City Council - Regular Meeting

Well, there'll be a time here in in the first agenda item to to do that. We're going to go ahead though. U we want do we all know each other? Let's do introductions. Let's Okay, let's stay here. We'll just go around. I'm Karen McCandless. I'm the or mayor. Ren by city manager m city council man Joe Jensen superintendent of the Karen Carter executive assistant of Timoga district Jason Sunberg business administrator for this whole district

I'm Carrie Rug the deputy city manager for Wolfley civic engagement uh director and Clark assistant city manager Uh, board member Grace Rex, board member, ORM, city council, Ben Gale, ORM, city council, council, Hilton, Timoga school board and Timova school board president. Say the board president and vice president. Vice president. All right, let's go start back over here and just grab the and catch all the staff here.

Teresa McKitrich, city reporter. I'm Heather Pay, parks and recreation director. Gary McCann, director of community development. I'm DJ Robinson. I'm the police chief. I'm Sean Hurst, assistant fire chief. Brandon Nelson, uh not sure which title I'm supposed to be using now, but finance director. Steve Earl, city attorney. John Dy, transportation engineer, city boss. and the only civilian. I'm Tony K. Civilian. About half of you know me. Welcome. Thank you. Glad to have you here.

All right. I'm excited. I'm I'm really excited about having these meetings. I hope that as we one of the I think the items on this for discussion was uh regular meeting schedule. plan on meeting regularly as as we both continue to serve the residents of our community. All right, so we're going to start with the first schedule item 1.1, a discussion, general overview of current work and school boundaries. So, I'm going to turn the time over to President Lyman and then after she's finished, if there's u if there are things that that you would like or your uh team would like to bring up about projects or what what current work that we're doing that would be anything else. So, turn over to you. We decided to to give a little bit of a our first 100 days what what we've done. We have we have two sets of 100 days. So our 100 days ended March 5th for the board because you were put in November 25th. The hiring date was January 28th. So his 100 days don't end till May 8th. So we feel like we've kind of extended our 100 day um plan. But uh some of the great things that we have done is hiring a superintendent and VA. That was the job of our so that was our hiring our main hiring decisions and I think it was our first um and then they have in subsequent time and we're he's hiring and adding to our team. They hired uh Joe hired six uh associate superintendent assistant superintendent super

yeah underneath him we call them our super six. So, we have six staff members that are are starting the work of of crafting our district. Um, we have done a great job, we think, in establishing some good communication lines and keeping the public informed on what's going on with our region of our district. That's something we've done very well. Um, I think some of you were able to attend our kickoff that we held in March, uh, announcing the name. So, we went through the naming process of naming the district and then we announced that at our kickoff celebration of our new district. We had wonderful feedback at that celebration. A lot of administrators and teachers and participants that said, "Hey, we're just this is getting us so excited about about being part of the new Tibanoga school district." So, we're excited about that. Um, one of the things that we have done as a board, I think almost all of us have have um visited every facility, not only schools, but the facilities that will be within our district boundaries and and even outside. So, we're looking at a a shared service agreement with Aspen for transportation. So, we we scored the the bus garage, South American Fork. we've gone to see some of the things at in the Alpine School District that we we will either need to recreate in our district or or enter into discussions about doing shared service agreements with with other districts. So, we've done a great job. We were able to spend every each each of the 29 schools and to this was purely a visit. We weren't going there to see all the wonderful things, you know, that things at our school. This was just a focus on capital and the needs of each of our schools. Um we are taking that now that we have Joe in place. He has now um spearheading an effort to hit each school to talk about

our vision and our values. uh we have crafted that as a to come up with a draft statement for our vision and our values and um now we are taking that to each of our schools so we can get feedback from our administrators, our teachers, our parents, our students even. It's been very fun to visit at an elementary school and present our vision to elementary school kids and and get their and their thoughts. Uh so that's that's ongoing. Um, I don't think we'll quite hit it within the first 100 days, Joe, but we're getting close. We'll hit 28 of the 29 before school. Okay. Yeah.

So, we're we we hit number 10 today. So,

um All right. And then we did I attended the legislative session to to testify before a committee to try to get the RFA money. That was not that was nined. we were not able to get the request for appropriations that we talked about at our interlocal meeting last time um or the pass off meeting um and we are we're working on um creating really good relationships with our legislators that represent our district. Um we are also been focused we we were able to attend the um youth school US in January started creating some good relationships with other districts. We understand we're coming from a great district of the alpine school district but we also recognize that that there are other districts who are doing things differently and we want to learn from them their best practices and be able to take what they're doing and maybe apply it in our district. we've been focused on developing those relationships. Um, and then Joe has crafted a a district organization kind of it looks it just really I I'm really excited about it because his assistant superintendent that he has hired are actually going to have supervisory experience supervisory um assignment. They'll be there's going to be what we say flatter

much flatter. Yes. connection between the district office and our schools office going to be these ears of you have talk to this person then talk to this person and it's going to be a more direct we're going to we're going to be looking at our principles a lot more in our efforts to to direct the work in the district. So that's kind of what we've been doing for the last 20 or 30 days. Yeah,

just a few things. It's been exciting. Um, currently they're still working on staffing, ramping up staffing. Our next major uh effort is going to be our, it's called the Moabs, the a mother of all boundary studies. So, we are doing a boundary study that will be switching north end of the district to the south end of the district. on creating a process for that on how we're going to be handling that. Uh we want to go above and beyond what is the state requirements for boundary studies. So we want to start early have as much input as we can from our stakeholders. Yeah, we're looking at doing focus groups. We will likely be voting on opening that boundary study um our next meeting today. So, pardon my ignorance, but what's what is I know in my mind I can picture what a boundary study what's what is a boundary study that would kind of you say go you're going above and beyond what the state requires.

The state require well just as far as um there are certain timing requirements. So, you have to notice and then do a certain number of public hearings and you want to start now and then won't be making decisions until the That gives us a whole summer plus sunshine into the fall to be able to do that. So, boundary study, what we're going to be looking at there is some tools that have been been purchased. Are they purchased Jason or created?

