March 11, 2024 at 5:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale:  The Norfolk Public School District's board of education meeting is called to order.  

Rationale:  If any board member is absent, there will need to be a  motion to excuse the absence.

Rationale:  This is a legal meeting of the board of education, as advertised by the means specified in board policy. A complete copy of the Open Meetings Act is posted in the board room for your review. A copy of the agenda is available at the desk of the recording secretary.
 

Rationale:  Please stand and join us in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Rationale:  The Montessori Way

Rationale:  Recipient: Caren Rubio, ELL Paraprofessional, Grant Elementary School

Rationale:  Informational Session on Artificial Intelligence

Rationale: 

This is the time during the meeting when the public may request to address the Board. According to state law, if you wish to comment you must identify yourself, including your address, the name of the organization you represent and the topic that you wish to address. "Public Comment" cards are located at the Media table, in the back of the room.  Please pick up a card and provide the required information, if you plan to speak.  Each individual’s comments will be limited to five minutes.

Please note that the Board cannot discuss or act upon matters that are not listed on the agenda. Therefore, Board members will not respond to your comments or questions. If you wish to request that an item be placed on a future Board agenda, you may contact the Superintendent or her assistant during normal business hours.

Also note that concerns related to school personnel need to be addressed to the Superintendent using the approved district protocol. Individuals who make false, defamatory,  or slanderous statements during public comments may be held legally liable. Slanderous comments are not protected just because they are made at Board meetings.

Rationale:  The total amount of claims to be approved on the consent agenda for the month of March 2024 by specific fund are listed below:

General Fund = $621,232.60

Nutrition Services Fund = $268,568.98

Cooperative Fund = $1,863.93

Subsidiary Fund = $447.36

Special Building Fund = $13,650.00

Employee Benefit Fund = $19,588.00

Student Fee Fund = $1,440.01

The total amount of claims for the month of February 2024 in the Activities Fund is $101,394.04

All of these claims were reviewed earlier today by the Finance and Facility Committee.

Rationale: 

Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

In the Curriculum Committee Meeting on February 13th, we reviewed curriculum purchases for the 2024-2025 school year, as reported by Beth Shashikant. Details can be found in her report.

I participated in two crucial meetings last month related to curriculum and assessment. As a member of the Nebraska Assessment and Accountability Advisory Committee, we discussed potential additions to the AQUESTT Accountability System. Our advice emphasized avoiding negative calculations for schools missing benchmarks, focusing only on positive marks for meeting goals. We also recommended running practice numbers on proposed changes to ensure their effectiveness.

The second meeting was with the Nebraska Association of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (NACIA). Mike Dulany presented potential legislation that could impact curriculum and courses. Although nothing is confirmed, legislative decisions affecting classrooms may pose challenges for our district. Additionally, the state's decision to cease funding for the MAP Growth assessment for grades 3rd-8th raises questions for all districts. These include financial consequences, whether to continue with the same assessment, and considerations for alternative assessments. To address this, the director from Millard has arranged zoom presentations from various vendors to provide information on assessment design, grade levels, cost, technical functions, charting of results, desegregation of data, and more.

 

Rationale: 

The English language proficiency assessment summative window will conclude this month. We will receive results in the first weeks of May.  

The elementary special education teachers will complete their training in Letters 2 on Friday, March 15.  This program focuses on vocabulary, comprehension and writing.  We will use as a supplemental program to our Marzano vocabulary instruction to increase overall reading comprehension.  Members of the special education leadership team attended a professional development at ESU 8 on February 23, where we will be applying to our targeted improvement plan.

Rationale: 

Reminder that Kindergarten enrollment for the 2023/2024 school year is in full swing. Registration is being held at neighborhood schools. Parents must have a birth certificate and a copy of immunizations to begin the enrollment process. Kindergarten Round Up will be held on Wednesday, April 17th at your neighborhood elementary school. We are encouraging families to start the registration process early to avoid complications.

