stop a united team of heroes. We see you. We support you. And we're proud to stand with you as we make this our best year yet. Cape Son, let's go to this board. Happy board appreciation month. You all have done something wonderful cuz I've never seen anything like this.

I am thankful to represent this board. I think about leadership a lot and the criteria necess necessary to effectively lead. Integrity, vision, communication, empathy, and resilience are the staples that we must possess to be effective leaders. 2026 has already produced concerns that require these essential pieces. We make decisions that are attached to the dreams and successes of our students. While we advocate differently, we all advocate for the rights and the advant and advancements of every boy and girl. We see the faces of those we represent and we remember them in every decision we make. During a prayer today with a dear friend, she mentioned divine provision. Divine provision represents provision that happens beyond normal human reasoning or effort, including miracles and unexpected breakthroughs. I along with the districts you represent appreciate you during this appreciation month. Whether it feels like it or not, each of us are seen. Each is each of us are supported and we should always make sure we govern in such a way that Montgomery public schools are proud to stand with us as we make this our best year yet. We are an integral part of our students provision. Thank you. Now we will have uh remarks from our superintendent.

Yes ma'am. Thank you, Madame President, Vice President, members of the board, and members of our community. Before I begin my report on this evening, I want to pause and acknowledge something important. January is board member appreciation month. And on behalf of the students, employees, families, and our entire Montgomery public schools community, I want to sincerely say thank you to each of you for your service, for your leadership, for your unwavering commitment to this district. The work is not easy. The decisions you make are not simple. And yet you continue to show up engaged, thoughtful, and focused on what matters most, our students and the future of Montgomery County. This month has been one of focus, momentum, and alignment across this district. As I shared with staff earlier this week, 2025 has been about listening, learning, and planning. But now that we're on, now that we're here for 2026, 2026 is about implementation. Together, we have continued to move forward with our key initiatives, not as isolated projects, but as a coordinated strategy to transform Montgomery public schools. from expanding magnet pathways to strengthening career to career and technical education to advancing our partnership with Trenum State to expanding virtual learning options and aligning high school schedules with postsecary expectations. We are not just maintaining a system. We are building a future. And none of this happens without your support, your courage to think big, and

your willingness to make decisions today that will benefit our scholars for decades to come. At the same time, we are continuing to strengthen the culture of this organization. We are reinforcing expectations around professionalism, accountability, customer service, and results. We are aligning our team from the classroom to the boardroom, making sure that every decision we make is centered around student outcomes and operational excellence. Our message is clear across this district. Montgomery Public Schools is on the move and we expect excellence at every level. So tonight, I want to simply say thank you. Thank you for believing in this work. Thank you for supporting these initiatives. Thank you for standing firm when leadership requires difficult decisions. And thank you for continuing to move this district forward. The best chapters of Montgomery public schools are not behind us. They are being written right now by this board, by this team, and by this community. And I want to say that I am honored to serve alongside each of you. And again, I say over and over and over again, thank you so much for the opportunity.

Thank you, Dr. Bird. Inspiring words. Next, we will have our uh board recognitions by Mrs. Stevens. Well, I guess by Mrs. Jones. Good evening, Madame President, Madame Vice President, and board members. Dr. Bird, happy new year to all of you. Before we begin tonight, it is important we pause to acknowledge and remember the students we have lost over the break and since returning to school, our hearts are with the families, friends, and school communities as we grieve together and honor their lives. Out of respect for the students we have lost and their loved ones, we ask that you please join us for a moment of silence. Thank you. As we carry the memory of our scholars in our hearts, we are also here to celebrate the dedication, achievements, and contributions of members of our NPS community. We have a number of recognitions tonight and it is a a privilege to highlight the incredible work happening across the district. Up first we have Miss Stacy Ralph from Lamp High School. We want to say congratulations to Mrs. Ralph and she was named District 5 Secretary of the year. Mrs. R is known for her exceptional professionalism, leadership and dedication. She manages complex responsibilities including student scheduling, registar duties, access coordination and teacher support with precision and care. As a Power School

certified professional and trained Google Suite instructor and access facilitator, she provides outstanding academic and technology support to students and staff. Beyond her administrative role, Mrs. Ralph serves on multiple committees, sponsors the LAMP student council, and co-author the LAMP senior resource manual. Her ability to combine efficiency with empathy makes her a trusted leader in the heart of the lamp community. We are proud to recognize her outstanding service to Montgomery public schools. We'll now ask the board to join uh Miss Ral as we take a picture with Dr. Harrison. I believe Dr. Harrison is here. Principal of lampai. All righty, board members, we'll just ask you to stay up front. Thank you, Mrs. Ralph, for everything. All righty. Up next, the Walter Trumbar High School Theater Festival is Alabama's major annual state theater competition for high school students. organized by the Alabama Conference of Theater is an educational and competitive competitive festival featuring acting, musical theater, technical theater, design, and play productions. Students qualify for the state level by earning superior ratings

at district festivals held across the state each November. This year in December, the state competition was held in Birmingham with over 2500 students from across the state competing in various categories. Our scholars at JAG Park Crossing and BTW who qualified did a fabulous job and came back with various wins, excellent and superior ratings. As it at this time, as I call up the individual schools, please turn your attention to the screens to see the names of our scholars who received uh nomination, excuse me, awards. Up first, we have Jag High School. Do we have representation from Jag High tonight? Awesome. Come on up. All righty. We'll take a picture with Mrs. Markham. Awesome. Awesome. Next up, we have Park Crossing High School. The Cheryl Fountain serving as serves as principal. Let's give Park Crossing a round of applause. Awesome. And last but not least, we have BTW. All right.