Yeah. That are going to allow us to um look at different boundaries, redraw the boundaries on and it will calculate like how many students, how this is going to impact things. So, we're going to be utilizing that, but we're also I mean I think the mains being the thing I can say that I think we have focused on as a board information gathering and that's not going to stop. So, we're gathering as much information as we can the numbers but also talking to our stakeholders and constituents about their concerns about they what they would like to see. Our goal, what we've kind of crafted as a goal for our board is to have um robust elementaryaries. Um and then we want to look at the feeder situation and the configurations for our high schools. So we'll be looking at those two. We're going to have two separate committees that will be dealing with each of those issues. And yeah, we just want to be transparent but as and as inclusive of every person that has a stake in this as possible. So that will include our cities. You know, I just make a question there. So I hear people who want to know the definition of a stakeholder because there are people that have reached out to me that don't have children in school

and they're property tax and they're ster. they're feeling they're like we have felt unheard, uninvited and you know in these discussions I would like to figure out if the new district can help us feel more included. So just kind of a note to that um of how to create that opportunity. So if someone wants to join an email list or if someone wants to um yeah that is that is something that we have um I talked with Michelle about that earlier because we have um as far as our email lists we have what we have from ASD and so and then our communication we've done mostly through Facebook

because we don't have an official you know we haven't really created that official we don't have a person hired yet we don't have staff to do that yet, but that will be coming. And so we want to we have a website, but it's it's through Alpine School District. So it is it is it is being handled through them. We're not on our own yet. Makes sense.

Which is fantastic. Right. You're you're stepping in the direction that they're asking me to ask you about step. That's that's what we I mean I think it would be awesome if we could have in each of our city's newsletters just have you know school school district corner and we can post some of our stuff that's happening. Um all of our meetings are public so we don't say you can only come if you're a parent. So, I would hope that if anybody had a concern, they would any of our our open meetings.

I I I think it's a good point because this is public education and at least one of the foundational premises in my mind around public education is that it's it's in place to help the entire community, not just those families who currently have children in the school system. So, so I we welcome um input and any suggestions on how to get that out too. We would we are we are open to that.

Two quick questions. Um you tell us a little bit about the demographics of the district. How many students are going to be served and how many are qualify for free lunch and a broad overview of demographics that's going to happen at some point. And then did you bring that? One one thing I'm not clear on is if there will be a date where suddenly push the button and align shuts off and everything goes to August or if they're staggering anything along the way. Well, it's it's kind of interesting. So we are there. So July 1st, 2027 is when that is the the date. But this

we take responsibility for all the educational services for in our district.

But there also is this you we can't can't just decide on July 1st, okay, now all of a sudden. So Joe and his team have been working. We have we we've because of our financial constraints as far as how much. So we our funding is $60 per student per year for this transition time. So that's about $1.39 million to do all of the things you we have to pay our salaries, all of that. ASD has come up with this um plan to be able to if we hire internally from ASD staff, then they will continue to pay the salaries for those individuals and there will be a staggering or rolling transition for them to work for us. So they they say they would start July 1, 2026 and they would have one day that they would do they would dedicate student to the DOA work and then four days that they would continue because AS is still educating our students. They they have the lion's share of the work right now. So they would still be doing some of the work at AS and then they would transition the next quarter. So he's got it worked out by quarters, Rob Smith. And so quarter one of the fiscal year and then it would transition to two days and then three days and then four days and then they would be so so that's that's a benefit to us because they handle all of the the salary benefits and all that for those they're collecting share of the money for the students right now. And so that in that respect it's kind of rolling. there's been some um yeah just dynamics deciding how to do that balancing um the continued work that needs to happen with ASD with also the work that needs to be happening here and Joe can probably speak to that but yeah so July 1 2027 is that

there's a lot of stuff that's happening that makes the handoff smoother and what we're working And we are another thing I didn't mention in my little brief is that Sterling and I and Joe are meeting regularly well twi twice about twice a month with the other um leadership and superintendent working on the negotiations with um that yeah about the dissolution and that's our kind of our mediation right now it's just been us Rob has brought in additional people now.

That was an SB18. So, so that doesn't seem right. I mean, we're all setting up a district and we all have fixed cost. They're setting up a district. We have the lowest student count. It sounds like our district is perhaps um not equally equitably funded. What are your thoughts? I mean to me that's a legislative. Sure. Thank you, but it is legislative. This is a legislature, right? And we can help you with that. Okay. I would like to help you with that. And so we need to know your

we feel like this is a this is a short-term thing. So, um, Alpine has has bent over backwards as far as offering the staff and and resources that I don't feel like I'm not I'm not too worried about it because the difference between like us and Lake Mountain where it's it's not that much of a difference from the students, right? So that the amount of money that they incur that's just that and they also did pre uh they pre I feel like they pre-loaded our debit card

but they they gave us uh 10 access to 10 million of what will come out of our eventual capital um fund balance that will be coming to us anyway. They're giving us access to that ahead of time. So any of our capital if we have capital needs before then um then we can we can have access to that those funds. Would it make sense for me to just talk about sharing school because that's exactly let's not forget his questionraphics. Oh yeah that's a Jason question. Oh yeah demographics demographics just big picture.

Yeah. So the this current school year on October 1st, the Tempoga school district had around 23,325 approximately students and that's $60 per student. We're saying so that generated 1.399 for on January 1st. There'll be a similar payment next January 1st. Although enrollment so the enrollment projections for the south with that 23 see that 23,000 this year will be open as a school district on in July August of 27 which will be fiscal year 28. Um, so the student population at that point will be about 216 21,600 and the projections out for 2030. So October 1st of 2030 is 20,000 about 20,000 students. So there's been a decline, pretty rapid decline the last 5 to 10 years. I think the max uh was about 26,000 and now we're down to about 23 and a half and it'll be about wise or kind of stay between 20 to 23 for the long term. That's what we're trying to

as an like just kind of an anecdotal explanation of what that is. Lynon Elementary this year. It's like last year. This year they are gradually um 165 sixth graders that will be moving on to seventh grade and they their incoming kindergarten class is only 75 kids. So it that's I think the decrease in the birth rate and the fact that a lot of the homes along here are just young families can't can't afford.

Yeah. Another example on that is like Pleasant Grove High School. their their max of all time was in 2020 with about 22,000 or 2200 students. Now they're about 1,800 and projected 5 years from now in the full. So that's a substantial growth. Any other questions? You getting your numbers from MAG or are you getting your numbers for pro for the projections? Projections. The projections are alpine school district for but where does ASD get theirs? Do you use mag as a resource or what are your resources?

Yeah, the resources there's many resources that go into that birth rates that come from the state. So most of that is and it's births by mother's address and so and then uh building data from the state um recent past on every single it's not every school we look at every grade and how they move up. So like that example there if there's a lot of the kindergartens have half the number of the sixth grade or what what they are in third grade now which in 5 years will be seventh or eighth grade to be able to see okay usually when they move from these four elementaryaries to this junior high they usually add or lose this percentage we're able to if with the system and what's happened in the past reduced lunch

yeah the free and reduced lunch I'll have to find the exact It is a higher percentage in Tempenogus than the other two districts. Um I think I have it somewhere so I'll keep searching for it. That's great. And then of the 29 schools, how many are high schools, junior highs, elementaryaries? So there are four high schools, five junior highs and 20 special plus the special school will make 30. Two special schools.