Parent/Teacher conferences were held last month. Our attendance at our elementary and middle school is historically very high because those are scheduled meetings. Unfortunately, we do see a decrease in JH and SH levels. Information about those conferences is posted below.

 

	Attendance at P/T Conferences including Zoom	Total School Enrollment	% attended 2024	% attended 2023	% attended 2022
Little Panther Preschool	225	233	97%	99%	98%
Bel Air	306	322	95%	99%	98%
Jefferson	247	249	99%	99%	100%
Grant	195	207	94%	96%	98%
Lincoln	213	214	100%	100%	100%
Washington	220	236	94%	97%	100%
Westside	195	196	99%	98%	100%
Woodland Park	190	197	96%	97%	99%
Middle School	588	613	96%	96%	94%
Junior High	325	648	50%	64%	48%
Senior High	319	1364	23%	24%	26%
District Results	3023	4479	67.52%	70.91%	68.74%

Rationale: 

Letter of Intents were sent out to all NPS certified staff on March 1 and are due back on March 15.  At that time, we should know all the positions that need to be filled.  Quite a few teachers have been hired for the 2024-2025 school year, and we continue to advertise and search for the best teachers for Norfolk Public Schools.

I have started receiving student teacher placement requests for the 2024-2025 school year, and I am starting to begin with placements at the appropriate grade levels.

Rationale:  Enrollment Update
Closed/Exec Session Procedure Update
NASB Finance Workshop
Special Spring Events
 

Rationale:  The Facilities & Finance Committee met earlier today. Board members present were ______________. 

We reviewed claims for the month of March and activity claims for February. Other topics discussed included updates on the following:

• Facilities Update
• RFP's
• Preliminary Budget Information
• Negotiations
• Property for Sale

Our next Finance and Facilities Committee meeting is scheduled for April 8, 2024.

Rationale: 

The Government Relations Committee met twice since our February Board meeting.

We met at 12:40 on Thursday, February 22, 2024. Board Committee Members Sandy Wolfe, Teri Bauer, and Beth Shashikant were present, along with Dr. Jami Jo Thompson and Tiffany Settles.

The Committee discussed all education bills with upcoming hearings and decided to take the following actions:

• Teri agreed to write a letter opposing LB 1150, which would change the tax equity and education opportunity support act (TEEOSA). GNSA is also opposed to this legislation.

• Beth agreed to write a letter opposing LB 1065, which would authorize a school district to hire a chaplain to perform the duties of a school counselor without a certificate issued by the Commissioner of Education

We met on Friday, March 1st. Board committee members present were Sandy Wolfe and Beth Shashikant, along with Dr. Jami Jo Thompson and Tiffany Settles. Board member Teri Bauer was absent.

The Committee discussed

1. The 2024 priority bill list. 

2. LB 1329 - The education package bill that was released. It includes:

• LB 1339- which allows boards to develop policies allowing armed staff in schools 

• LB 673- which provides grant funding for emergency response mapping

• LB 1012 - which  allows QCPUF for safety infrastructure

• LB 962- which  limits maps to Gall-Peters or AuthaGraph projection maps 

• LB 855- which prohibits debt collection for outstanding lunch balances

• LB 1385- which streamlines the process for teaching certificate approval

3. The Committee agreed to email Senators in support of LB 1012 and 1385 and in opposition to 1329 as it is currently written. The committee would like to see legislators include some best practices and mandatory training prior to the authorization of armed staff.  Beth, Sandy and Dr. Thompson all agreed to write letters to ALL senators now and again when the bill hits the agenda for debate/consideration.

4. Another education package is expected to come out of the Education Committee that will deal with funding. The Committee will watch for that.

Future Meetings will be scheduled as needed based upon the daily legislative agenda.

Rationale: 

The Activities Committee met on Monday, February 26, 2024 at noon.

Board Members: Brenda Carhart, Teri Bauer, and Lindsay Dixon were present, along with the following NPS Staff members: Dr. Jami Jo Thompson, Erik Wilson, Jason Settles, John Erwin, Curt Lammers, Amber Lenton, Callan Collins.

