December 9, 2024 School Board Summary

Dec 17, 2024

Key Takeaways: Community members are encouraged to provide input as part of our school strategic planning at an in-person session on Dec 20 or at a virtual session on Jan 15. WLES was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School. The board approved an adjusted memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the renovation of the tennis courts at WLES, which will include the addition of four pickleball courts as part of a funding partnership with the city. Like last summer, the high school will only offer online courses this summer. Going forward, the policy committee will adhere to open meeting requirements, which include providing advance notice of meetings, allowing public attendance, and providing meeting minutes.

Agenda with links to board documents

Topic Timestamps YouTube Meeting Recording

0:45 WLES: Blue Ribbon Ceremony Update
6:49 Technology highlights presentation
24:18 Consent agenda
27:31 JSHS summer school update
29:52 Tennis Court MOU approved
52:35 Approval of bus purchase
53:45 Approval of property insurance renewal
58:30 Superintendent's update and registration for community input focus groups
1:04:15 CFO Financial Report
1:05:18 Board member reports and policy committee compliance with Open Door Law

The following is my summary of the public school board meeting, not the official meeting minutes. My personal thoughts and opinions are given in italics and represent my own views which do not necessarily reflect those of any other member of the school board. I identify myself as Mumford in the summary but use first person when describing my personal thoughts and opinions.

Marley was not in attendance.

0:45 - WLES: Blue Ribbon Ceremony Update: Sara Delaney, WLES principal, presented the details of WLES being recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School. She outlined the application process, which began in February and included a nomination by an Indiana delegate. The process culminated in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., where Greiner, Delaney, and a teacher, Jeaneen Benhart, accepted the award. Delaney shared highlights from the application, including the school’s emphasis on community involvement and student diversity. The school celebrated with a Blue Day event featuring aerial photos of the staff and students. In the presentation document, Delaney also shared links to the application and ceremony footage for the community to review. Congratulations to WLES! This award symbolizes the hard work of our educators, families, and students.

6:49 - Technology Highlights: Brandon Hamilton, technology director, presented updates on district technology, including the implementation of automated attendance systems, management of over 3,000 devices, and infrastructure improvements. He noted the efficiency gains from reducing manual processes, such as making absentee notifications automated at the JSHS. Improvements are being made to Skyward Family Access for parents at the JSHS, with upcoming projects including upgrades to the phone system.

24:17 - No communication from the audience

24:18 - The board was asked to approve the consent agenda items:

Agenda for the December 9, 2024 Regular Meeting of the Board of School Trustees
Minutes of the November 11, 2024 Regular Meeting of the Board of School Trustees
Personnel Report
~~Accounts Payable WLCSC~~, ~~Accounts Payable WVEC~~

Yin motioned to move the accounts payable off the consent agenda and Mumford seconded it. The consent agenda was voted on without the accounts payable.

Voted 6 out of 6*

25:22 Accounts Payable WLCSC, Accounts Payable WVEC: Yin raised a question regarding discrepancies in billing from legal counsel, Church Church Hittle and Antrim (CCHA), comparing last month's retainer fee of $2,265 to this month's charge of $3,202. She inquired whether the higher charge included costs for legal counsel to meet with Austin and Mumford, which was previously stated to be excluded from billing, or if it reflected additional charges for other special services. Cronk clarified that special billings occasionally occur for unique cases or personnel issues. However, the specifics of the additional charges weren't readily available. Greiner agreed to confirm with CCHA to ensure the meeting was not billed and to inform the board about the findings.

Voted 6 out of 6*

27:31 - JSHS Scheduling and Summer School Updates: Chad Rodgers (JSHS Principal) provided updates on summer school, indicating that the same process as last year will be followed, with only online options available. The focus has shifted toward providing elementary school summer programs to support students' progression to third grade and away from high school summer courses. Funding and compensation has moved away from local teachers instructing summer courses, relying instead on online programs such as AVE, Indiana Online, and Ivy Tech.

29:52 - Tennis Court MOU: Greiner presented updates on a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the city to provide $750,000 in funding to upgrade the school’s tennis courts. As a condition of the funding, the city requires that the tennis courts include lines for four pickleball courts. The MOU was adjusted to allow for alternative placement options, such as between courts or to the side.

Yin made a motion to table the MOU, citing concerns raised by community members and logistical issues. She emphasized that feedback received was predominantly opposed to incorporating pickleball on the tennis courts. She suggested exploring alternative options, such as soliciting donations from alumni and community members or involving local businesses to fund the project. She also recommended considering naming rights for donors and finding a separate location for pickleball courts, as pickleball requires less space and could be more effectively placed elsewhere. Ultimately, she felt the current plan needed more consideration and community input to address these concerns. The motion to table failed due to lack of a second.