What do you mean? Thanks very much. When it comes to uh communications, I think the US is a resource. If there are meetings that you guys are holding that you want us to send out like again has a lot of contacts and connections that way. Um so please just use this as a resource in that way. You hear that Michelle? I think Michelle's on Zoom. She's our communications. I heard that. Thank you. Great. And I think I think we have I think you guys have done a good job sharing some of our more important stuff. So does Michelle have those? Yes. Contact and follow. Michelle Franc.

All right.

I think I found I think I found that one with percentages. Um yes. So the Tempinoi school district again there was the 23,000 around 23,300 students percent uh estimated free and reduced lunch is about 30.5%. Which the other two out in Lake Mountain is about 19% in Aspaki about 14%. So quite a bit higher in Tempenogus. multil- language learners um about 15 and a half% for Temponogus compared to about 5% for the other two. Um sped students is about 12% which is similar to the other 12

12% for sped. Thank you. Okay, Brian, we'll turn it over to you.

Yeah. Uh we've kind of been running a a parallel track as as we have new mayor and a couple new council members as as well. But I just have to start off with because it's tax day. I like to share with staff and Joe um the quote that I just love address building. It says taxes are what we pay for are what we pay for a civilized society. So we, you know, get the privilege of charging time savagery and chaos. Education is a big part of that. Education is we all stop paying taxes. Does that mean we're

I would say education. And to that point, can I just say please payers that that's question that I asked these individuals that have spoken to me very invested in education and how that our city but I think their ask is just we would love to help. He's in horse mode. Please help us be involved because you know if you want to go out for a bond or something we would love to support that but we want to be involved in Yes. Yes, that's a good and I too rank flies as a student.

Yeah. So, we're in the thick of of budgeting and uh we've gone through orientations with our council and um you went through the legislative session trying to make sure they're being mindful of our city's needs. Um we we haven't gone to our uh conference yet. We're going down to the Utah League of Cities and Towns conference next week. Looking forward to that. Um few years ago, we actually went through and made a list of all the different voices we as a city interact with.

Several pages. through health and birds and school resource officers, parks and recreation and events and communication and and um traffic and safe routes and and all of that. So, we we have uh met over the years with some of your well some of these uh staff members to try to make sure that we're continually coordinating. So, in addition to having these uh meetings and uh as as board and and elected officials, just know we're highly interested to continue on a staff level follow-up meeting so that we make sure that we're not letting fall through the cracks the the things that you all uh discuss and and that the direction that you come to as as elected bodies. We want to make sure that we're delivering on those things and that we're um sharing information, coordinating, and and also being transparent and upfront about the respective realities have to to to deal with. Um we know you've got budgets and and you know, staffing limitations and and the effect of inflation uh just like us. So, um, we're genuine believers in in two heads are better than one that get to a better result by working together and collaborating. So, we we we hope to continue that effort on a staff level in addition to these on on a elected level.

Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. You're here. If um members, do you have any questions for us about things that we're working on or are you getting to that part in the agenda? Are we are we going to get to that later? I guess that's the hope. Okay. I I'll wait. What is the regular meeting on? Well, I we had like shared priorities and I I definitely want to talk to talk about that, but not before we get to it. Yeah. I think our next three updates will be quicker. Yeah. Those Yeah. Okay. So, I'll turn the time back. You have Lyman for items 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4.

Okay. I'm going to turn the time over to Jason Sunberg, our business administrator, to talk about our overall projected financial update.

Okay. Thank you. So, I've shared with the school board um first time back in December and then kind of s through that a few other times. So the estimated financials, what we've done at Alpine School District each year leading up to this potential split and then when it's happened is every time a fiscal year closes um and really probably back to FY21 or 22 when there was the prop two things in ORUM is look and see with each configuration if they were their own district what would it look like operationally. So these are just the fun or the operations of the district. So when we looked at this for FY25 which closed last June um the estimated revenue and the estimated expenses we have we have direct expenses at each school location. There's a lot at the district level that we have to figure out how much would this be to each of the districts. So our estimate that we had for the last year that's closed that FY25 was that the Tempenogga school district would be running if everything stayed the same about a $19 million deficit out of a budget that's around $225 million to kind of give percentages there. Um and so presenting that looking at ways to make up that we don't want to be able to have a 19 to $25 million deficit every year. will run out of money. Um, but to be able to say, okay, how can that be made up? And we discussed that there's really three ways to do it. Keep keep everything the expenses the same and just be able to increase revenue through property taxes or be able to eliminate expenses to be able to match what the revenue is or some combination of both. It's most likely going to be some combination of both. Um, one discussion that there has been in the community that is that everything's been taken care of because Alpine School

District has gone through truth and taxation to be able to alleviate that. Um, and that's partially true. There is the last three years Alpine has created a building fund. The first year added four increments in the capital fund, but only a portion of that about two and a third was used for a building fund. The next year another four increments and then this last year another four increments. So there's 10 plus increments which for Tempenogus school district well for Alpine School District that generates about $60 million a year that can be used for projects in capital of just building or buying land. For Tempenogus the value of each one increment is about $2.1 million. Um and so that 10 plus increments is about 20 to 22 million annually. So if the Tempenogus School Board decided that they wanted to keep all expenses the same estimated and just be able to cover that, they could be able to before the tax, you know, the tax decisions are made be able to move all of those 10 plus increments to the operation funds to be able to generate that 22 million to offset that 19 million or so of deficit. But then it would leave zero dollars in a building fund to be able to either do a lease revenue bond and make payments there or just be able to save that up and be able to build a new elementary to replace an old one. So there's a lot of moving parts to that. The other thing we will do um this September October is when Alpine has their books closed for the fiscal year which will end June 30th is do another analysis. The nice thing I won't have to do it for three different ones. I'll just focus on the Tempenogus district. If Tempenogus, which it will be, but if Tempenogus was its own in this current year, what would be the estimated revenue? What would be the estimated expense? How far off is that surplus or

deficit? So, we'll continue to do that. And then I I anticipate in the fall we'll have um that ramping up of employees. We'll have a finance director that will be able to work on that, assistant finance director that will work on accounting and budgets with me to be able to really um because next year this time we'll be finalizing the budget for FY28 for that first fiscal year and we'll be able to give recommendations to the board of hey this is what we should move this fund to this fund or we may need to go through truth and taxation in August to be able to slightly raise the operations. So there'll be many options, but I'm I'm feeling really comfortable that we can be able to to make that work. Um is committed to looking at those things. How can we be able to save here or be able to raise revenue here? So we'll be able to have a lot of discussions to make sure that it all

and also our negotiations will inform that a little bit as well. So it's not it's not something that we can come and say, oh yeah, this is what it's going to look like. things still all in a lot in flux. I have a question um and this might be for you um superintendent uh when it comes to HTRZs and RDAs who from um the school district is representing Tibidova school district in those meetings. It's a great