John Erwin reviewed the progress and results of the winter activities at the Senior High.  He also discussed the addition of Neuro Training, which will be added to athletic training at the senior high. It is designed for athletes to optimize focus, mental resilience, and mental agility via Virtual Reality brain training. Costs will be covered via the booster club.

Amber Lenton reviewed the progress and results of the winter activities at the Junior High. 

The Committee discussed our Swimming Coops. It will be recommended that we renew our girls swimming coop with Norfolk Catholic, Lutheran High Northeast and Wisner-Pilger Public Schools. It will also be recommended that we add Wayne Public Schools to our Boys Swimming Coop with Norfolk Catholic and Lutheran High Northeast.

Our next meeting is scheduled for noon on Monday, April 29, 2024 at Central Office.

Rationale:  The Curriculum Committee, in their meeting on February 13th, 2024, discussed potential program purchases for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. They recommended the adoption of the Preschool math program, McGraw Hill Building Blocks, based on positive feedback from teachers and its potential to enhance math instruction. Amplify Geometry for Senior High, previously piloted and approved, was deferred for a year to ease the implementation burden on teachers. The K-6th grade math program, iReady, received strong support after a two-year pilot emphasizing problem-solving and critical thinking. For seventh-grade health, "Essential Health Skills for Middle School" was chosen as an updated book for its appropriateness, lack of bias, and alignment with district principles. The Senior High Spanish materials will be renewed for five years, with no new materials considered. The next committee meeting in early fall will include a civics portion on the agenda.

Rationale:  The Norfolk Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors met on February 19, 2024 at the NPS Administration Building. Fifteen board members were present. Board President Jason Busch called the meeting to order. Committees will meet prior to the March Foundation meeting to continue work on marketing, fundraising, and strategic planning goals.

Executive Director, Austin Truex, reported that NPSF scholarships are nearly ready to open for applications. Additionally, the Foundation is planning to establish an ad-hoc committee to engage with NPS staff, exploring how the Foundation is perceived, understood, and expected to work by the educators we are dedicated to supporting.

Rationale:  Minutes from the meetings on February 12, 2024 and February 22, 2024 are attached for review. 

Rationale: 

Bierman, Kiley

• ‘24’-25, English Teacher, Norfolk Junior High

• Bachelor of Arts, Secondary English & Speech Endorsement, Wayne State College, Wayne, NE

• 08/2023-Current, 7-9 English Teacher, Creighton Community Schools, Creighton, NE

Gesell, Amanda

• ‘24-’25, 2nd Grade Teacher, Jefferson Elementary School

• Bachelor of Arts, Early Childhood Education, University of Nebraska-Kearney, NE

• 8/2022-Current, Substitute Teacher, Norfolk Public Schools, Norfolk, NE

• 06/2014-05/2022, Kindergarten Teacher, Pine Grove Elementary School, Parker, CO

Kueter, Emily

• ‘24-’25 Special Education Teacher, Norfolk Senior High

• Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education and Special Education, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, to be conferred May 2024

• Spring 2024, Student Teacher-Special Education, Yankton High School, Yankton, SD

Kuhlman, Michelle

• ‘24-’25 Science Teacher, Norfolk Senior High

• Bachelor of Science, Biological Science Education, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND

• 08/2023-Current, MS/HS Science Teacher, Emerson-Hubbard Community Schools, Emerson, NE

Sharp, Caitlin

• ‘24-’25 Kindergarten Teacher, Lincoln - Montessori Elementary School

• Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education, Wayne State College, Wayne, NE

• 01/2022-Current, Substitute Teacher, Norfolk Public Schools, Norfolk, NE

Swan, Brianne

• ‘24-’25  3rd-4th Grade, Lincoln-Montessori Elementary

• Bachelor of Arts, Early Childhood Education, University of Nebraska-Kearney, NE, to be conferred May 2024

• Fall 2023-Mid-Spring 2024, Pre-K Student Teacher, Little Panthers Preschool, Norfolk, NE

