August 14, 2023 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

 

1.  Review monthly bills using the EMeetings Software.

2.  Review all credit card transactions for the month.

3.  Finance Committee Members Sign-off on review of monthly bills, credit card transactions, and district fund balances.

4.  Approve superintendent's expenses (credit card transactions & mileage).

5.  Lunch Fund Review-Monthly Lunch Fund Balance Worksheet Attached

6.  Payroll Ledger Review

7.  Insurance Billing Review

8.  ACH Payroll Review

9.  Bank Statements Review

10.  2023-24 Budget Draft -Line Item & APA DRAFTS  

11.  Closing of "orphaned" activity accounts and creation of "Administrative Activity" account

12. End of Year Fund Transfers:

• General Fund to Activity Fund:  $40,000.00
• General Fund to Depreciation Fund: $100,000.00
• QCPUF Fund to General Fund:  Transfer & Remaining Balance that needs to be transferred.  Can be up to $10,000, but it will be way, way less than that.
• Bond Fund to General Fund: $38.96
• General Fund to Lunch Fund: $50,000.00

 

Rationale:  We have some furnace filters we can no longer use.  (Photo Attached) 

Rationale: 

Members of the Public, 

This is the portion of the board meeting when we invite anyone in attendance to address the board of education. If you would like to speak to the board regarding any of the items on tonight's agenda or a public concern, now is your opportunity to do so.  Please review the orange sheet (found on the visitors' chairs) of paper that contains the guidelines for public participation.  If you wish to speak to the board at this time, please let me know.  "Would anyone like to address the board at this time?"

 

AFTER THE PERSON(S) INDICATE(S) THEY WISH TO SPEAK

1.  Please stand and state your name?

2.  What topic will you be speaking on?

3.  Are there others in the room who wish to speak to the same topic? (If so, ask that they be recognized so that 30 minutes of time for public comment can be apportioned as per the policy-5 minutes per person).

4.  Read to Speaker(s): "Please understand that public comment is your opportunity to speak to the board and present your concerns, thoughts, feelings, ideas, and observations.  Members of the board are happy to hear from members of the public, but the board will not engage in conversation or dialogue with you during public comment.  You'll have approximately 5 minutes to address the board, as we allow 5 minutes per person and a total of 30 minutes for public comment.  You may begin when you are ready?

 

 

 

Rationale:  Each year, the board is required to appoint a Committee on American Civics and to perform certain tasks throughout the school year.  These appointments are required by statute.

Rationale:  At the July Board Meeting, the board was made aware of the fact that recent legislative changes require NDE to certify the property tax request authority for school districts for the 2023-24 budget cycle.  They certified the school district's base property tax request authority at $5,655,602.  Through a 70% (5 out of 6 members) vote of the board that property tax request authority can increase to $6,142,731 or $487,129.

It is important to maximize the property tax budget authority during the first year of this certification process, as it will be the base for the calculation in future years.  To be clear, the current budget model requires less of a tax asking than the base amount of $5,655,602, due to the infusion of state aid and additional special education reimbursements.  The school district will not request $5,655,602 or $6,142,731 in property taxes. 

The approval of this such a resolution by the board would only help establish a high enough property tax authority to meet the district's property tax needs in the future.  The board of education and the superintendent never make a property tax request that is higher than what the school district actually needs to deliver a quality instructional program and maintain adequate cash reserves. 

Supporting Materials for Considering An Increase to the Base Allowable Property Tax Request (Attached)

Assessed 2023-24 Valuation (Attached)

2023-24 Line Item Budget DRAFT (Attached)

2023-24 APA Budget Document DRAFT (Attached) 

Rationale:  The superintendent believes that based on the current draft of the 2023-24 Ravenna Public School District Budget that the school district will NOT have to be a party to the LB644 meeting.  In turn, no board member will need to attend the meeting.  This is likely a temporary reprieve that is being caused by the influx of revenue from state aid and an increase in special education reimbursements for the 2023-24 budget cycle.

Rationale:  A budget hearing is held to offer the public opportunity to provide the board of education with support, opposition, criticism, suggestions or observation of taxpayers relating to the proposed 2023-24 Ravenna Public School District Budget.

That budget hearing can be held immediately before the September 11th Regular Board Meeting, if the board wishes or it can be held on any other date prior to September 29th, as the budget is due on September 30th.

Rationale:  A property tax request hearing is required to be held to offer the public an opportunity to provide the board of education with support, opposition, criticism, suggestions or observation of taxpayers relating to the proposed 2023 Ravenna Public School District Property Tax Request.

That property tax request hearing can be held immediately after the budget hearing and before the September 11th Regular Board Meeting, if the board wishes or it can be held on any other date prior to September 29th.  Technically, it can be held as late as the Regular October 9th Board Meeting, if the board so desires.