Wang raised a question about the possibility of expanding the walkways in the middle of the current tennis courts to accommodate both tennis and pickleball courts, creating space for ten full tennis courts and additional pickleball courts. Greiner confirmed that this option would be explored during facility planning and development. The memorandum provides flexibility for the school district to work with contractors to determine the best design for the courts. The city’s only requirement is the inclusion of four pickleball courts, leaving the design and execution decisions to the school district. Greiner also clarified that lampposts currently on the courts, a potential safety concern, would be removed and relocated due to new lighting solutions.

Mumford said that she views the funding from the city as essential because the schools have so many projects that are lacking financial support. She acknowledged community concerns regarding noise, parking, and primarily about how adding pickleball lines would limit access to some of the tennis courts, especially during peak hours, and asked Greiner to explain how he is responding to these concerns. Greiner said that the school could implement time limits for court usage, if needed. Noise concerns were mitigated by the assurance that classroom walls are soundproof, and parking is expected to remain sufficient. Regarding scenarios where recreational pickleball or tennis players may conflict over court use, Greiner stated that existing practices of respecting whoever occupies the court first would continue. During official school practices or events, students and coaches will have priority access to the courts.

The change to this tennis MOU is a good example of how to make better decisions as a school district. Initially, the plan was to add pickleball lines to the actual tennis court surface and to place the equipment containers inside the fence, which did not align with the needs of the school tennis teams. School leaders shared the details, actively listened to community feedback, and then made adjustments to the MOU.

Voted 6 out of 6*

52:35 - Bus Purchase Memo, Comparison Report: Cronk presented a recommendation for acquiring a new 78-passenger bus and trading in bus 3312.

Voted 6 out of 6*

53:45 - Property Insurance Renewal Memo, Premium and Rate Comparison, Renewal Summary: Cronk said that the Henriott Group recommended renewing property, casualty, and liability insurance with Astra through Great American at $239,108, continuing workers' compensation coverage with Accident Fund at $51,522, and switching to CFC for cyber liability insurance at $15,270 due to better terms. These recommendations reflect rising property values, strong claims history, and cost-effective coverage options.

Wang asked about the significant increase in law enforcement liability insurance costs, which rose from $600 last year to $5,000 this year. Cronk said the increase is due to a new requirement to include all officers who could potentially work in the buildings, rather than just the three full-time equivalents (FTEs) previously covered. This adjustment accounts for approximately 15 different officers rotating through the buildings.

Voted 6 out of 6*

58:30 - Superintendent’s Report: Greiner provided an update on the strategic planning process, highlighting recent and upcoming activities. Two virtual community focus groups that were facilitated by consultant Adam Jones had productive discussions despite low attendance (two participants in the morning and six in the evening). Building-specific focus groups with faculty and students are scheduled from December 11-13, and an in-person community meeting is planned for December 20th. An additional virtual meeting is set for January 15th, and a strategic planning workshop for administrators will be held on February 25th. Nearly 2,000 responses have been collected through a stakeholder survey, which is being analyzed for insights. As this marks the final meeting of 2024, he expressed gratitude to Marley and Schott for their service on the board and extended a warm welcome to David Purpura and George Lyle, whose terms will commence in January 2025.

The two virtual community focus sessions were not well advertised and were held right after the Thanksgiving break, so low attendance is not surprising. However, there are two upcoming sessions where community members are invited to share their input. Anyone interested can complete this form to participate in person on December 20 at 10:30 am or virtually on January 15 at 1:00 pm.

1:04:15 - October Financial Report - Funds, November Financial Report - Funds, Credit Card Statement, Claims Docket Object Breakdown: Cronk said that claims for the period of November 7th to December 4th totaled $2,218,154.57, including regular corporation and Wabash Valley Education Center expenses, with $1,266,598.24 allocated to wages, salaries, and benefits.

1:05:18 - Board Member Reports

Austin acknowledged Witt for her role as ISBA's Region 4 Director. She presented Schott with a clock in appreciation for his service on the board. She reported that she met with Mumford and legal counsel to discuss Mumford's meeting summaries. In this meeting she requested that Mumford not include the names of community members who speak in public board meetings, but Mumford declined. It turned out that this meeting was just another attempt to get me to stop writing a summary of each public school board meeting. I firmly believe that an informed community is a better community. We are so much better off than we were just a few years ago when the school board designated nearly everything as confidential. Our school leaders make better decisions when they know that there will be public discussion rather than just a rubber stamp.

