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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-28-2026 Minutes Board Work Meeting and Executive SessionDr. Scott Woolstenhulme, Superintendent 3497 North Ammon Road, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401  (208) 525-4400  Fax (208) 557-6800  www.d93schools.org Board of Trustees  Carissa Coats  Richard Hess  Paul Jenkins  Randy Smith  Mindy Clayton Bonneville Joint School District No. 93 is an Equal Opportunity Employer Work Meeting / Executive Session Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 11:30 AM Mountain PLC Building 3442 E Iona Rd Idaho Falls, ID 83401 I. Board Chair Coats called the meeting to order at 11:32 a.m. II. Roll Call Paul Jenkins: Present Randy Smith: Present Mindy Clayton: Excused Richard Hess: Present Carissa Coats: Present Present: 4. Mindy Clayton joined the meeting at 11:57 a.m. III. Opening Board Business III.A. Approve/Amend Agenda (Action Item) Motion: To approve the agenda. This motion, made by Paul Jenkins and seconded by Richard Hess, Passed. III.B. Board Chair Coats welcomed everyone in attendance to the meeting. IV. Executive Session (Action Item) The Board will enter into Executive Session pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) to consider the evaluation, dismissal, or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual agent, or public school student. The Executive Session will be closed to the public as permitted by law. Motion: To enter Executive Session. This motion, made by Paul Jenkins and seconded by Richard Hess, Passed. Roll Call Vote Paul Jenkins: Yes Randy Smith: Yes via Zoom Mindy Clayton: Excused Richard Hess: Present via Zoom Carissa Coats: Present Present: 4. The Board entered Executive Session at 11:34 a.m. IV.A. Student Recommendations IV.A.1. Student L-2026 (Action Item) Motion: To approve suspension only for Student L-2026. This motion, made by Paul Jenkins and seconded by Richard Hess, Passed. IV.B. Close Executive Session (Action Item) Motion: To close Executive Session. This motion, made by Richard Hess and seconded by Randy Smith, Passed. Executive Session closed at 11:37 a.m. Mindy Clayton joined the meeting at 11:57 a.m. via Zoom V. Finance and Operations Reports and Recommendations V.A. Sale of FCC 2.5 GHz License to T-Mobile (Action Item) Superintendent Woolstenhulme explained that the district worked with specialized legal counsel and an engineering firm to determine the fair market value of the T-Mobile license. Multiple valuation methods were reviewed, including lease projections and population-based service area analysis, with the final engineer-supported valuation coming in at $900,000. After negotiation, T-Mobile increased its offer from $450,000 to $900,000. The Superintendent noted that selling the license would effectively exceed the long-term annual lease revenue, provide immediate flexibility by adding funds to reserves, and avoid future uncertainty related to technology changes. Legal counsel confirmed the license is not district-owned property and therefore does not require surplus procedures. Board members asked questions about long-term value, ownership, and future relevance, and it was noted that T-Mobile is the only viable buyer due to frequency limitations. Based on these factors, the Superintendent recommended approval of the sale to T-Mobile. VI. Superintendent Reports and Recommendations VI.A. Target River Marketing Solutions Brian Epperson (Target River) updated the Board on a multi-platform marketing campaign designed to build community trust and confidence in D93, which in turn supports goals like student enrollment/retention, staff recruitment, and long-term community support for future initiatives. He explained their approach centers on three messages "boxes": student safety and well-being, student readiness and opportunities, and future planning plus fiscal responsibility. He reported that messaging launched Monday and is now running across streaming audio (podcasts/music/news), connected TV/streaming services (YouTube TV, Hulu, etc.), and web/apps, with a live dashboard for real-time performance data (reach, engagement, and sentiment monitoring). The team will increase frequency after reviewing early data, adjust or replace messages that don’t resonate, and produce additional "newsworthy" content as needed. The key next step is creating an internal one-sheet of shared talking points, so board members, cabinet, and other stakeholders communicate consistently in the community. Board discussion focused on how this work supports the May supplemental levy without direct advocacy (instead, increasing awareness and trust), how quickly it can influence public sentiment (with examples of similar campaigns improving levy outcomes), and practical use of the content (theater ads, board sharing kits, easy "copy/paste" posts). Trustees also asked about cost, ownership, student releases, branding confusion with D91, and measurable ROI. The Superintendent noted the project is $25,000 all-inclusive, largely offset by D93 communications sponsorships, and framed it as a small investment to help prevent larger budget impacts by stabilizing enrollment and community support. Brian emphasized campaigns typically do not generate backlash, and that improved trust can quickly move "neutral" stakeholders toward support. VI.B. Supplemental Levy for May Election Superintendent Woolstenhulme updated the Board on the district’s supplemental levy planning and budget outlook, explaining that the district drew down fund balance by about $4.5 million last year and expects over a $5 million drawdown this year, with projections settling around just over $7 million in fund balance over the next few years due to ongoing pressures (child nutrition deficits, a new school opening, and inflation). He presented two main pieces of information: • Reductions the district may need to make regardless of the levy outcome. These included a target of 20-25 