Rationale:  The school district auditor encourages us to close activity accounts that are not active.  The following accounts are inactive with the following balances:

Youth Center: $4,985.03
FCCLA: $20.63
Class of  2023: $170.95
Class of  2022: $281.44
Class of  2021: $145.20
Class of  2020: $163.89
Class of  2019: $525.26
Class of  2018: $41.72
Class of  2017: $292.37

Total: $6,626.49

These accounts will be closed and the proceeds will be reclassified in the Activity Fund and deposited into current class student activity accounts.  The Youth Center proceeds would be deposited into  the "Administrative Activity Fund" for general use.  A copy of the account detail for each of these "orphaned" accounts is attached to this agenda item for the board's review and consideration.

 

Rationale:  Brief Description of Policy Updates:

3001 - LB243 requires the district to set limitations on the property tax request.  This policy updates provides that.

3003.1 - Utilization of federal funds requires us to have a compliant policy for the use of those federal funds.  The "Buy American" provision was added to this policy.

3004.1 - "Buy American" to stay in compliance with the use of federal funds.

3033 - NDE will take over the lending of textbooks to private school students and parents effective July 1, 2024.  This policy clarifies whose responsibility the loaning of textbooks is.

3036 - The update clarifies who can use the school's credit cards, how we collectively review those purchases, and how long we have to retain the records, which is now 7 years instead of 10.

3059 - This is currently policy 5063 (Student Section of Policy), but is being reallocated to the 3000 series to help all (students, staff, parents) what they can and can't record digitally, since everyone now has a recording device (aka - cell phone).

4003 - Drug testing policy for drivers.  A clerical error was corrected in the wording regarding "Medical Review Officer."

4031 - This is an updated policy on the evaluation of probationary teachers that was requested by the board and constructed by KSB.  You have already adopted a revised version of 4030, which deals with the evaluation of certified staff.

4045 - Expands employees rights to be able to express milk at work and to be paid for it.

4059 - This revised the requirement for staff who need to receive the suicide awareness training we require staff to take to include "any employees the superintendent" deems needs to have it on an annual basis.

5003 - Part - time students now only need to be enrolled in 5 credit hours in order to participate in NSAA Activities.  This policy needed adjusted as  a result of this change and the activity handbook needed adjusted to follow NSAA guidelines.

5004 - The option enrollment law has significantly changes and more steps will be required to deny an option.  NDE will also begin to track all options through the Adviser portal.  The goal of this legislative change (LB 705) is to make it more difficult for districts to deny the option enrollment of a special education student.  The board will need to declare it 2024-25 enrollment capacities at the October 9th board meeting.

5035 - The Nebraska Student Discipline Act has significantly changed: (1) Can't expel or suspend K-2 students; (2) Decisions regarding disciplinary action must be made within 72 hours of the principal being made aware of the misconduct; (3) For disciplinary hearings, the school must now provide one additional "alternate hearing officer."

5045 - The distirct's student fees policy articulates the maximum fee the district MAY charge for an activity.  College courses are now covered by this policy and a maximum amount the district MAY charge for such courses is included.

5049 - LB 77 changes the concealed handgun laws.  This policy clarifies who can and can't have a gun on school property.

5052 - This policy revision simply contains a website for evidenced-based strategies for school wellness.

5062 - Our policy excluded students for lice, louse eggs, and nits.  This policy revision brings our policy in line with the suggestion from the Nebraska Department of Health to only exclude for lice and louse eggs.

5064 - This is simply an update of this policy indicating that we will use federal funds to supplement and not supplant, which means we will use federal funds to go above and beyond what we provide students rather than using federal funds instead of general fund dollars to deliver instruction.

6003 - This policy states how many instructional hours we will provide to students at the various grade levels.  The number of hours indicated in the policy are the minimum hours required by Rule 10 for accreditation purposes, which is what the attorneys suggest.

6004  - LB 705 requires us to have every student take at least 5 credit hours of financial literacy before they graduate.  This policy also includes our textbook and curriculum rotation schedule.

6005 - As a result of the changes that need to be made to 6004 for the financial literacy requirement, we need to adjust our graduation credits policy, which is 6005.

6025 - This policy updates student and staff expectations regarding electronic devices such as cell phones and smart watches.

6038 - Artificial intelligence is emerging as a tool for students to use for academic dishonesty.  This policy helps make clear to students that using AI to complete work is not permissible, unless a teacher specifically permits them to do so.

Rationale:  Due to policy changes, the student activity handbooks need to be approved again.  The administration apologizes for the redundancy, but due to the transition, the district is a little bit slower this year in completing its annual policy update.

Rationale:  The current Ravenna Public Schools Nutrition Manager, Ms. Lynda Endecott, has expressed her intent to resign at the conclusion of the 2023-24 school year.  In planning for the succession of Ms. Endecott, the district will need to hire a "Nutrition Manager Trainee" to train with Ms. Endecott throughout the school year and then assume full responsibilities as Ravenna Public Schools Nutrition Manager in June of 2024, in advance of the 2024-25 school year.  The superintendent recommends the hiring of Jessica Anderson for this position.

Rationale:  Slide presentation concerning mental health support and parent resources.

Rationale: 

Rationale:  Thank you to all the facilities and grounds staff for all their hard work this summer as the facilities look great again!  -Superintendent Schroeder

Welcome back student and staff.  We hope you a wonderful school year.  -Mr. Ryan Osten