Austin reported that Luke Britt, the Public Access Counselor, advised the policy committee to comply with Indiana’s Open Door Law by allowing public attendance, advertising meetings, and maintaining minutes. He said that allowing public comment is not required at this committee meeting. Austin said that all future policy committee meetings will adhere to this guidance. Witt said that the current ad hoc policy committee did advertise their last meeting and allowed public attendance, though they did not take minutes. Witt said that in the future, policy committee meeting minutes will resemble those of executive sessions: “I'm afraid they might lack interest but we will dot that ‘i”. Witt requested that no policy work be conducted until after the January organizational meeting.

This is a significant step forward in our school district. For years, Witt and Austin have resisted complying with Indiana’s Open Door Law, an issue raised in several past school board meetings, including March 2023 (7:31) and November 2023 (1:42:40). They offered flimsy excuses for why they did not think that the law applied to them. As the evidence mounted that they were in the wrong, they disbanded the committee at the beginning of 2024 rather than allow public access. This announcement that the policy committee will comply with the law represents the resolution for a major point of contention on the board. However, from their statements it is clear that they are aiming for minimal compliance with the law, perhaps pushing the boundaries of noncompliance. Witt’s comment that policy committee minutes will mirror executive session minutes is troubling. Executive sessions are confidential and the minutes are limited to simply listing the topics discussed. In contrast, committee and work session minutes, as public meetings, should provide more detail than those of an executive session. Britt clarified that Indiana’s Open Door Law requires meeting minutes to include "the general substance of all matters proposed, discussed, or decided." When I asked if our work session minutes need more details to comply with open door law, he said, “If it is a general work session, you wouldn’t need to give a word-for-word rote recitation of everything that was discussed but a little more detail, perhaps in the form of a summary paragraph or two, would be more appropriate.

Mumford announced that the Public Schools Foundation of Tippecanoe County (PSFTC) recently held its fall grant reception and recognized fourth-grade teacher Patrick Roe for receiving a grant for his project, "STEM Coding with TinkRworks Tech-a-Sketch."

Wang said that the Parks and Recreation department has opened Riverside Ice Skating for the season, the Wellness Center after-school program is at full capacity, and plans are underway for Spring Break and summer programs. The Cason Family Park is expected to open by the end of May. He also attended ISBA’s school financial seminar.

Witt attended Board/Teacher Discussion and they discussed the early release PSAT day and parent-teacher conferences.

Yin reported that the Greater Lafayette Area Special Services (GLASS) discussed the shortage of speech-language pathologists. The day after the school board meeting, Greiner informed families via email that: “The Tippecanoe School Corporation (TSC) has recently informed the Greater Lafayette Area Special Services (GLASS) Governing Board of its decision to separate from the cooperative, effective at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. With this development, GLASS will dissolve, and each of the three Tippecanoe County school corporations that comprise GLASS will begin providing special education services independently starting with the 2026-2027 school year.”

Schott said the West Lafayette Schools Education Foundation (WLSEF) had a successful scholarship information night on December 2nd, despite the weather, and the application site for WLSEF scholarships is now open. Scholarship information was sent to all seniors on December 3. The Foundation thanked the high school counseling team for an excellent Career and Trades Expo, as well as Greg Tudor and Excel Group for providing bags for giveaways and foundation board members who donated gift cards for student prizes. Seven teachers received WLSEF grants this semester, with two additional teachers receiving grants from external sources, including Patrick Roe through PSFTC and Courtney Murtaugh through the Big Ten Football Championship Game Classroom Resource Grant Program. Schott shared that, as this marks his final meeting after 12 years as a board member, he wished to express his heartfelt gratitude to his family, past board members, the WLSEF president and director, administrators, staff, teachers, and the community.

1:19:40 - Meeting was adjourned

*Marley was not in attendance.

I have an update to share related to the November meeting vote on policy D175. In the only meeting of the policy committee in 2024, they decided to send a question to legal counsel about this policy. On November 4th, I emailed requesting that legal counsel's response be shared with all board members. Austin refused. I again asked that it be shared with the board during the November meeting (1:39:41) and again Austin refused. My understanding is that it is not legal for Austin to withhold this information. So, after the school board meeting, I submitted a public records request for this information to Roberta Julian, the administrative assistant to the superintendent. I’ve copied my request and the official response from the school district below: