April 11, 2022 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

1. The Board of Education reserves the right to enter into Closed/Executive Session for 1) the protection of public interest or 2) the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual, and the individual has not requested a public meeting. When making a motion to enter into Closed/Executive Session, the member making such a request should be as specific as possible keeping the previously listed stipulation in consideration. 
2. If the Board is in agreement, a motion maybe to enter into Closed/Executive Session to 1) discuss a personnel matter, or 2) for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of the individual, or 3) to discuss litigation and for the protection of the public interest.
3. Action concerning matters discussed in Closed/Executive Session will be acted upon in open session

Welcome to the Dundy County Stratton Public Schools Board of Education Meeting.  The Board welcomes citizens to attend board meetings to become acquainted with the programs and operations of the district.  Members of the public are also encouraged to share their ideas and opinions with the Board during the agenda item labeled “Public Items”.  Comments or questions from the audience at any other time during the meeting except for the agenda item “Public Items” will out of necessity be declared out of order.

The Nebraska Open Meetings Act prevents the board from speaking to a matter that is not on the agenda.  Please understand that the board may be unable to address your issue during the meeting.  It is not permissible for the board to comment on items not listed for the protection of the public’s right to know and participate in the discussion of items that do come before the board and stated appropriately in the meeting agenda.  

During this agenda item “Public Items” we ask that you abide by the following rules:

Public Comment Protocol and Procedures

1. Anyone wishing to speak to the board on specific agenda items or on other topics relevant to board business must complete a Public Comment Request Card and submit it to the Board President prior to the opening of the meeting.   The public will only be recognized and their comments heard at Item “Public Items” on the board agenda.  The total time allotted for the public comment will not exceed thirty minutes and each member of the public will be allotted not more than five minutes to address the Board.  If a group wishes to speak, please designate one spokesperson for the group.
   
   
2. Please state your name and the topic you are addressing before you begin.  
   
   
3. Speakers are asked to direct their questions and comments to the chair.  A member of the Board of Education or the Superintendent may direct clarifying questions to the chair, but the board will not under any circumstance enter into a debate with any the member of the public.
   
   
4. Speakers may offer objective criticism of district operations and programs, but the Board would encourage members of the public to address complaints concerning individual district personnel through the proper chain of command.  The chair may direct the member of the public to the appropriate means to address concerns brought before the Board; however, the board will not respond with action but will take comments under advisement and direct the comments to the appropriate staff member to address outside of the board meeting.
   
   
5. Please remember that is a public meeting for the conduct of business of the Dundy County Stratton Public School District. Offensive language, personal attacks and hostile conduct will not be tolerated. You should further be advised that there is no legal protection for any comments that are made. 
   
   
6. As stated in NEB. REV. STAT. § 79-570 Class I, II, III, IV, or VI school district; president; meetings; maintenance of order.  

   If any district meeting of a Class I, II, III, IV, or VI school district any person conducts himself or herself in a disorderly manner and persists in such conduct after notice by the president or person presiding, the president or person presiding may order such person to withdraw from the meeting and, if the person refuses, may order any person or persons to take such person into custody until the meeting is adjourned.

7. As stated in NEB. REV. STAT. § 79-571 Class I, II, III, IV, or VI school district; meetings; disorderly conduct; penalty. 

Any person who refuses to withdraw from such meeting on being so ordered as provided in section 79-570 or who willfully disturbs such meeting shall be guilty of a Class V misdemeanor. 

At noon today (April 7), Senator Lynne Walz along with Legal Counsel, Nicole Barrett, joined us at NCSA for the weekly meeting of the Education Coalition. The Coalition is comprised of teacher, administrator, and school board groups. The object of the meeting today was to support the Education Committee Chair, and formulate a strategy to advance LB 1218, which promotes needed changes to the certification process and also creates a new teacher loan forgiveness program. The measure is intended to address the critical teacher shortage issue.

The politics facing Senator Walz was an amendment to LB 1218, filed by Senator Erdman, which would undo a significant portion of the legislation. Fighting the amendment, this late in the legislative session, might have meant failure for advancement of the bill.

As set forth by the Education Committee, LB 1218 provided that basic skills competency would be successfully demonstrated prior to certification by (a) taking an examination designated by the State Board and, if necessary, correcting any score deficiencies by either retaking that portion of the examination for which any deficiency existed or earning a minimum grade or above in college courses designated by the board related to a deficiency OR (b) experience as an educator in another state.

The Erdman amendment eliminated this carefully written provision and simply reinstated the existing provisions of basic skills competency, which is either (a) proficiency in (i) the written use of the English language, (ii) reading, comprehending, and interpreting professional writing and other written materials, and (iii) working with fundamental mathematical computations as demonstrated by successful completion of an examination designated by the State Board or (b) successful employment experiences.

Senator Walz was reluctant to compromise on these provisions, which had been painstakingly crafted over many months. She ultimately consented to the proposed amendment in order to move as much of the bill forward as possible with the hope of revisiting the issue next year. The loan forgiveness program would remain part of the bill with an annual appropriation of $5 million.

The actual debate on LB 1218 was conducted mid-afternoon today and was relatively brief. The Erdman amendment was adopted on a 31-1 vote (Sen. Morfeld voting no). The committee amendments were adopted and the vote to advance the measure to Select File was 39-0.

Holocaust Education Measure

LB 888, introduced and prioritized by Senator Day, advanced today to Final Reading by a voice vote, but not before two amendments were considered and adopted.

The purpose of the bill is to require the State Board to adopt measurable academic content standards as part of the social studies standards that include education on the Holocaust and other acts of genocide.

Senator Bostelman successfully offered an amendment to clarify "genocide" as that recognized by the Congress or the United Nations as of January 1, 2022.

Senator Wayne successfully offered an amendment to add instruction on "slavery, lynching, and racial massacres in America" as part of the social studies standards.

Both the Bostelman and Wayne amendments were adopted by unanimous votes.

Behavioral Health Points of Contact

LB 852, introduced by Senator Day, was advanced to Final Reading today by a voice vote.

The bill provides that, by August 1, 2023, each school district must designate one or more "behavioral health points of contact" for each school building or other division as determined by the school district. A behavioral health point of contact may be an administrator, a school nurse, a school psychologist, or another designated school employee. Each point of contact must have knowledge of community behavioral health service providers and other resources available for students and families.

Note:  As previously amended, a school district may utilize services offered through an ESU to fulfill the requirements of the bill or to contract with a local private entity, such as a local hospital.

The bill requires NDE, in consultation with the DHHS Division of Behavioral Health, to provide each school district with a registry of state and local behavioral health resources available to work with students and families by geographic area. The registry must be updated at least annually and include resources for both school-based services and services accessible by students and families outside of school.

The point of contacts must coordinate access to community behavioral health services for students and families and facilitate access to services during the school day at the school the student attends.

Before the beginning of school year 2023-24, and before the beginning of each school year thereafter, each school district must report the designated behavioral health points of contact to NDE.

LB 852 also incorporates the provisions of LB 912 (Morfeld) to require NDE to establish a mental health aid training program for teachers and other employees of a school district or ESU.