We want to thank our students so much. Board members, if you'll bear with me for a little while longer, because as Dr. Bird has shared, "This month marks the 33rd annual observance of school board member recognition month here in Alabama. Across the state, communities are encouraged to celebrate local school board members for their commitment to highquality public education and their dedication to the success of all students. Now, this year's theme is school board members, the real MVPs, which highlights the critical leadership role board members play in guiding Alabama's public schools. Like the most valuable players on a team, they provide vision, strategy, and steady guidance, often behind the scenes, ensuring our schools can thrive. The theme recognizes their teamwork, dedication, and lasting impact on public education. McGomery Public Schools is proud to recognize our board members for their service and leadership. Up first, we have Miss Pamela Portoris, who serves District 2, and she is our president. Let's give her a round of applause. Next up, we have our vice president, Erica Watkins Smith, who serves District 7. Give her a round of applause. Serving district 1, we have Dr. Lisa Keith. Proudly serving district three, we have Dr. Brenda Duramus Coleman. Proudly serving district four, we have Miss Cassandra Brown. Proudly serving district five, we have Miss Pamela Cloud.

And to our jewel, Miss Claudia Mitchell serving District 6. We extend our deepest appreciation for their unwavering commitment to our students, staff, and community. Great job, board members. So we thank you all so very much. You all can take your seats now. I do believe Madame President and Dr. Bird. Uh, Miss uh, Smith had here, Mrs. Brutin had a note here she wanted me to share for you all. And she says here before we conclude recognition, she wanted to invite everyone to join us for the superintendent's art show. Now, this special showcase highlights the incredible creativity and talent of our NPS scholars, and it truly reflects the excellence happening in our classrooms every single day. We encourage our families, staff, and community members to come out, support our students, and celebrate their hard work. And she says here her words, "Trust me, you don't want to miss it. Bravo to our young artists, and we hope to see you there." I wholeheartedly agree with that. And last, but not least, we want to take a moment to acknowledge our bus drivers. We want to recognize our bus drivers for Alabama School Bus Driver Appreciation Day, which is on January 29th. Our bus drivers are often the first and last NPS team members our students see each and every day, and their dedication to safety and service helps keep our

schools running smoothly. To all of our MPS bus drivers, thank you for all you do to safely transport our students every single school day. Thank you all so much.

Thank you so much, Mrs. Jones, for uh filling in and and doing a wonderful job. Thank you all so much for all of the recognitions. Dr. Bird, you've gone above and beyond and everybody who has participated, we feel greatly loved. We'll move on to our next item, which is scheduled public comments. Uh before we accept any comments, allow me to read the rules and procedures um for for participation in board meetings. Public comments requests must be made in advance in writing to the superintendent's office by 4:30 p.m. on the Tuesday preceding the meeting date. requests must be specifi must specify the nature of the business to be taken up with the board and the name of the person who will address the board to be added to the agenda. Communications must be respectful. Discussing specific student or employee employee matters will not be allowed. Individuals who have concerns that are inappropriate to be solved in this venue are welcome to seek a problem-solving meeting with the superintendent. Immediate feedback by the board may not be provided. However, you may contact you may be contacted for followup by the superintendent or his designate. Public comments may not exceed three minutes. The board chair has full authority to terminate the remarks of any person whose comments contain personal attacks, exceed the time limit, or are otherwise inappropriate. A speaker may be considered disruptive who continues to speak when their allotted time has ended. When asked to stop speaking by the board chairman or is otherwise inappropriate. If a person fails to comply when asked to terminate comments, he or she will be escorted to their seat

out of the auditorium or off of NPS property depending on the level of of disruption. Our first public comment will come by Mrs. Fedra F Carson Foster. Attendance what it means to show up on both sides. I want to speak tonight about attendance from a broader lens. What it truly means to show up on both sides. I'm a parent who raised children in this system and they earned a few perfect attendance awards. This didn't happen by accident. My children showed up and we showed up as parents because we believed the system was functioning in good faith. In my capacity with the PTA, I've continued to show up on behalf of families. I spoke before the county commission in support of the advalorum increase that funds our schools. And just last week, I showed up again. This time to push back against the proposal to cap funding collected on behalf of the school system. Last month, Montgomery public schools adopt adopted a vaping policy in accordance with state law. Last fall, the PTA applied for a national PTA vape free futures challenge grant written after researching what the state policy requires of local education agencies and attent in intentionally aligning our work with those requirements. This funding supports prevention, education, family engagement, and

student outreach. Exactly the work that the policy envisions. And this is the second challenge grant our district has received through the PTA. That matters because these grants require monthly trainings, ongoing reporting, and participation in national technical assistance networks and we get these resources that our district is fortunate to access. Once the National PTA officially announced that our district had been awarded this grant, I shared the information with the office of student support services so that coordination could begin. To date, I have not received a response. We understand that the mission comes first and we are willing to work with anyone who supports that mission. Anyone. Miss Cloud and I once ran against one another and now she and I get along like Fred Samford and Grady. Right. My ask tonight is simple. I'm requesting that the district designate a consistent point of contact within central office to coordinate PTA initiatives that align with district policy and state directives so that families and volunteers who show up are met with timely communication and meaningful partnership. If we want families and students to show up consistently, then the system must model that same consistency. Engagement must be reciprocated. Comp compliance must be mutual. Thank you. Thank you so much, Mrs. Foster. Uh, our next public comment will come from Mr. Alan Bryant, accountability. Mr. Bryant, I trust that you remember the rules. Yes, thank you. As a matter of fact, I didn't write it down, but anyway, good uh evening everyone. Um there are I was looking um at two two um