I haven't been contacted about that. We haven't been contacted about that. Uh the study session this afternoon is actually partially about that. So Jason has been looking at that really closely. Um because right now we don't have any representation on that. We're not a taxing entity yet. Yeah. Kind of in this. Okay. So who at Alpine School District is representing? on ones that have already in place or for new ones that may be proposed already in place already in place ones because as I understand it the superintendent um is in charge of appointing two people from the school systems to represent the school district in those shares and RTA in the past that's been the board president

board president has okay because I've spoken with Julie and she doesn't she said they haven't been going to those so I'm just wondering what the representation is there because I feel like there's some lost monies maybe in HRZ's and RDA's that you guys have the opportunity to do some negotiation there possibly um to once those are set they're set I mean they have those meetings but most of those proposals for RDAs um that I've seen is when it's set up where the board the the school district has a say in whether they participate or not it's the full board that decides whether they want to participate and then don't they have to do a yearly meeting of them

reviewing the yearly meetings is the responsibility of city when they set up their development agency to have those and to invite those in there. It's not the school district has no responsibility over those but we'll go to those when they're invited but they don't change the terms. You guys don't hold ones that like would vary the model. That would be that would be Orm City. We do. We do every year. The school district is not. You're telling we should be invited. Be invited to attend. But each city sets up their agent. The vineyard one is should be set up by vineyard. We should be invited. Have they been holding those early?

I think Zach is working on getting that all figured out. I have reached out to him to and he made indication that we would have information on that and be involved in that and I told him we would very much like to be. So, so yeah, we we're I I know that he's got a lot happening just as you guys are setting things up new. I think he is too. So, um that's on my list to do actually this week is reach out to him again. Yeah. Just to be clear, the purpose of those meetings is not to reset any terms of the the been agreed upon and I think it's the purpose of the meetings and just to be to ensure that the that the terms are being met,

right? But there there are disputes about the vineyard HTRZ. So that's I think Crystal and I have been involved is and wanted to involve you offer to help and whatever we need to do as a city and vineyard beats as you as a I think capture more revenues for our students and I think possible I think there's been some controversy about some recent legislation that was passed which allowed the exemption yes of an argu without the vote 27 79. Yeah. And and I agree there. It is a good

Well, I I just feel like there's an opportunity in the school district to maybe write that a little bit. Um until we're a taxing entity, I don't know. Yeah. Yeah. We're It is really We're kind of in this really interesting Yeah. limbo where we are not a taxing entity at this point. So we are we are at the will of Alpine School District right now. So

and we're trying I mean our goal right now is developing those relationships with those individuals so that when that comes up that we are looked to and respected and want to be at they want us to be at the table when they have those discussions. So I think that's been our focus and and to that point from our perspective and and you know this could have changed we have election but the last four years you know the forum perspective has been um we are a thriving community we have a lot of businesses who want to come here we don't feel that we need to offer HTRZ's tiffs those tax deferred um there I'm don't never say never right there might be something that comes up but um because we see the value. I mean, our portion is this in ORM, right? But it's our students that have this portion that are missing out because, you know, we want to be very very careful as a as an entity here as a city in accepting those because we see the impact that it has on the education in our community. You're need to then go back and tax our residents for your needs, which that's kind of backwards, right? Because we're not really stating that much anyway. So that's kind of my question along with that is you know we want to work with you to support you in helping you get those revenues.

Like I said what what we're trying to do right now is a lot of information gathering helping all of our board understand them and and so we can speak to them and when we go to those meetings we'll be able to to be a a an intelligent and informed participant. I think the push back has been le that um at least in the case of vineyard that we're talking about land reclamation and that requires some expense that we really want that done correctly brownfield right yeah we want that absolutely to be done correctly and I think that's been the push back

any can I piggyback off that for just a second just to talk about another legislative issue in this last legislative session uh session that I kind of wanted to have you guys think about and and I see as a valuable issue for our students is last legislative session I think it was Senator McCay ran a bill to try to uh walk back a little bit the uh primary the residential primary exemption the 45% property tax exemption which um you know 20 years ago almost 15 years ago it was at 30% and after the great recession session they upped it to 45% in hopes of making housing more affordability more affordable didn't really in my opinion and with different people that I've spoken with didn't achieve that purpose it pretty much just gave a tax break to investors on there so I'm very interested in having more conversations with legislators about maybe trying to run that again I didn't really like the bill I felt like it penalized businesses but maybe we can figure out a way to give capture for more revenues for our schools there too because that 45% just to educate who's listening but that's not it's supposed it's called a primary residence exemption but it doesn't mean owner occupied it doesn't mean that all of the apartments um all all of them are getting that exemption all of the um

every residents every resident so these huge highdensity housing units the owner of those units that entity is getting 45% tax reduction.

So that's a lot from our schools and I think we've seen that when you talk about you know funding how it's gone down I personally feel like that's a big thing that this is 2009 2010 when they took it from 30 to 45 that's 15%. So anyway, just an issue and that's probably down here when we talk about legislation too, but that's just something that I would put on your radar. So maybe we can partner with that the next legislative session to get more money for our kids. Be great. Thank you, Lenny. Yeah. 1.3. We'll move to Sterling Hilton is going to talk about our update on our sharing school.

Yeah. We thought it'd be relevant to talk about our our decision to choose the Sharon schools for students to house our specialized schools after all are 18 to 22 year olds. We have we're going to be up and operating hopefully this August so that it will be Alpine School District was doing it and who is opening it and it will serve all of the students who now are currently being served in our district attempt or at Dan Peterson. Um and we went through a fair bit of conversations, looked at all the different options that we had and really are quite comfortable and really actually excited about the share in sight and the space that it affords had the principles at um a tech as well as at Dan Peterson walk through with us, give us their input, help us understand how it could be what kind of changes might need to happen in order to bring students in there and and we felt really good about pulling the trigger, which we've done. And this 10 million pre-loaded debit card

from our capital expenses is what we were able to draw upon to to bring that about. Um, we've also hired uh principles for those two schools as well with the idea that they're going to step in and take charge in August so that we then have a year of overlap where they can learn from and collaborate with the other two the other two schools that exist um out then we'll be ready to go with that in 2027 when we take over for that I think it it's worth alo also noting that we see this as a great um option to serve our students um needs at this point in time, but that we see it being a temporary step that we we want to seriously consider um within 3 to 5 years building then building something that is completely and solely dedicated to that um in conjunction with some other priorities.