Melcher, Allyson

• ‘24-’25 Assistant Principal, Norfolk Middle School

• Bachelor of Arts, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Master of Science, Wayne State College, Master of Science, University of Nebraska-Kearney
  * 2017-Current, 4th Grade Teacher, Centennial Elementary, Columbus, NE

Hinrichs, Jordan

• ‘24-’25 Dean of Students/Activities Director, Norfolk Junior High School

• Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, Concordia University, Master of Education in Special Education, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Master of Education in Educational Leadership, Doane University
• 2015- present Math and Physics Teacher, HAL Tutor and Coach, Seward High School, Seward, NE

Rationale: 

• Kelly Krueger - Business teacher at Norfolk Senior High, retiring, effective at the end of the 2023-2024 contract year.
• Alicia Dukes - 3rd grade teacher at Grant Elementary, resigning, effective at the end of the 2023-2024 contract year.
• Rhonda Gates - Early Childhood Special Education teacher at Little Panthers Preschool, resigning, effective at the end of the 2023-2024 contract year.
• Sydnie Schilling - 1st grade teacher at Grant Elementary, resigning, effective at the end of the 2023-2024 contract year.
• Liesel Powicki - Title 1 Interventionist at Washington Elementary, resigning, effective at the end of the 2023-2024 contract year.
• Benjamin Sullivan - Social Studies teacher at Norfolk Senior High, resigning, effective at the end of the 2023-2024 contract year.

Rationale:  Attached are the claims for the month of March 2024. These claims were reviewed earlier by our Finance and Facility Committee. 

There are three conflict statements this month that will need to be read before voting.

Rationale:  The Activities Committee has recommended that we continue our long-standing Swimming Coop with Norfolk Catholic High School, Lutheran High Northeast High School, and Wisner-Pilger High School. Once Wisner-Pilger no longer has a girl participating, we will consider adding Wayne Public Schools in their place.

Rationale:  The Activities Committee has recommended that we add Wayne Public Schools to our long-standing Swimming Coop with Norfolk Catholic High School and Lutheran High Northeast High School. Wisner-Pilger does  not have boys interested in participating and will be dropping our girls' coop once their current swimmer graduates. Wayne will be added to the girls' coop at that time.

Rationale:  The following changes are recommended to the classified hourly compensation package.
1. The classified hourly compensation rate should be increased by 4% for 2024-2025. This amount was determined by increasing each employee's pay rate by 4% (the same percentage that was applied to non-supervisory certificated staff.) The estimated cost of this increase is $411,433.
2. Business Office Personnel should be listed as a separate category, as outlined in the attached document.
3. Speech Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA) and Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) should be listed as Specialist examples.

 

Rationale:  The following changes are recommended to the classified salaried compensation package.
1. The classified hourly compensation rate should be increased by 2.39% for 2024-2025. This amount was determined by increasing the base of the classified salary structure by 4% (the same percentage that was applied to non-supervisory certificated staff.) The estimated cost of this increase is $20,199.34.


 

Rationale:  The following changes are recommended to the employment agreement for nurses:
1. The nurses' compensation rate should be increased by 3.44% for 2024-2025. This amount was determined by increasing the base of the nurses' salary structure by 4% (the same percentage that was applied to non-supervisory certificated staff.) The total cost for this increase is $13,198.

Rationale:  The following changes are recommended to the compensation agreement for Sixpence Facilitators.
1. The Sixpence Facilitators' compensation rate should be increased by 4% for 2024-2025. This amount was determined by increasing each employee's pay rate by 4% (the same percentage that was applied to non-supervisory certificated staff.) The estimated cost for this increase is $8,047.15.

Sixpence is a federal grant, Facilitator costs are reimbursed accordingly and on a separate salary schedule, as follows:]
220 days 
$40,000-$50,000 Salary Range for Placement
$182-$227 Per Diem Range
$60,000 Longevity

Rationale:  The following changes are recommended to the administrators compensation package.
1. The administrators compensation rate should be increased by 2.58% for 2024-2025. This amount was determined by increasing the base of the administrators salary structure by 4% (the same percentage that was applied to non-supervisory certificated staff.) The estimated cost of this increase is $83,135.01.
 