um two um holes that were taken concerning um student services and whereas um Dr. bird. Your speech was very inspirational and um as a matter of fact, in doing my research, one of the things that I'm doing is trying to work with Alabama State and MPS when if I can to turn Montgomery into an epicenter of higher learning where students will want to become educators and stay in school. One of the polls I looked at stated that the average student in Montgomery would um graduate and don't want to come back here 100%. And I think that um we have the resources to change that. As a matter of fact, student services when the board uh students feel that way, I think don't see theirelves in the future is because they disconnect. And I I don't know why. I don't know why that is, but it is reflective of the culture and the climate of the school system and it stars here. The other um poll that I looked at was teachers pay and whereas um Representative Tielman presented a bill that stated that teachers could be paid. You know, they presented the bill. I don't know if you all are familiar with House Bill 32 and it is supposed to go into effect um August 1 and I just wanted to know if the many teachers have been talking about it and they're concerned about it. I don't know if Montgomery is going to do it and will be getting feedback on that whether we whether we'll be doing it or not. Okay. And uh the first read like I say um I'm you know all the things about it and

that was my concern about teachers being paid because right now we're in the middle of one of those long stretches of 50 days without a paycheck. That was my concern and uh this port as I made it real short just straight to the point on the two things I was talking about. They have an accountability as to why students may feel that they do not belong in Montgomery and why they have to leave. They don't have to leave. And I wish that we can foster something to make them feel loved enough to want to be a part of what is happening in this great city. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much, Mr. Bryant for those comments. We have no citizens comments at this time. Um, our next item of business is director of school counseling job description, Dr. Ford.

Good. Well, good evening, Madame President. Yes, we've updated the job description for the director of school counseling from education specialist to director of school counseling. the responsibilities stayed the change um stayed the same with with one minor change but just the supervision part and then we went back and align the job description with the Alabama for the National Association of School Counseling. Thank you so much.

Are there any questions for Dr. forward after I let her walk away. Okay, thank you. Our next item is specialized treatment center uh STE education coordinator job description. Dr. Williamson.

Good afternoon, board president, board members, Dr. Bard, uh Dr. Bird, excuse me. We are uh proposing that we add a position within our structure to support our specialized treatment centers. Our specialized treatment centers serve students who have specific behavioral needs or are involved in the judicial system. Before those school age students through our school district, we provide the instructional support as well as it connecting them to any needed social emotional supports as well as make sure that they are participating in statemandated assessments. we uh support those students through their school age and if they if it's a student who's receiving IDA services that student receives services from us until the age of 21. in partnership with Sheriff Cunningham, he has asked that we uh hire this person to be the liaison to take the lead for educational services for our students when they are at Max Sims Butler, which is our county detention facility, as well as when we have students who are assigned at the Montgomery County Youth Facility, which is on air base. This person will help with the monitoring pieces. It will this person will also help with the compliance pieces. so that Sheriff Cunningham and his staff will not have to try to take on the educational uh responsibilities and and figure out some of our lingo and navigate some of those compliance responsibilities from the state department. This person will be hired using the funds that we receive to support our state STC's.

All right. Thank you, Dr. Williamson. Are there any questions? I have a question, please. Okay. I recognize Mrs. Cloud. Thank you. Um, and this is for Mr. Isaac also. Do we is there still inner defunds neglected and delinquent funds through federal programs? Do we receive those still? Are we are we in a cohort that could help pay for this?

Good evening everyone. Um the answer to that is we do receive title one part D funds which supports our neglect and delinquent facilities. Um currently with that we use all of our funds for student services. So tutoring, counseling, transition assistance. So um for FY26 we do not have any additional funds but that is something that student services and federal programs can discuss as well. I just needed to ask to support this effort. Thank you.

And additional funds have been allocated to both of our uh treatment centers as we have transitioned by uh recommendation from the state department to all STC's using power school which allows a better uh headcount for students who are involved in any of those facilities. Thank you. Yes, ma'am. Very good. Any other questions? Thank you so much. Thank you. You're welcome. Mr. Anderson, he'll take care of our next item. South on the elementary school re-roofing contract, the JAG Athletics field improvements renovations, and Carver High School turf and track change order number four.

Good evening, Dr. Bird, Miss Portoris, Miss Watkins Smith, and members of the board. The South Lawn Elementary School re-roofing contract is a low bid contract for the total re-roofing of South Lawn Elementary. Any questions? Any questions?

The Jag athletic field improvement and renovations. Um, I provided the bid tabulation there underneath your documents to give you that. And that is the low bid for the improvements behind the J existing school JAG. That is a reworking of the baseball and softball fields, the addition of a batting facility, and also a turf and track uh to go around the field, go behind the field as well. the the softball field will be competition size. So, they'll be able to hold competitions there as well. And we're very close to competition on the baseball piece of it. Uh much more so than what they were. Um I believe we'll once we complete this project with a taller fence, we'll also have a competition level baseball field there as well where they can they can hold competitions there as well. Uh the tra the track will also be a AHSAA approved and and we'll be able to host track competitions there as well. And then the turf field falls along line with what we've done at the other traditional schools with with football as well. And this is phase one.

Okay. And those um all of that will stay correct at that. Um now you're you're talking about where Jag Oh, Jag. I'm sorry. Wrong school, wrong side of town. Okay.

Yes, ma'am. They they will they will lose a little bit of the parking lot behind it because we have to pull out to the curb of the existing area to add the baseball field to get get that full baseball field length. Um, but it's really not a parking that they utilize at all at this point. So, we have an abundance of parking there. And then the goal of course too is once we complete the project, we'd love the city to come in with theou and and repave that entire parking lot and give us a really good surface there for hosting events. That's going to be okay. Thank you.

And then the Carver High School turf and track change order, uh they completed the proof roll over the track. A proof roll is where they take a loaded truck and run over the area to see if there's any displacement of the soil to make sure that if you know if they're ever servicing something or that something heavy goes onto that that there's no damage to the subsurface. And of course when they completed the proof roll on the football field, we found that we had to undercut and do that. That was another change order. And this was done as well on this as well. So, this was vetted. The reason for the length, we were hoping to try to get this into you before Christmas, but we had to have our geotech along with the civil engineer on this to review it to make sure everything was in line with correct pricing and and make sure everything was suitable so that it provided a warrantied surface if we ever had any issues with it. So, that's what this change order is and we still fall within the budgeted amount.

Very good. Any questions, comments for Mr. Anderson? I do. Okay. Dr. Keith, is this already spent? Do we already have this in our budget? Yes, ma'am. We We budgeted for it this year and that's what this is coming from, the budgeted amount. I mean, the reason I'm just looking I'm looking at the price of this and when we're looking at that penny tax and stuff. Yes, ma'am. They haven't made their decision on that. Yeah. this and and I just think there's some things that we really need to alert ourselves to that there, you know, that if they do take it. I mean, I that's why I wanted to know was already in there. My mind is, you know, is set in my, you know, I I feel like we need to prepare for the worst. Yes, ma'am.

And when I see, you know, it these are the kind of prices that they don't understand that we're spending. Yes, ma'am. And um and when they take it, it's just something that I'm thinking, you know, or at least for me is to, you know, what are we going to do? And and this doesn't come from the general fund. This comes from ATF, which is the state provides on a yearly basis. That's just like any kind of allocation that we have to spend um before the end of the year. There is some carryover that could could happen with that, but they kind of frown on that piece of it. So, this doesn't impact the general fund at all. Very good. Oh, Mitch,

just comment. I just I noticed in our board connections that you did work on the uh minority uh business people and expressing them and uh we noticed that the turnout was a little low. But we thank you for reiterating that because we are we truly want to make sure that uh our minority businesses uh participate in the buildings and the new constructions in Montgomery public schools and thank you for doing

and I think Laura's and or P will probably speak to that this this week or in this in their presentation but we feel like after the conversation of or after the event. One of the reasons why is because it was so specific to Capitol Heights and and just being that. So, we kind of opened it up in that meeting. They allowed me to speak on our projects and then of course my my information was shared along with that. But we're this is the first one. We're going to continue to do more to try to increase that piece of it as well. And the the one that they had initially, we were able to find two minority based vendors that have been excellent for us as well. So we we're always looking for good work. I know echo Mr. Watts. I know he's no longer here. We we want quality work, too. And these these folks that are coming to the table have been really good for us and and and do a great job.

And you heard one out the out the door earlier blowing off there. One of our minority base vendors. So all right. Thank you so much. Yes, ma'am. Our next item if uh will be Mrs. Watkins. She will be giving our 2025 financial statement.

Good evening, Dr. Bird, board president, Pam, Miss Portoris, and board members. Um, I want to say first, happy board appreciation month to you all. Thank you for all that you do and supporting our students in the districts. Very much appreciate it. Um you should have before you the November financials which represents the second month of the fiscal year. Um you have the explanation of financial data which is a summary of the information from the CSFO snapshot analysis which we will talk about a little bit more. You have the general fund recap which we'll visit that as well. Monthly buff budgeted um monthly budget percentages. November represents the second month of the fiscal year. So we should be at about 16%. Um you have your monthly and annual comparative statement of revenues and expenditures which compares the November expenditures monthtodate and year to date to the same period in time of the previous fiscal year. Um we have the statement of cash flow which represents our monthly inflows and outflows and um the um visual pie charts which gives you a visual of that information. Um finally you have the um F exhibits. Those are the reports from the state department um that are um produced as a required upload to the state department that we're required to do each month. If you will flip over to the snapshot analysis and you will see that um our revenues to date are $44.9 million, expenditures at about $50.7 million and our ending fund balance as of November is $90.2 million. You go over to the local revenue comparison. This compares our tax revenues or local revenues received to date as compared to the same period in

time in the prior fiscal year. One thing I do want to point out, there are timing differences in the receipt of these funds. You may notice that in fiscal year 2026, our abalors at 6 and a half compared to a little over 2 million in the prior fiscal year. And that is a clear example of the timing differences in the receipt of those funds. Okay. Um, we also go down to the bottom and you'll see our total payroll expenditures for fiscal year 25 compared to fiscal year 2026. You'll notice a slight increase over fiscal year 2025. And that is a representation of our benefits that have increased about 13% due to the additional PHIP um um PHIP requirements for fiscal year 2026. And then finally, you'll see our general fund balance as compared to the prior year. You'll see again I mentioned that it was $94.8 million, which is a little bit higher than um prior fiscal year. Um with that, um the increase in the um um revenues or the general fund balance too is also a clear representation of the local revenues that have been si received to date. we flip over to our um our general general fund balance recap. I'm sorry. I will page over to that. Although we have a $94.2 $2 million balance. The grand majority of or approximately 20 million of those revenues are obligated to other state funding sources. So, we have to keep in mind that those are not discretionary funds um for the district's use. They are tied specifically to funding sources and must be spent accordingly. Um, a lot of times

I know that we see that that fund balance and we think that that's a lot, but in actuality, if you look at our local general fund balance, which is 73 um a little over $73 million, those are the funds that are discretionary for the district. That's a little less than three month um a threemonth balance and we're required to maintain a one-mon reserve. Okay. Um, I like to think of the 94 million as like, um, if we look at all of our our accounts at home, um, we may have $5,000 in the bank, but we may have $1,000 that's allocated for health. We may have $1,000 that's allocated for vacation, and we may only have $1,000 that's truly discretionary for us to spend on a monthly basis. So, I want us to really consider that when we see that $94 million that number will continue to grow for the month of um January, February, mostly through de through February. But as those funds and that's because we receive the grand majority of our local funds between December and February, those funds are received and we have to and have those funds available for us to expand through 9:30 2026. Thank you. Are there any questions?

Any questions? Well, you heard it here first. Miss Watkins has blessed our accounts at home with vacation because that's not in my budget as we speak. All right. Our next item of business is our consent agenda. Dr. Bird. Thank you, Madam President. Superintendent recommends your approval of action items A through J.

I move that we approve uh the recommendation uh that the presented by the uh superintendent for items A through J. Second. The motion has been made and and double and triple is second. Is there any discussion? May I see a show of hands for those in favor of the superintendent's recommendation? That vote is unanimous. Thank you. Board members, Dr. Burke, consider for approval. Thank you. Superintendent recommends your approval of action item 16A, personnel report, certified personnel.

I move that we accept the superintendent's recommendation. And pardon me, Madam President, before you that were able to ask the question.

You all know what to do. It has been moved and second um for superintendent's recommendation of personnel report certified personnel. Any discussion on that? May I see a show of hands for those in favor? Okay. Did Leslie do that again? Those in favor, raise your hand. Um those opposed or those opposed? Okay. Okay. That motion passes. May I see um I'm sorry, Dr. B.

Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Superintendent recommends your approval of action item 16B, personnel report, classified personnel. Madam President, I move we accept the superintendent's recommendation for item 16B, personnel report, classified personnel. I second. It has been moved and second um to accept the recommendation for personnel report classified personnel. Any discussion? May I see a show of hands for those in favor? It is unanimous. Thank you, Dr. Bird.

Thank you. Superintendent recommends your approval of action item 16C, personnel report teams. Madam chair, I move that we accept the superintendent's recommendation for personnel report teams. I second it. Okay, it has been motioned and second on the superintendent's recommendation for the team report. Is there any discussion? May I see a show of hands for those in favor? It is unanimous. Thank you. Superintendent recommends your approval of action item 16D, part-time supplemental personnel minutes.

Madame Chair, I move that we accept the superintendent's um recommendation for part-time supplemental personnel minutes. I second.

Okay. Has been moved and second to accept the superintendent's recommendation for part-time supplemental personnel. Are is there any discussion? And no discussion. May I see a show of hands for those in favor? Is you now? Thank you. Superintendent recommends your approval of action item 16E, superintendent evaluation form for 20 for 2025 2026. Madame President, I move we accept the superintendent's recommendation for superintendent evaluation form for 2526. I second it.

It has been motioned and second. Thank you, Dr. B. Um for the superintendent's evaluation form for 2526. Is there any discussion? May I see a show of hands for those in favor of adopting this? It is unanimous. All right. Our next meeting dates will be February the 10th, 5:00 in the same room. Immediately following regular board meeting will be our work session. The business meeting stands adjourned. Okay. If you didn't move quick enough, we are ready for our work session. Has now been called to order. We still have a quorum. May I have a motion to approve the agenda as printed?

Madam chair, I move approval of the agenda as printed. A second it. Very good. It has been motioned and second to approve the agenda as written. May I see a show of hands for those in agreement? It is unanimous. We will now receive his information. Um, Vulker is good to see Miss Penn. We didn't think she would make it, but she has. So, she will give us a Vocer update. Oh, I took his name off because I saw you. Okay. Come on up, Mr. Zar.

That's my buddy. Good evening, Dr. Bird, Madam President, members of the board. I know there's been several recognitions tonight, but I also wanted to say, you know, we're so glad and thankful that everything you do for the community and the kids. It's my pleasure to give you the uh Vulker update for the month of January. We'll start with a drone flyover of the Percy Julian site. 18% complete. We're still tracking the December 2027 uh completion date. Not sure if I press something. Here we go.

Not sure if the drone video uh actually shows the scale of how large the site is or if you've driven out uh on the boulevard you can see uh the extent of the work that we have going on. Um, so just to highlight some of the progress, we have steel erection ongoing. The front entrance, like I said, if you've driven out there in the past week or two, we're actually working on the front entrance. So the main entry is coming to life. Um, we're framing up the second floor in the north building section. Um, still pouring slab on grades coming down the building pad. We're in the storm shelter tying our rebar and footings. So that's exciting. Uh, big progress there. Um, we're also in the kitchen area with all the mechanical, electrical, plumbing components that are part of that. Um, the CME walls are going up at all the staircases. Um, and one big milestone that was actually scheduled earlier this week is our pre-roofing conference has been scheduled with the state inspector for the first week of February. And that kind of gets the ball rolling for all things roofing and getting the building tied in, which that's when you really start seeing progress go all out inside the building. Um the drives are being completed on the north side which will finalize all the roads that we have uh grading wise. We'll start pouring curb and gutter. Um so you'll see the roadways and the path that the bus and students and staff, parents will be taking. Parking lots and ponds will follow shortly after that. Here's an overview on the left side. Um, we've overlaid the floor plan so you can see exactly what the building footprint is and where we stand. And the spot you see there in blue was actually poured last week. That's the area B slab on grade.

And then to the right of the blue section is area C. And we're finalizing the pore of area C on Friday this week. And that's the front entry. Um all the steel being erected right there on the right side. Next is the Capitol Heights Middle School. Um there is a question asked about the MBDB form that we held. That was last week. Um, like Chad said, it was more specific tailored to the Capitol Heights Middle School project. We had all the qualified contractors for the project uh present and the minority companies that showed up were able to get some face-toface time, tell them exactly what they do and how they can benefit by being a part of this project. Um, we are planning another MBDB form that is open to the public as always and it'll be tailored to anything MPS upcoming. So Chad Anderson was at our last one. He spoke spoke about that and the upcoming opportunities for companies. We have our on-site pre-bid meeting this Thursday and we're tenatively holding our bid opening next month. hopefully uh get some favorable numbers on the bid and propose that to you guys for approval and get construction started in the next few months. Here's our latest MBE DBE uh numbers. We are still holding that 35% on the professional services which is architects, surveys, engineers, things that we can actually hold contracts for. The construction percentage is still holding at just 1% due to bid laws. We are heavily encouraging general contractors to partner with several local minority companies and giving them the contacts and information they need to have that

partnership. And we're hoping Capitol Heights uh really helps that number for us. Questions coming? Um how is your fairs or events uh advertised?

So we actually have our minority partnership with Pathway Research and that is Miss Tenia John's. she was heading up the uh invitation um putting together a list of companies that got sent the invitation and I shared all the metrics that she uh provided to us with Dr. Bird. I'm not sure if that was distributed amongst the board members. Um but she is leading all MBEDB efforts and we also have a database full of contacts that we've compiled over the years. So we make sure that all those guys get it as well. So is is nothing sent out in the paper or social media is only by invitation.

Is there a date on this next on the next meeting? No, ma'am. There's not a date. There's not a date yet. If you would share it with Dr. Bird so we can share it with our communications department. Can we do that? Okay. Share it with our communications department. That'll be one more uh leg I think we would do good in getting that information. Absolutely. And we'll share it to our constituents.

You very good. And I want to I think the invite smart uh simply because you know sometimes you know we've got people in the paper now when you have possibly even board members that um that that don't consider that that their jobs if they're trying to get people that they know jobs or whatever. You want to make sure that you've got credible people. And I think it's it I thank y'all for looking out for us. So we're not accused of anything like that. So, thank you. Yes, ma'am. Yes. Any more questions or comments? Thank you, sir. Thank you.

You You did well. He's fun, but he obviously knows some things. Oh, I did have one more question. And Chad, you might can answer this, too. The drone um operator. That's a good job, isn't it? That we I like that's one more job. I just wish you would have honed in on the pond that you told me you caught a big or somebody caught a big old crappie in. I was I kept going, wait, is there really crappie in that there? I think they told P that the state record crappie was called that world. I was going to go when are you when are you paving the road so I can sneak over there?

We thought about too utilizing that for other students like from around the district to to teach wildlife and fishery. That's a pretty good idea. If you've been to Lannarch, like that that place in Milbrook there, all that wetland behind it that we can't construct on, to have those walking pathways through there would be a really nice addition at some point. Let me say this to add on to that. Lannarch, if we get 21st century in our schools, Lannarch comes and brings activities for our children, which is excellent. I've seen it. They bring wildlife. They bring things to let children see that might not have the possibility of going to land art. It's wonderful.

That's good news. Yeah. Teach fishing and alligator running the the m the

and I'll go and introduce Good evening Dr. Bird, Miss Poris, Miss Watkins Smith, and members of the board. uh the multi vista drone footage that you saw that is a from a project that we did in digitizing our floor plans throughout the district. So we added that on to this this project and we'll do it on our future ones as well where they'll do progress updates. So, in the future, like if somebody's going to work on Percy Julian in the future, they'll be able to look at progress photos within the floor plan, they'll know what's inside the wall or underneath the ground before it's ever even dug up or anything like that. So, it's a really nice tool. And it provides it gives you floor plans, roof plans, site plans, all those different things that you can email out PDF to architects, engineers, and just speed up the process of of what you're doing instead of them trying to come in and hunt, you know, hundred-year-old blueprints from some of our buildings to to try to piece something together or having to go out there and do footwork on their own uh to to put it together. So, it's a it's a good feature.

Is is that inhouse? Y'all are doing this or is it a company? It's a company, Multiv Vista. Okay. Multi Vista.

They were they had already done uh Park Crossing prior to my being here and I believe Impactor or Lamp, they had done those plans. So, we just pushed it forward to all of our all of our floor plans and also we have that capability with it. It allows you you can also go into the documented photos and measure off of it. So my my in-house plumber, electrician can utilize that floor plan or technology could come in and measure off of a picture, you know, different from the access point to other access points or or a doorway width or a window. They can they can get actual measurables without having to go out to the site and then bring that information. It just saves a lot of time with that 21st century.