Is this a Dan Peterson equivalent? It's a Dan Peterson an a tech and an a tech. They're going to share the share the building but be on different sides and and Sharon is configured sufficiently well that that should work would have different start and stop um times so that there won't be overlap of of students coming and going because there really are quite different populations, right? You've got 18 to 22 year olds with a different Can you tell us just a little bit more about the programs?

Yeah. So, yes. So, so the so the Dan Peterson like uh school specialized school is a school that is dedicated to meet kids who have severe physical and or um cognitive disabilities. Um this is 1882. No, that's K12. PreK to 12. That's actually preK. Um and we uh students will be how many students will be getting? 75. 75. Yeah.

75 students that will be that will be served to the Sharon to the Sharon K12 side. Are we taking students from the ask or is it No, it's just those just our district students. Just our district students. I think I think you'll find that as we this will be a step up from facilities wise wise they're excited about this facility and uh for a minimum investment we'll be able to renovate

um and I think that you'll find that as parents and families look at services rendered some will actually move to this area to be in this that's what we see with special needs families especially they they are willing to make moves for their education of their students. So, we hope to offer top notchotch

and and we've hired we've hired the principles for both of those schools. Uh one for the 18 to 22, it's going to be Melanie Adams who's the current some of you might know her from Lacage. She's an assistant principal of Lacage. She's got a great background in preparation for this. And then for the Dan Peterson portion or the Sharon School, uh it's Dan Heaps who has actually been the principal West, which is the same school out in the west. So, he's also got great experience and excited to come back. He lived in a long barely moved to American Fort. They both taught at Dan Peterson. So, they they've taught in a special needs school as well as other um special ed assignments and where they are now. So,

yeah. So, we're excited about music running these two schools. It's been it's been really neat as we've run through this process because we have some very like Sterling's daughter was at a tech and David's daughter I mean son is at Dan Peterson currently and so to have their perspectives is really been been great and valuable and one thing I didn't know before when we've been going through this process I thought that the A tech or the transition was from Dan Peterson to that but it's not it's more of students from the high school in in life skills that then go to the tech the transition part 18 to 22.

Yeah. So to answer your other your other question about the let's refer to as a tech that transition alpine sex education center. So that's another we're going to call it TEC but we don't know if it's really going to be t but it helps us know what we're talking about. Guys, you want to touch on that? This is just kind of a right interm determined and I am too quite honestly we're going to have something permanent before he's done. How many students in the tac part and and and what's the difference in the mission? Yeah. So, let me address the well number of students is about 125. Yeah, I think it was higher

25. Um, someone texted me that Let me see if I can positive. I thought that's what I was That's We'll find out. I'm going to be Oh, I can look. I could be. Yeah, look. Look, I could be completely wrong, but 125 sounds like an awful lot. I because I think the total amount at a tech right now is more like 160 170 and we don't have that proportion of it in our district. Maybe we do. Doesn't matter. A number. We'll get you a number.

But those but but it is a very different in some ways a very different program. Um students who are those students with the most highest needs both physically and cognitively are the ones who are served by our specialized school, the special needs school. The damp they can continue. He says five classrooms of about 20. That's more than I'd love.

And and and so they go there because their needs are they need that kind of specialized services. There's a lot of other students however who have either physical and or cognitive disabilities but don't necessarily need that high level and they are attending schools um programs in the schools that are provided. Um and they're every high school Not every high school has that. Every every junior high, that's life skills. Every junior high has

usually elementaryaries are more of a magnet. So you're drawing upon three or four elementary areas for the life skills class. Those students um are the ones who are then by state law um required to have opportunity for continued educational services from 18 to 22 and that's the transition period of time. So those are the students that are being serviced by a tech or TEK. So kind of they wouldn't have down Pearson students go to eight sometimes. Sometimes occasionally not normally their situation. Yeah, it kind of depends.

So for instance, my son, so he's at Dan Peterson until we decided to do this. He was staying at Dan Peterson. He wasn't going to go to a tech, but he would probably go to a tech and visit maybe for two hours a week. They have a um a van that could take him over there and he'd participate in some of their stuff, but he's so low functioning cognitively and be and his um physical disabilities as well that he wouldn't be served well by then. So, he would stay at Dan Peterson. Now, we'll have them right next to each other so he could participate more in the TEAC, but really the services he's getting are more like a traditional uh school for someone who's has severe disabilities. Can you speak to the giant steps program? How you're going to handle that in the

giant steps separate separate? It's not related to Alpine in my understanding. Don't you doesn't I mean my understanding was like at Foothill Alpine gives two or three rooms. They provide a occupational therapist and a speech therapist with

but um mental health pays for the program right. So all this all the district does is provide a space and a couple of therapists. So the thing that I've people have reached out to me in hopes of I guess there's a very long waiting list on Giant Steps. It's a it's an autism preschool program. I mean I need to I to people in the room. So um and it's very difficult to get your child in. It's a very small window, but they have found that it makes an incredible difference down the line for the education of children with autism. So, the ask that has come to me is if Wasatch Mental Health is paying for this through grants, through whatever funding they get federally, is there a way that we could get our new district to open up to to give some classrooms, maybe therapists, maybe not depending on funding, right? but to give building space and of schools so the kids can stay in their neighborhoods and um provide more of this opportunity to preschool children because frankly a lot of these parents have come to me it's pretty devastating at a year and a half to two years is when the kids are typically diagnosed and then the parents find out and they try to get them in the giant steps they're told we have 500 on our waiting list you're not going to be able to get in that few years and then your kid ages out. So, and the the findings the data shows that having that early intervention makes a huge difference in the services at a tech or wherever the the not Peterson but in your normal life skills classes, right? So, just a thought just to just to pass that along to see maybe in your boundary study if there's a way to consider that demographic a little more.

What I'm hearing you say is that because it's because it's autistic autism, they aren't necessarily going to be in the Dan Peterson. They're not right. And so, you're just suggesting that there's maybe another set of or group of of students. Well, and that's one of the things that we're going to be working on over the next year. Um, now now I feel like as we we were getting our staff and we're getting staff set up, less of the management stuff is falling to us. So, those are the things that we want to look at is those community partnerships. So, so I'm hearing that one doesn't really cost money. It just costs. But we need we also need to have the communication happening between let me ask you a question

because they even if we gave them a whole school they might not have the grant funding to be able to provide enough teachers to handle you know to make a difference in what people are asking actually I this has been a couple years but when I talked to the Wasatch mental health they were like we would open up as many as we could find space for we can find the funding now you know they're telling but I love that positivity I love that um there's a possibility there. So that's Wasach mental health.

