The annual board holiday celebration was held prior to last night's meeting. Seven individuals were honored with the Mexico School District Pioneer Award for their time serving our district:

Maureen Hacker

Sherry Sonwalt

Scott Hobbs

Cathy Nowlin

Mark Murphy

Karol Krisofferson

Debbe Jones

• Leslie Nichols is a Social Studies teacher at Mexico Middle School and has been with the district for 11 years.
• Erin Bohl is a Paraprofessional and has been with the district for a total of two years.

Per Board Policy KH: All gifts accepted will be reported to the Board of Education, publicly announced and appropriately acknowledged. The donor will be officially thanked in the district's name.

• December Donation: Miriam Edmonston Charitable Foundation donated $6,500.00 to pay off lunch charges.

Approval of MOU between MACC and Mexico School District: Over the past several years, Hart Career Center has been approached and had conversations with several local businesses regarding customized training. During our long history in the community, Hart Career Center has offered training to adults to support local businesses and their workforce. We have recently been looking for ways to offer that support again, while not placing an undue burden on the school district. The approved (MOU) is designed for Hubbell Power Systems in Centralia. By partnering with MACC, we will be able to continue focusing on our core mission of serving secondary students, while providing a venue for adult training. It is a further hope that, if successful, this agreement will serve as a model for additional training that may be requested by other local businesses.

Approval of Chromebook bid: There were a total of seven bids received. On the bid analysis is the information regarding the bid specifics.

Approval of ParentSquare Contract: The district is recommending the approval of the contract with ParentSquare for our website, school communication with families (school closure due to snow, holiday reminders etc.), mobile app, and web portal. The current communication tools are outdated and lack accessibility. ParentSquare will update the website to be mobile-friendly and accessible as well as provide two-way communication tools for the English Learners (EL) population.

Declared items no longer needed for Educational Use: These items will be available on the district eBay page soon: bookshelf, small wooden shelf, small wooden cubby, vinyl display, wooden table, wire shelf.

Mexico High School offered the building share this month. Areas of focus included:

• Academic Initiatives & Programs (B. Ellebracht)
• Development of Success-ready Students (D. Cochrane)
• Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (M. Fernandez)
• Activities (B. Schafer)

Bulldog staff are encouraged to read their Individual Building Reports as well:

• MELC
• EF
• HAW
• MMS
• MHS
• MEC
• HCC

MAP/EOC Presentation: Dr. Miles gave a presentation regarding these scores.

APR Presentation: Melissa Chastain gave a presentation regarding the recent release of APR scores.

Strategic Plan/CSIP Updates: Christina McCaw offered an update to the board on the process for reviewing the behavior and social-emotional support systems of the district (CSIP goal 12). She also reported on MTSS (CSIP goal 13).

Board Candidate Filing: The board was reminded of the open filing for board of education seats. Mrs. Brown, Mr. Louder, & Mrs. Michelle Stephens terms are up. We will have two three-year terms and one two-year term open. Please note, filing will end on December 26, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. Filing times on December 26, 2023 will be from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Project List Discussion: Chris Jerden with Facilities Solution Group (FSG) discussed the project list for the 2024 April bond. The total project cost is estimated at $20,480,423 and incudes: HVAC, flooring, safety and security, ADA accessibility, roofing, classroom additions at MMS, Emmons updates, among many other items. See the the project list for more info.

2024 April Bond: The board approved to add a $21 million bond on the April 2024 ballot. Courtney Wegman with LJ Hart was here to discuss the bond investments. She offered a preliminary financial analysis and the board approved the ballot language.

The board approved the hiring of the following individuals:

• Eliesha Mathews, Paraprofessional
• Lawran Belcher, Bus Driver
• James Whitaker, Custodian
• Pam Holbrook, Permanent Sub
• Sherman Overton, Custodian
• Samantha Honaker, Paraprofessional

Informational personnel items were also offered to the Board.

Renewal for Liability Insurance Provider: Approved MUSIC renewal for insurance for the 2024 year.

2024-25 District Calendar: The calendar was approved.

Strategic Plan/CSIP Update - Provide Comprehensive Analysis and Recommendations for best practices of Safety and Security. Dr. Miles presented a safety and security update regarding this CSIP goal 9, including improvements to interior and exterior signage, more window film, and undated walkie repeaters at EF.

Melissa Chastain updated the board on the Full Service Community Grant with C2C (Cradle to Career). This grant supports CSIP goals 11, 12, 13, 14, & 18. Partners for Rural Impact (PRI) will hire a coordinator to support five on-site individuals who will work in our schools to support students and staff. Hiring will be done by PRI in the coming months, with the support of the district on the interview committee.