Absolutely. So, I'm going to head into the u to the spreadsheet there on our projects, current capital projects. You've heard from Vulkar uh with their projects. Um Morning View Elementary is complete with the contractor. They were wrapping up the um punch list items last week and should have completed those. I haven't got the final update with that yet, but it was minor of what they had with punch list items. were in there with logistics, uh, doing cleanups and helping them, uh, helping the school get situated back to the full functioning, uh, which shouldn't have been very much detail on that, but Mr. Harvey, Dr. Boswell are working with the principal there to to finish that piece up. The Davis Elementary, again, we're we're waiting on the arrival of the the windows and frames that's slated for February that was was pushed on us and those pre-fabricated windows and panes. As soon as those get started, we we have no doubt that that contractor will will jump on it as they did over at Goodwin as well. The Carver High School turf and track replacement, uh we received and and approved the contract of our change order for uh the remaining item is the track. We'll have to surface that, undercut the the bad areas that we found in the proof roll, resurface that with asphalt. It'll have to sit for 30 days to let that asphalt cure and then they'll come over the top of it with a rubberized surface. The rubberized surface has to be maintained at a at a higher temperature than asphalt or concrete when they put it down. So, it'll have to take a little warmer period, a few days there. Uh, but from past experience at Park Crossing, it took them approximately a week to lay the rubber track down with that. Don't think this group will take any longer than that once they get to that piece of it. I'll continue to provide updates uh in my weekly connections in the board meeting uh the monthly board meeting as

well. The uh Forest Avenue roof replacement, we pushed the bid for that to go to next week. Uh they had some questions in a couple of areas of it where they had the lightweight concrete and making sure some of the moisture was at. So, a couple of the contractors asked for an extension uh to really do their their homework on it and the architect agreed uh to make sure that we get the the tightest bids that we can receive on that project as well. So, I'll have that uh to you next month in the board for board approval. The South Lawn Elementary roof replacement, we approved tonight. Uh the JAG athletic improvement replacement, we approved tonight. uh Danley Elementary HVAC renovations. We're waiting on the pre-conference for that with the state. They'll set that up and we'll get started. We're we'll push and do as much as we can now to not disrupt the school year and then they're going to the contractor. His plan is to jump on uh summertime and really get ahead. Again, this was the contractor that uh did Morning View. Uh so they're very versed in this similar construction building built along the same architectural plans and and time frame. So they'll be very well verssed in that. Uh the morning elementary media center was completed. The JAG painting and flooring project and Goodwin painting and flooring project. We've done initial walkthroughs with the architect and they're drawing up plans to get those bids ready for approval so that we can complete that work in the summertime.

Okay, chair. Thank you so much. Are there any questions? Okay, Mrs. Smith, I have just one quick small question. Um, two things with morning view. The part of the wording of the school is covered. It's beautiful, but it is it's covered the the name of the school. And the second thing, will the flashing be updated along?

We got we'll have to replace that roof at some point. That that's part of the roofing system. We're not having any major leaks there. So, it's it's one that we haven't replaced yet, but again, we're not seeing any any kind of uh roofing issues. We do have uh maintenance working on uh cleaning some of the mold and mildew off of that. And then the engineer that did this work, he is going to put a bid together for us on the painting of the facade like we did at Goodwin for Davis and Morning View to to finish that up.

I have one question on where it says that the bid opening was pushed to 113 to allow biders more time to prepare. How does that work? Is there some bids that come in and then you're waiting for others or how does that work?

No, ma'am. That was a question from the contractor and they were a local contractor to ask for more time to make sure they put a bid together. Um, I think Vulker could speak to it as well. Christmas time is kind of a a hectic time as they say in the construction world, they like to hunt. So, so they they try to get away during that time and estimations and all can can take a little more time and they really they asked for just a little bit of an extension. They they ended up coming in third with that. But uh we we got a very good contractor for the uh JAG project. They complete recently most recently completed the municipal fields over in Wumpka, the new soccer fields there that they turfed. And then they were also they completed the Auburn and Opaikica uh turf projects there for their municipality as well. So they're they're a good contractor, well versed, and they're they're out of the Opaikica area. So that's close enough that if we had any kind of issues, we could get them here to correct.

Thank you so much. Yes, ma'am. Thank you, Miss Anderson. Our next item for consideration is unfinished business. Uh are there is there any unfinished business? Yeah. Um one of our one of the things that we discussed last month with Dr. Keith, Dr. Keith, would you refresh our memory of what that was? We talked about having a committee on uh chronic absenteeism and teacher retention

and um I my bad on this. I I did I didn't totally read uh through the I read the first part of the board connections, but I didn't realize that there was an absentee report on teachers in there. So, I've got that. I was requesting that, but I would like per school the absenteeism if I I just kind of want to study that um to see if there's a correlation number one between teachers and I mean just you know I'd like to know you know are there sub just just to look at it as to what's going on because I'm a firm believer if you don't have the teacher there and you just have substitutes there you're not going to have um you're not going to have what you need there. And one other thing I did want to mention because I do keep talking to teachers and I whether they just pop up on me or they call me or whatever. I had talked to um to a a a gentleman that had run for board not too long ago really less than two weeks ago. And he brought to my attention he's substituting now and he was telling me that teacher morale was down because of the MTSS. I I keep I brought this up and I think a lot of us agree, but I I think maybe we some of us either need to talk to the state um on this MTSS because what what they're doing is they're taking away teachers planning periods for them to go study how to do it.

And I think that's been one of our problems all along. We get these new programs and then we're training teachers during their planning period. And imagine the attitude of a teacher that's given up her planning period to go do this. they you know it's you don't have the mindset that we need you know to have for for these type teachers. So I just think I want to do some studying as to why we have the attendance problems that we do. Yes. And I I have to second that. I'm I'm in total agreement.