classroom teacher reductions aligned with declining enrollment (handled through attrition and reassignment rather than layoffs), eliminating the district-paid long-term disability insurance (~$150,000), cutting items from the literacy budget (including Chromebooks and Lexia), and increasing pay-to- play fees (noting the revenue estimate was corrected to about $250,000). He also noted classified staffing reductions are still being evaluated (harder to quantify), and that if the levy increase fails, the district may need to consider two furlough days (about $1 million in savings). Board members clarified that furlough days would be unpaid and could not be "covered" with personal leave, or the savings would disappear. • Potential items to include in a levy increase. He explained the current levy is about $5.8 million, and the district is considering adding roughly $3.7-$3.8 million more (from a larger list of over $4 million). These additional items are programs/positions the district could technically operate without, but doing so would weaken services and support. The Board discussed the timeline for decisions (numbers needing to be finalized by the February work session for a March resolution) and asked clarifying questions about major cost drivers, including how all-day kindergarten staffing needs were calculated (about 10 positions tied to literacy intervention needs) and how state-funded line items (like college/career advisors and social workers) could potentially be repurposed to relieve pressure in the general fund, even though the Superintendent emphasized these roles directly support student well-being and should be clearly communicated to the community as part of the levy conversation. VII. Planning and Personnel Reports and Recommendations VII.A. Teacher Transfers Update Superintendent Woolstenhulme reported that the teacher transfer process is progressing steadily, with some expected challenges but overall positive momentum. To date, 12 teacher transfers have been approved from Rimrock to Willow Creek and 12 from Ammon to Rimrock, addressing the majority of Ammon’s affected staff. Three remaining Ammon teachers requested placements outside of Willow Creek or Rimrock; those requests are being held to ensure that other teachers who may be displaced have an equitable opportunity to apply, while also confirming that those teachers will not lose their positions. He also shared that district leadership met with elementary teachers at Thunder Ridge to review the process, answer questions, and open the voluntary transfer portal. Several teachers from Discovery have already expressed interest in transferring to Willow Creek, which is helpful given projected staffing reductions there. Additional schools expected to see reductions include Iona, Ucon, and Hillview. Overall, the Superintendent indicated the process is going well, with the next few weeks focused on determining how many teachers are willing to accept voluntary transfers as the district works to balance staffing needs across schools. VII.B. Open Enrollment Superintendent Woolstenhulme emphasized the importance of the February 1 open enrollment priority deadline, noting it should be clearly communicated to families. He explained that open enrollments submitted by that date are expected to be approved, after which the district will set school staffing levels based on confirmed enrollment (both zoned students and approved open enrollments). Once staffing is finalized, any additional open enrollment requests will depend on available space in individual classrooms, not overall building capacity. He shared that approximately 90% or more of open enrollment requests are from students seeking to remain at their current schools, and the district intends to prioritize keeping those students in place when possible. Most schools are adjusting well to boundary changes, with Green Valley showing the highest concentration of boundary-related open enrollment requests—significantly affecting staffing considerations between Iona and Discovery. Centennial Ranch also has a high number of requests, though they are spread across multiple schools and have had less concentrated impact. Overall, the Superintendent noted that families appear generally willing to adapt to the boundary changes. VIII. Learning and Instruction Reports and Recommendations VIII.A. Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program Superintendent Woolstenhulme updated the Board on follow-up outreach regarding a potential Spanish dual language magnet program. After an initial fall survey, the district contacted kindergarten families to gauge actual interest, given two possible school sites and the likelihood that transportation would not be provided. Approximately 40 families indicated interest, which would be sufficient to support one dual language program at a single school, but not multiple sites. He noted that because interested students would come from across the district, the program would not reduce staffing elsewhere and would instead require adding at least one new kindergarten teacher and one new first-grade teacher. Given current budget pressures and planned staffing reductions, he explained that moving forward would likely require dedicated funding through a supplemental levy. While he expressed strong support for the concept and its potential competitiveness, especially with a new charter school opening, he cautioned that timing and financial constraints are significant considerations and recommended including the program as part of the broader supplemental levy discussion. IX. Closing Board Business IX.A. Request for Agenda Items for Upcoming Meetings (Action Item) The Board requested the following agenda items for future meetings • Talking Poins for the Supplemental Levy • Day on the Hill Recap • Purposity IX.B. Adjournment (Action Item) Motion: To adjourn the meeting. This motion, made by Mindy Clayton and seconded by Randy Smith, Passed. The meeting adjourned at 1:14 p.m.