Board of Education Regular Meeting

Mr. Bennett abstained, he was not present for the Febuary 2nd meeting.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 9.0.

Ms. Eyerman reviewed the February Financial Summary with the board. 

She stated the following:

The cost to operate for the month of February was $55,044. 

Total GF revenue in February - $1,291,751, Total February expenditures - $1,706,361. Expenditures exceeded revenue by $414,610.

FYTD GF revenue in February - $13,418,717. Total FYTD expenditures - $14,812,546. Expenditures exceed revenue by $1,393,829. which is a $35,573 difference from the budget.

GF February beginning Cash balance - $3,795,775.   The February ending GF cash balance is $3,381,165.

We are 67% of the way through the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Revenue and expenditures align with what we would expect at this point in the year

Feb 2026-27 revenue is $23,374, less than FY2025-26 revenue. Feb 2026-2027 expenditures were $91,230 less than FY2025-2026 Expenditures. 

Total GF interest in Feb was $16,461. Total Ins Fund interest in Feb was $5,444.

Total reconciled amount of all funds in February was $12,500,737.35.

The last report in the packet is a list of February disbursements presented for approval.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 9.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 9.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 9.0.

The board approved the amended appropriations and estimated resources. Ms. Eyerman will present highlights of the appropriations and resources during the April meeting after County Auditor approval.

Ms. Eyerman explained that the Revenue changes predominantly include 1.) the appropriation of 4.6 mills that we should receive when we receive property taxes in April, and deduct the amount from the General Fund. 2.) Adjust Federal Grants to include Rollover and Reallocated funds provided by the state last month. 3.)Adjust any funds that may need to be adjusted at this point in the year.  1.) Expenditures include the estimated amount of any payments that may need to be paid from permanent improvements. 2.) Adjust Federal Grants appropriations to include rollover and reallocated funds provided by the state last month so they may be encumbered. 3.) Adjust any funds that need to be adjusted to encumber through the end of the year.

Mr. Michael Kohler abstained from this vote due to a conflict of interest - he is an officer on the City Rec board.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

The vote for this item is recorded on item 11.0.

Jessica - passed out a typed document to the board members and district leadership at the table. (attached to the minutes.)

Jessica stated that she has so much to say in a short time - what her heart feels after 24 years of service. It is hard to put into words how many children's lives have touched mine. More than they will ever know. I want to mention just a glimpse of the many, many things that I have witnessed through the years. I was here in 2003, coaching the cheerleaders, when Marty was coaching boys' football, and Hilge was coaching the boys' basketball team.  I have changed the diapers of students who have gone through, as well as a few teachers who teach here. I have watched preschoolers walk across the stage and graduate to be kindergarteners, and 13 years later, those tiny tots walk across the stage to graduate high school. I have watched 24 years of kids of kids add a few more years under their belts at trade schools, career centers, military post-secondary colleges, universities, as well as watch some of them head into the workforce to start their careers successfully, and so on. I have been here with students from preschool through 12 who have needed a tissue, something to eat, a shoulder to cry on, and know without a doubt they are safe and that people care, I care. They know they can go to the cafeteria, punch my lunch number in, so when they are hungry, they can eat. They don't have to find me to ask me and be embarrassed to have to ask. When my account gets low on money, someone lets me know from the kitchen.  They become like family, and they know it. They know when trauma strikes in their lives, most of us are willing to do whatever is necessary for the child-students' safety because that is one of the most important things, in my opinion. I have provided you all with a letter from my physician. You will see the first item on that list of ailments is irritable bowel syndrome. On the day in question, Feb 26, 2026, I was having major issues that morning from said ailment. At 7;29 am, I realized that I would not be able to make it on time, due to that ailment. So I texted Mrs. Tiffany Gardner, who is the teacher that I work with closely in a multi-categorical room where we have students with us the entire time we are there, and told her that I had to take my son to school since he had missed the bus due to my situation at home, and would be there as soon as possible. He takes the bus from the high school to the Christian school that leaves at 7:30 am. Therefore, being at work by 7:20 am is crucial for me to park and get my son to his bus on time. On said day, Feb 26, 2026, apparently my key fobbed in at 8:03. Past practice has always been "sure work through your lunch," which was admitted by Mr. Scott Loomis. I asked him, "Scott, how many times have I said to you Bret, my son had something I would like to be at or Jacks my son had something that I needed to be available for and he would respond, "yea, just work through your lunch". How many times have you said this to me? His answer in the meeting with Lisa Burleson, Mr. Matt Nicholas, Mrs. Trista Claxon, Mr. Scott Loomis, Mr. Stiverson Ms. Brenda Miller and myself was, "quite a few times". Maybe I made a mistake by not reaching out to Mrs. Molly Thomas to inform her about it, but from the bottom of my heart, I would never be late if there wasn't something wrong. That morning, there was something wrong, very wrong, and I made a decision that I thought was the best for myself and the safety of my students, which is why I had the communication with the other person that my students rely on. That is also one of the reasons the FMLA was in effect, or I thought it was in effect. I want to address some of the items in the notice about the finding that was emailed to me. 1.)I did not admit to falsifying my time sheet. I wasn't trying to hide anything. Why would I admit to something that I didn't do wrong? Did I put 7:35 on there? Yes, I did, but I didn't do it maliciously; I did it because I was working through my lunch, and that is what we have always done in the past. 2.) We are told we are not to put any extra time on our time sheet, so every day we put our times on there that we are contractually told to put on there, whether we work them or not. I work through my lunch 9 times out of 10, along with 2 fifteen-minute breaks that are null and void. 3.)I did not indicate anything during the due process hearing on March 10, 2026. You state in the email that I knew I couldn't use leave per the discussion on February 18th, speaking on the February 26, 2026 date. Yet, we had not met on that March 10th date, and those things were discussed at that meeting after we discussed that I had falsified my timesheet. However, we discussed at that meeting that I had 3 personal days and some sick time. So why would I be worried about using that? 4.)You state in the email that we are to report off to Scott and Molly. I have never contacted Scott to call off. Not one time that I can remember. I have always contacted Molly Thomas and Tony McVay prior to Molly, and prior to her, Kaylee Andrews. I wasn't calling off. I just had a situation that I could not control, and a child in my care. I guess the district should make that clear for all of their staff, because we are all doing it wrong. 5.) Mr. Nicholas, when you told me that I was dishonest and neglectful at my duties- Do you know me? Do you know my morals and values? Have you ever watched me in a school setting with our students? I sir, am not dishonest and most certainly am not neglectful of my duties. 6.) You speak of the days I have been off in the last few years. I was under a physician's care, and FMLA was granted to me in 2023 and 2024. I was under the impression that I had been approved for FMLA in the 2025 school year, but it was brought to my attention on February 18, 2026, that I did not qualify for FMLA this year, and I was not informed until the year was almost over. So the days that you were talking about that I was absent from duties were covered under FMLA. 7.) Mr. Nicholas, you state that I am not dependable or trustworthy. Students rely on me for stability and consistency, and my attendance issues, even if they were covered under FMLA, were detrimental to the operations of the district. Are my days not as important as anyone else's? There have been plenty of staff who have been off way more than I have. 8.) Last, Mr. Nicholas, you sent me this email on March 16, 2026, at 1:45 p.m. It was the 7th period. I had kids in my care. 24 years of service and get an email stating that because I had an ailment that my doctor has clearly stated, still came to work that day and worked through my lunch, which I do all the time, you were going to recommend me for termination. I read that in front of students. How did you think that I was going to react? I was devastated. Then, expected to go to the 8th period as though nothing was wrong. I had no idea whether I was to come back to work until March 26, 2026, or not. Three hours later, I received another email stating that I am now on paid administrative leave. Usually, that email happens first. I do know that Mrs. Tiffany Gardner talked to Mr. Scott Loomis and Mr. Matt Nicholas after this occurred. She informed them both that I had indeed texted her that morning, came to work as soon as I took my son to school, and that my student, whom I am with in the morning, was not there that day. That is the end of my letter. Um, I do have letters from other people that I can read. They are emails from other people in the district. Do you want me to read them?  