Rationale:  Our system for compensating for certificated substitutes has been simplified. Each group will receive at least a 4% compensation increase. See attached for details.

Rationale:  See attached.

Rationale:  This is for the bid to install the new chillers and redo the necessary pipe work at the Senior High. We anticipate bids to come back in April for Board approval; installation work will take place in the Fall if approved. 

Rationale:  The Preschool Administrator and Teachers have invested time into studying 2 math programs for implementation for the Fall of 2024. Building Blocks was found to provide structure, sequence and consistency for math instruction. As mentioned in the Curriculum Report, the program was reviewed and considered carefully. Although the program will likely be used for more than 5 years, the total cost for five years of use actually breaks down to $9.00/student/year. The funds for this program will come from the general curriculum budget. Total cost $9,994.37.

Rationale:  The decision to purchase the Amplify Math program in 7th -11th grade was determined last year. Geometry was intentionally delayed a year to allow overlapping teachers an opportunity to learn one new program at a time. The average cost per student per year is $29. The funds for this program will come from the general curriculum budget. Includes classroom textbooks and online access for both teachers and students for 7 years at a cost of $62,245.08.

Rationale: 

The decision for the K-6 Math program has been under our study since 2020.There has been piloting of 3 different programs. The last 2 years have included exclusive piloting of iReady Math. We have reviewed the progress in the last 2 curriculum committee meetings. Although the cost appears high, the cost per student per year is $38.00. The program will be a six year subscription with scaffolded training opportunities throughout the first year. As I always mention with the core programs for English Language Arts and Math, they always come at a higher cost than other content area counterparts. The average cost per student per year for this program is $38.  Due to foresight, the funds for this program will come from a combination of the general fund and depreciation fund. Includes textbooks, online access and manipulative materials with a 6 year subscription at a cost of $519,074.45. 

Rationale: 

Currently the textbook for the course is outdated with a copyright of 2010. This course has a limited number of sessions- only meeting 82 times/year. Upon completion of the 7th Health Textbook/Resource review, the teachers determined G-W Publisher of Essential Health Skills for Middle School, 4rd Edition (2025) as the resource that best fits the needs of the course while still upholding the integrity of the district's position toward health education. The book contains more age/grade level appropriate language that is free of bias. As a reminder, NPS does not follow the state standards but rather selects their own. The average cost per student per year is less than $2.00 if used for 5 years. The funds for this program will come from the general curriculum budget. Cost of $4,589.19.

Rationale: 

The Senior High Spanish program online access will expire at the end of the year. This program will be renewed for an additional 5 years. This program comes at a cost of $30.00/student per year. The funds for this purchase will come from the general curriculum fund budget. Cost of $89,671.25.  

Rationale:  There have been no changes to these policies since their first reading. Policies are attached. 

Policies 4028-4133 related to personnel:

4028: Appropriate Dress
4029: Fundraising
4030: Wage Information
4031: Injury Leave
4100: Qualifications for Appointment as a Teacher
4101: Qualification for Appointment to Administrative and Supervisory Positions
4110: Contract
4111: Certification
4120: Probationary Certified Employees
4121: Permanent Certified Employees
4130: Assignment of Duties
4131: Agents/Tutors
4132: Student Teachers and Pre-Student Teachers
4133: Substitute Teachers

Rationale: 

The 2nd monthly meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, March 25th, 2024 at Noon. 

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Monday, April 8th, 2024 at 5:30 PM. 

All components of these meetings will be held at the NPS Central Administration Offices and will be open to the public unless an Executive Session is needed in order to protect the interest of the district or the reputation of an individual.

Rationale:  No action will be taken at this meeting. Any changes to the Superintendent's contract must be posted on the school website prior to the Board meeting at which it is voted upon by the Board of Education.