How much space is being used at Sharon? Would it be a possibility of opening some of those classes or having those classes there not in conjunction with but in the same building as Dan Peterson? Um will there be room there that perhaps this could be this could just happen at that facility? As of right now, it appears there would be some space right in Sharon. I think until we know until we have more actually there. Yeah, I I think we could generally we could say it's not going to be using every classroom yet, but we don't know for sure yet. So, yeah, we already have a number of I don't know exactly what the number is. Yeah. What do we have? I just had heard of Foothill in Oram.

There's more. Is there more in our current district? I I need to look down. Okay, that'd be good. One one thing I also want to mention about with TEK that I I learned cuz I you know learning in this process they have they needed the full kitchen and like a laundry facility. So with PEK they're teaching continuing those life skills lessons where they're teaching these kids living. Yeah. They're transitioning them. So So they're those fun at Sharon. like, "Oh, yeah. We could see we could do this here." And and they create kind of almost like an apartment. And

another thing that you should be aware of, similar thing. They're trying to get them out in the community getting jobs. And you've probably seen some of these kids at whether it be McDonald's or wherever doing jobs that they're capable of doing, but that requires transportation. It requires public transportation. That segus into 1.4. Yeah, 1.4. Yeah, I think on that. Yeah. On there. I thought we were at 1.4. before when we started talking transition school. I'll just pause. No, I'm saying you're right on point. Strolling. No, no, no, no. We're done. Although, Jen, I noticed you had a question earlier and I don't know if it was addressed. Well, that's super important. I just was interested to know if we're talking about how great the space is for what you're using it for, but then we're saying it's temporary. We're going to do something else. I just wonder what the thinking is there.

Yeah, because the systems are old. We've talked with Frank Pulley. He's the facilities guru at ASD and the facilities are such that when you get aging systems, you know that it costs more money to repair them and so it there just comes a point when it just makes more financial sense to to do something. Yeah. A and I I think I would add to that is that there

Yeah. We we're I don't I don't think there's a plan at this point, for example, for any kind of a therapy But um because that would cost a whole lot of money. Um and again in an aging school is that really a smart sense. But in in reality having a therapy how having a therapy school at the school for a lot of those students with those physical disabilities would actually be really really helpful and beneficial. So it's kind of thinking about okay what will work and what can provide that really good right now but that we can then really move forward and meet their needs in a in a long-term ongoing

and another way of explaining that is well another idea that we've had is we thought about let's just build let's just build a new one let we know we need it let's just do it and the facilities people said okay to build a school it's 18 months so last February so two months ago they said pick your site and we'll start working on it and it'll be ready for August of 2027. And we're like, well, we we're not ready to commit $30 million to a site that we don't know if that's the best site. Let us let's push this down the the road a little bit in a site that works great and say, "Okay, now where's the best place to put this? Do we want them together still? Do we want them set? How do we want this?"

Find us some time without $30 million. And I would add that it that that conversation or those conversations also gave us opportunity to recognize and think you know ult some of the best things that might happen is if there was closer proximity to general ed schools so that there's greater opportunity for inclusion and interaction between a specialized school and the transition school. And so so that's coming into our thinking as well in terms of where might we then be able to situate this specialized school and the transition school so that there are more opportunities what are currently available to our students. So we're trying to think long term to benefit the educational needs of of those students.

I love how you're thinking about that. It's fun to hear. So thank you for sharing that. Kind of to your point um I mean think about canyons and Jordan Kerry Sue facility. I mean, wasn't there like a million dollar community donation? So, um I think our community would love to support um special ed the special ed facility and and be the the blue ribbon facility here in this area, be the best. That's what our plan is. That's our plan is to be the best. So, people want to come.

Yeah. One of the one of the elements of that decision as well as Jen mentioned the MOAPS boundary studies, right? that that it's important to not make a decision in a hurry to get this built so that it really fits into a master plan instead of it gets built and then it didn't. Is that really where we wanted it or is that really what we need or it's like let's we don't want to do anything like wantion just just know that I can confidently say that ORM is the best as you're looking at all

money you got guy there you got You know, guy on that one can agree to disagree. You're at our house, guy. Come on. Take on the next 1.4.

So 1.4 is short but related to Sharon. So I've got uh Dave Mau who's my assistant that will be over operations and logistics. He's been communicating with UTA to see about getting some service to the 400 East uh area for specifically for Sharon because a lot of our a tech students that 18 to22 group they actually need that public transportation to get to uh that and so he's been in contact with them. Um he said it's been a little bit difficult and so I was curious is there someone are you the transportation guy

name and number to Dave because you he could you could probably mentor him significantly. He doesn't know that. Perfect. I'll take it right down to send it to truthfully. I have a 12 passenger van if that helps. No, we need they've got their own bands, but no, it's we need we need UTAs assured by the new TA director. He he's interested in giving kind of direct help open service and coordination to the new head like who is that? J Ryan J. J Fox. Yeah,

he's the whole he's the executive director. All right. Now, we move on to the we've got some other discussion as time allows. We've got a little over 20 minutes. Let's see if we get through as much as we can. Um, communication and intergovernmental coordinate or is this an order we want or is there somebody some particular one of these three that we really want to make sure we cover? Yes. Yes. I definitely want to make sure that we cover something about a regular meeting and just Okay. So, let's just go in the order. That's really good because we appreciate your interest and willingness to interact with us.

We want to we want to be partners. All right. So, regular meeting schedule or leazison roles? Mayor, one one thing that we've just kind of brainstormed amongst staff is uh you know there's four cities now in in the district and so uh Andy for your tsd's calendaring purposes one city a month so then we would each see you three times a year and we could just build out a calendar to that end makes you could always talk to us too right formal setting would that work feel good with that once every port that sounds awesome. That sounds great, actually.

Three times a year, right? Okay. Once a month for you guys. We could do we could do once a month for you once a year for us. Yeah. If there was I mean I could just see with with large city I could doing if you guys felt that was necessary. That's what we were kind of thinking. But we're happy to prove we're the best. I'm happy to be quarterly. It's just you've got I I don't want to impose on you because we have so you have so many other cities. So quarterly back in I'll call it the good old days. We met with Orm every month. Oh really? And did you find that helpful guy? Oh yes. Well was it the full board though? Was the main player in the district?

I mean I think we can I I think we can do this a little differently. I mean I don't think it needs to be all of us every time. I think we can have three. We can have three, you can have three come that we could could have more regular meetings and not have to have it be a a a public meeting that's noticed. But I think that that's important that we have these regularly. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying nuts and bolts stuff. Maybe there is there might be some value to meeting more frequently like is it was it full boards or was it just

It was just there was a it was just three members. So on the C when I was on the council, we would meet with the Alpine School Board every other month. We like we have we met with the school board and then we meet with Provo City Council and it's kind of every other.