Um one of the things that's that's interesting to me now that we have to iron out so many pieces. I remember when I was teaching, we worked during planning period, but our leaders were so smart. You didn't have to work your whole planning period, nor did they expect you to. And now it it seems funny to me that we have to if we don't say that piece, it you know, it doesn't get done. So, but we're we're happy about that. So, we'll um and Dr. Ford will be working with you on that. But just to be clear, we're wanting student absenteeism as well as teacher retention because this uh

and I'd like to know what substitutes are we having in the system at one time. And I'd like to compare days. Is it mostly Fridays? Is it, you know, it sounds nerdy, but it's important. It re it really is important to know um why we have because I did I will tell you I saw one I saw a day and it was like we had more substitutes than we had teachers and I you know if that's just one day the reason I'm asking for the data I want to see how many days is it like that because if if we've got if that if the case is what I'm thinking then we are going to have to sit down with policy because there's just absolutely too many

too many abs And I want to correlate that with achievement for for students. I mean, that's easy to do to look at a classroom to see how many days this teacher is out and how Yeah. And we'll and we'll do that on that committee on that GPR achievement committee that I open, but I'll say that later. But um Dr. F, you're in for a treat cuz she likes Hey, when I heard she was going to be helping me Yeah, she um that's why I'm not talking a lot like we got.

And you you do have uh others at your disposal. I know Miss Smith asked even though she's got her own stuff. She going to be tasked to do but go ahead. But we will have that data now. We actually have that data available. Uh and it will include it in your board connections for Friday. Yes, ma'am. I had asked to do it. Yeah. But we I don't want too many board members on one committee and because there's so few of us and we have so much to do. If you would, I need you to head in another direction because you asked for another one, too. Okay.

Well, I I'm going I'm going put my two cents with I really need her because here's what the here's what the problem is. When we when we disperse it out like this, we got so many things going that nothing really gets tackled. And I think you got to understand how important this chronic absenteeism piece is. It's teachers, its retention. That's a whole and I'm going to need the help with it. And

and we're all we're all going to be at your disposal. The only thing I don't want to do because they do have their own jobs to do. Can't just do ours. I think you'll have us all at your disposal because we we did multiple things before and we got them done and we're willing to help. Um, but just to have a contact person where she can call and just say, "Well, Dr. Keith, look at this. Look at And if you want to share it, that's, you know, you can pull in who you want as long as they're willing willing to help." So, I think you'll be you'll be covering. We know you're not going to work without Pam. So, I mean, we know Well, we all have our support team, you know. Amen.

And not only that, I don't I want her to be the point of contact because I don't want to be asking her. I want her to be asking the questions and getting a clear answer instead of us overloading Dr. Ford. I don't want to do that. That's right. And when we come back, the correlations that the board makes, you'll be instrumental in helping us understand that this goes with this, but not quite this. So, um, Miss Smith, did you have something?

Yes. And I want to say, Lisa, I did do this. Um, as you recall, you were on the board with me when I with me when I went through the teacher retention and um, recruitment and it did address absenteeism. Um, not so much on the student side, but it did go into the teacher side along with other things. Um, my other thing is unfinished business was to talk about um, and I hate to use this word just a trauma word for me, but failure rate of our students. So part of the reason this was actually requested by a board member and we went over it in the retreat and I actually found the agenda review calendar and I forwarded it I believe to to somebody to you maybe miss uh President Porters but anyway to get that information so that we can see how our children are progressing before we get to state assessment and then to talk about maybe some things or resources we could put in place that can support our principles and our teachers. as we strive to lift that grade from a C to a B.

Good. Thank you so much for that. And we'll move right into uh new business as we look for new committee. I'm asking that all board members serve on a lot of we need to review it, make sure that it is what it is. There are certain sections of it. So, I'll be getting that to you. you can give me uh give me your feedback the GPR uh portion of it and the academic we can we can put uh MTSS with that I I think that it's critical that teachers understand how to use MTSS and it does not have to take consume all of their time but if you don't know what you're doing you have to research it figure it out do And I think we also have our retired teachers that are doing a wonderful, wonderful job in the schools that can assist with that. You know, we didn't call it MTSS back in the day, but they know exactly what you're talking about and how to help a child. They know how to help little Johnny sit down and read. And it may not be what you call it or traditional. Well, probably can't say that, but uh may not be traditional, but they they can help. So um and uh you will be getting committee contacts but if you would if everybody would work with that um we'll be talking MTSS how it relates to teacher absences and then one of the retention things um I want the committee to also look at is why I don't think we have enough why is a teacher abs how can we help has anybody asked that you know um I think uh Miss Smith brought up the point about aging parents you You know, we a lot of the teachers are at a point where they have aging parents or aging loved one. So, it

it's necessary. I don't want my children to tell me they can't be at work. You can't be at work to come help me. I need help over here. So, I I think and just jokingly, but that's serious. And and we need to ask before we condemn, how can I help? Just like we do our parents when our students are absent. what can we do to uh lessen your burden? So, that's going those are going to be wonderful. You all are going to see uh something great. Family engagement committee is open as of tonight. Um Miss um Mrs. Mitchell uh will be heading that committee and of course I will be helping. We already have that committee going. We're just waiting for um to get 2026 started and we're going to empower our parents. That'll help. hopefully with some of the chronic absenteeism. All right, all minds and hearts are clearer than any other new business matters that we need to consider. And you can always text, email, or call me and let me know if you want some new business or unfinished business put on the agenda. We do agenda meeting the first Wednesday uh in the month. So, if you can get to me and and get that put on maintenance and operation committee. Uh Miss Smith will head that that one will also be open because we have to get ready for um some new things. These are just some that I've thought about. But if you're interested and you don't want to serve on the one you were on before, uh you want to look at something new, please let me know and we'll be uh glad to use your assistance on that. All right. Our next meeting, I've already uh reminded you, is February the 10th. We hope you're here either in person or um

via Zoom at 5:00 right here in the training room and immediately following we will have our regular board meeting. This meeting is now adjourned. All right. Nobody with a strong back lead cuz these ladies are will need some help. HEAT. HEAT.