Mrs. Mann asked for the letters so the Board could look at them.

Jessica tried to figure out a way to get them to the board. She said she was under the impression that she could read them. Mr. Nicholas told her to email them to him, and he could print them. 

Mr. Nicholas then spoke. This is a reminder that this is not just about the time missed on February 26th; there is also a history of absences going back quite a few years. Dr. Hire was very specific in an email and a very similar conversation, so it is not just about the time sheet. There is also the issue that she did not call off to Mr Loomis or Molly, therefore she did not get permission from either. This is not the first time that she has had corrective action. There are several incidents in the past, some of which are in the exhibits, and some are not. Some of those included unpaid leave as well. I know FMLA was brought up, and that is something that in the district in the past was not necessarily the way it should be. Before 2025, the FMLA was approved, but that should not have happened. In order to be approved for FMLA, you have to have 1250 hours in. She did not have those hours for the past two school years. Even though the district allowed FMLA, that should not have happened. Originally, the subject was negative leave days. We received, I believe it was in November, a note from her doctor that FMLA should be part of the conversation. We researched how many hours she worked, and it was not 1250. One of the things I wanted to discuss is that FMLA will no longer be accepted. It was before; it should not have been. At this point, FMLA should not even be part of the conversation. I do want to point out that this is not the first time that she has put the wrong times on her time sheet. I went back a few months and looked at other times; there were a handful of times where that was the case, so this is not the first time. This was not in the investigation, but because Mr Stiverson stated that this was the first time, that is not the case. There is nothing on that particular timesheet that indicates that she worked through lunch. If we came in late and worked through lunch. Put 8:03, then no time for lunch, and the time she left. Again, she didn't call Molly. We have attempted corrective action; there have been other instances of behaviour correction. We have attempted a graduated corrective action.

Mrs. Mann asked, I see on your time sheet, and you say you work through lunch every day. Are you told to write down that you are taking a lunch? As I look at this, I see that you've written that you are out at 10:20 and back in at 10:50, so I am assuming that is your lunch time. Jessica confirmed. Mrs. Mann continued, If you are working through lunch, why don't you just leave that out. Jessica responded that it is embedded in our brains that we are not allowed to have any extra time. So if we put that time on, Molly calls us back down because Vikki will say this is not correct, you have to put it correctly on the paperwork.  Even if we put the time on there, it will be sent back down to us. Molly is going to call us to the office and say it's wrong. We are not allowed to be paid for it, so we cannot put it on our time sheet.

Mr. Nicholas asked, "Have you ever been told to work through your lunch?" Jessica said absolutely not, but in a multicategory room, you are very busy. It is a non-stop situation. I eat with children at my desk, I test kids, I test typical kids in my room during my lunch. I am working. 

Mrs. Mann stated that the board has what it needs and will move to executive session. Mrs. Gantz stated that she wants to be sure the board has everything that Jessica brought and asked about the letters and emails. It was determined they would be delivered to the board electronically while in the Executive Session for review.