But I I just want to say I like your plan. I like your suggestion. Um I think you'll find that you'll have staff that will be meeting with all of these ladies and gentlemen on a regular basis. um that it doesn't always have to be at the board level. Um anyway, I I like the three times a year suggestion, especially as we develop relationships with PG and Lyndon and Vineyard. Um it's important. Can I just ask a question about the different things that because I have never been on a committee like that that we could discuss. Can we do things like for instance Centennial Elementary? The entryway to Centennial has I mean it's a great school but it wasn't made quite wide enough. So at pick up time parents will park along the drop off lane and nobody can get into the school and they end up going into that out lane and it's really a safety hazard. And in talking to the district, the land right next to it actually is city property.

That's the kind of thing that that we would discuss. Yeah, absolutely. Discuss. Hey, can we broaden that a little bit so that we can have a little safety here or That's a Well, if I could add Excuse me. We have a meeting passing in my throat. Excuse me. Oh, thanks. Literally, right? We meet once a month with Frank Pulley. That's that's what I'm talking to two of our directors and these are the types of issues that we discuss. So to save all of your time, you're welcome to send those and funnel those down. We'd like to keep those meetings going, but we can get into the nuts and bolts types of things to free up your schedules as well with

another issue what is which is actually happening right now that um I would like some engagement with is um our transportation. So, and maybe Aiden knows more about this because you're on the current board, but um our transportation our engineer traffic engineer is working with Alpine right now um because there have been conversations about shutting down our junior high school routes and we as the city have a responsibility to coordinate with the schools for safe routes. So, John is trying to coordinate those safe routes. Um, in some of those cases with these buses, especially the ones that are south of 8th, north, west of for Canyon View, west of State Street for Oak Canyon, you know, we have quite a challenge because we're we're needing Hawk signals, which are $150 to $180,000 each, which the district has for um and or crossing guards. And I'm sorry, but to have a do you want to be the crossing guard working on 8th North to help kids cross six lanes of traffic? You know, to me, I would really love to um because I've met with your transportation department and and to that point, there are other meetings happening

in smaller groups. So that is kind of a concern that we're having right now is if that is still being considered to shut down the junior high bus routes that are within the is it 1.2 miles two. So so the non the unfunded routes

but there are safety routes. So that's just a conversation. Right now, the legislation does not and doesn't make any allowance for safe routes. And I think that that's kind of the negotiation that Jen and the other um superintendent and presidents will be talking about that that is a a proposal uh because we do have some flexibility built into the law which says whatever you agree on is okay. So, a lot all the districts have safe routes. We just I think we need four ineligible. Well, and I heard that the west uh whatever they're called now. Um they have they proposed that they have

and and then they pulled them the Alpine pulled them off the table because the parents came out and were vocal against them because of the safety of the children seeing Redwood Road I think was the issue there. So I guess I'm just kind of wanting to put that on your radar, see if we can work with you, work with John. and I know he's tried to get into some of the junior highs and wondering what's going on. What is Orb doing? Why are you calling us? So maybe help them understand that that's a joint responsibility that we as a city have with the with the schools, but get these safe routes on paper and get them all certified. Um we're required by law to do that. And so we would really appreciate any cooperation uh messaging of cooperation on that. and um messaging of safety concerns.

Yeah, I'll try to work on that because um I think the problem is in defining safe route um exceptions. Um we need to take out the subjective judgment on that and make it more kind of a rubric so that there's a measurable way to say this is a necessity. So I think as we do that we can leverage and more leverage

and in these negotiations right now with the other two districts. I mean I don't I can't speak for Pleasant Grove but I'm not as familiar with your junior high over there. You do have a main street in front of it. Um in Lynen is the Oak Canyon which is State Street. So but we have four freeway exits have significant traffic on four main thoroughfairs where the junior highs are crossing University Parkway for Lakeidge. So one one exception wants that could be added to this decision matrix could be state materials cross uh 8th street 8th north university parkway center street not by state what they want it

because where I live kids I would have to cross like at 8th north and eighth west and yeah yeah who we've been talking to Joe Hayes. Joe Hayes. Joe Hayes. Even 1600 North. We had a fatality there 10 years ago. Of a of a boy. It's a state road. A state road at least partially. We appreciate some help there. I mean, I think we could work together. I guess

so. I'm wondering if in talking kind of back to our scheduled scheduling meetings, are there specific areas that you guys would want small groups meeting to talk about things like transportation or safe routes or those kind of things that stands out in my mind is uh is legislative. I mean to have like we could have three board. We do have a Aussie legislative committee set up already. That would be nice to meet if you guys have someone that's I'm I'm just thinking less operations more because operations is going to be under Joe. I'm thinking for the board what what decisions we're going to be making and what we're going to be. So, I'm I'm wondering if we should then schedule some regular and especially this may change over time as you guys get up and running. But

I was gonna say we don't know what we don't know. You guys are getting set up in figuring it out. If you need more time with us, great. Let's schedule quarterly or every three months or four months or whatever it is or and let's schedule some smaller threeon-ree meetings or whatever for some issues that maybe need more attention. Um I think it could be an and and we could have we can have these every four month meetings as full boards. We'll continue to have staff level every month and you could have liaison at hawk or subject specific meetings.

I know that Friday um the state school board representatives are meeting what's called a JLC or a joint legislative the meeting Friday to set priorities coming. We're trying to get ahead of the game. Nice. So, that will be happening and maybe after that would be a good time to meet with you and see where we have shared uh issues in private. And to your legislative point, um even I sat in on a meeting with John in the Alpine School District counterparts. When was that? A couple years ago, year and a half. this time last year. This time last year, Joe.

There was Joe Hayes and one other transportation person. Eagle Mountain and PG somebody. Yeah. Very I think it would be wise to have a board member, one person these meetings with our cities um just so we can help legislatively when go to these other meetings trying to advocate for our district is to understand the needs because we could do things different, right? politically and legislatively and maybe our staff or your staff can support each other. Yeah. Can I give an example, please?

Just this week I had two. So I understand that there's a safe routes to school coordinator for every school. I was given that list for all the schools in OR. They're sending out their safe route maps now and they're asking everybody to review it. I reviewed it and said you know that you're missing 17 stops on south of 8. I don't even know if those are going away. So, all these new safe route plans that are being subdated now for next this next August, two out of the 13 that I've seen did not know that their bus routes would be closed and so they haven't accommodated a safe route because they haven't in that area. So, that just happened today and yesterday. So,

yeah. And can I can I just say that what's happening is Alpine is being compared to other school districts and in comparison we spend much more on those routes than other school districts. I'm just but let's have that made at this level. I think you guys should be involved in that decision making right now. You're planning you're you're looking into the future. So really that should be obviously at the table the new district. We have to decide are we going to maintain that Alhine has had in the past.

Well, and it seems sensible to do that especially if in creating a safe route substantial investment of capital in terms of what the term was for those I mean it's like because the idea we was we might need three of those on 8th North at $180,000 each. We as a city have to budget for that. Well, then we would have to budget for our budget. Oh, it's going to be one is so big row. So, a six lane row is going to be more. Oh my gosh. Yeah. So, we've got to have these pull those bus routes, you know.

All right. So, I'm looking at the time here and I want to be respectful of that. Uh see what other things do we want to make of this of this group do we want to make sure we cover? So, we're going to be meeting quarterly, my understanding. And we would have we'll have some small groups every four months. Every excuse me, every four. Why did I write quarterly? Four and four. Okay. Yes. Okay. And times a year. Excuse me. Sorry. And then um what else? I know we um you said you wanted to did you was it legislative? You want to talk about legislative priorities? Yeah. Ad hoc meaning as you know as needed. Uh so

more often maybe as we more often as we session but really I mean they're doing stuff now. It's the interim square where it's at. It actually never ends. Well and I'll say during the session is not the time to talk to your legislator about what you want to happen what you want to happen. Now is the time to do that. That's right. The time we should be talking about legislative priorities. Exactly. Before they are in what they're doing. And I I think if we can have a representative of our legislative committee and your I don't know how you organize legislative if we can have energy. Yes. Yes, we can do that.

Um that one of our common priorities is global control. Yes. Yes. I agree. One size missall. Yes. So yeah, so putting something together just small smaller committee we're working group to meet more regularly especially I think during the intro session going okay what else is anything else on this list that we got to make sure we want to make sure we cover because I don't know if we're going to have enough time to to do that well cover everything

oh partnerships with local businesses um that is thing that we I think one of our next round of hires will have a foundation director and we're going to combine that with our communications director. So, um we're looking forward to doing some outreach. So, any businesses you feel like would make good partners for us, we'd love that information. How's the Alpine Foundation being divided? Um it is being divided by um help me. Anything that is designated to schools or district or teachers or student Yeah.

Everything all that. And then anything that's undesated, they're going to split up by student percentage. So if someone identified Dan Peterson, could you guys could you guys effectively lobby for part of that because you're doing a new special needs or I don't think there was only I don't think we'll dial down that far. Oh, okay. Yeah. But if somebody now said we want it to go to that school, it for Alpine, it would stay with that school. Okay.

And we So, and yeah, once we get that, we just felt that was a good marriage of of responsibilities because we don't because we are going to be smaller, so we can hopefully combine some some job descriptions. We thought that would work well, you know, having communications, getting out our information, also getting that information out to the people who might want to to partner with us and support us. We going through the process of of hiring economic development director for the city and looking to um

Does the city have a similar thing? Uh a foundation, we do. So yeah, on once that's announced, then uh I'll be happy to that person coordinate on these efforts. I think another important step going along with that is on the agenda here, the advocacy for education funding and mun municipal support. I mean, I think that's going to be an important step through this process and something to tackle another day, but uh I think that's going to be well and that's to your point of saying doing the lease revenue bond

uh general obligation bonds are cheaper, right? So um and I think uh when I was you were there Joe if it was there and but at Tempenogga's 2016 bond um yeah the school community council I was school school community council chair we went out to our community and weated the benefits bond which is the least revenue and we support for that pass. So I think as a council we would love to assist in that also because it's cheaper funding, right? It's cheaper. Well, we know it's all going to be within our district. We get a lot of support for general obligation bond

which is way better. Way better. Much better. And I think especially marketing it appropriately and doing it in conjunction with the four cities that help you market that. There's great opportunities to make that look like, not just look like, but be a a joint effort by all of us that we want to support education and support our local school district. Time for another question. Yep. Two minutes. Uh this this is more of a high level question maybe for you Joe and also for the one more uh what keeps you up at night? What do you worry about? Been sleeping really good once we got these folks hired.

I've been sleeping way better since we got these two. Right now you're looking at the entire payroll of Tipidoga school. So um there are more coming is just mindboggling in a very real way. I I sleep much better at night after we got our super six and we just had another wave of hiring today. uh including the Mount View principal. For those of you who know Dave Row is gonna come back and uni Mountain View principal Dave I know I know a Dave Row from

Matt Row Matt sorry wrong row um and and so I for me every time we add new people who are awesome the team gets better and more complete and we're going to be in great shape. That helps me sleep at night. You know, Quinn, I I honestly can say that nothing about this keeps me up at night. And not because I don't have I I there's a lot of things and questions that I have I don't have answers for. But one thing I have observed and experienced in the is we've got good processes. We've got good people at the table.

We'll figure things out moving forward. And I've got utmost confidence in in addressing those concerns. And so I'm going to let it play out. We'll tackle them as they come. And sitting here at this table, you know, just reinforces that for me is that hey, we we've got cities who can be collaborative partners with us as well. So we're going to make a great school district. When I just add um I sleep well at night, too. You guys are all sleeping better than I am. in January 28th we have not slept as well but I'm sleeping better each time we are

but however I I've been through some trainings um on the national level that um AI needs to be on our radar and we need to be responsive as an education entity to the needs of our u our students our kids um because their world is going to be much different and have just certain certain we don't really understand the ways it's going to be different but I think that Dr. Jensen has the capacity and the vision that will put us in the right place in relation to AI. Um, and I think we can be hopeful rather than doomsday. I think it's right.

You might also have some amazing research papers coming out of second grade or first or first grade. And then we have before we end, we do have some gifts for the council and mayor. Um we have our t-shirts. So we have different sizes here. So if you want to come and grab your size and Karen, do we have any extra copies of our v our draft of vision and values? Get some. I I I think that would be really great, too.

That's a great in my bag in the office, but we met earlier this morning at Lake Teresa. What's your last name, Teresa? Thank you. Oh, I'm That'd be good to just share it with you and solicit your And on the bottom of that draft is a QR code. And the first question is, are you a teacher, parent, student, school leader, or other? Just put other. And we'd love your feedback. Love where we're gathering information. Sweet.

I think this is something that maybe perhaps we could ask Peter if we could include on um ORM city information with the QR code, too. Oh, yeah. Michelle. Okay. any yeah I think we're good with that commit committee up to the community so we'll meet in four months as a group and I'm sure we'll be in contact during in between so thank you all thank you eventually have a place to host you but there are still eventually three we have school

schools and we have three uh offices we are so excited about this new building you can come here anytime you say this this works Awesome. Look at that mountain. Good. Thank you for taking your name, right? privace