July 8, 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:  Enrollment Analysis and Boundary Revision Process

Rationale:  Following an Enrollment Analysis Presentation by RSP & Associates, the Board will engage in a Boundary Criteria Prioritization Activity.

Rationale:  It is customary for the District Business Manager to serve as the District Treasurer. Therefore, it is my recommendation that the Board appoint Mr. Erik Wilson to fill this role. 

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 by specific fund are listed below:

General Fund = $426,089.67

Nutrition Fund = $2,719.24

Cooperative Fund = $57,812.63

Subsidiary Fund = $4,789.77

Depreciation Fund = $90,974.40

Special Building Fund = $45,856.00

Senior High Activity Fund = $16,491.58

Junior High Activity Fund = $1,816.70

Student Fee Fund = $1,490.00

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

Rationale:  I was able to travel with a group of 32 teachers and principals to the PLC at Work Institute from June 10-12 in Minneapolis.  This was a great opportunity for us to learn from educators from around the country.  Each day we attended a keynote presentation as well as breakout sessions of our choice.  All of the sessions centered around the key idea of PLC, which is focusing the work of teachers on improving student learning through professional collaboration.  The group learned a lot and we are excited to bring some of these things back to our colleagues.  Those ideas will help us improve the things we already do during our weekly PLC time. 

Rationale:  In compliance with Nebraska State School Law LB 399, the American Civics Bill, all building Americanism Compliance Reports have been submitted to the Director of Teaching and Learning Office. Teacher reports have been submitted to building administrators on American Civics and are filed within the building for review as needed.
Compliance reports confirm that the building’s social studies curriculum stresses the required patriotic themes. Above curriculum requirements, buildings have conducted appropriate patriotic exercises for the following observations as well as the senior high required American Civics Assignment: George Washington’s birthday, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, Native American Heritage Day, Constitution Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving Day.

Rationale:  In compliance with the State Board of Education Rule 10 and LB 79-719 Norfolk Public Schools has completed multicultural education requirements for the school year 2023-24.

The philosophy of the multicultural education program is that students will have improved ability to function as productive members of society when  provided with: (a) an understanding of diverse cultures and races, the manner in which the existence of diverse cultures and races have affected the history of our nation and the world, and of the contributions made by diverse cultures and races and (b) the ability and skills to be sensitive toward and to study, work and live successively with persons of diverse cultures and races. The mission of the multicultural education program is to prepare students to: (a) value and respect their own culture and race and cultures and races other than their own and (b) eliminate stereotypes and different treatment of others based on culture and race. The mission shall also include preparing students to eliminate stereotypes and discrimination or harassment of others based on ethnicity, religion, gender, socioeconomic status, age, or disability.

Total lessons in required reporting categories are as follows.
African Americans-1095
Hispanic Americans-1140
Native Americans-790
Asian Americans-751
European Americans- 1458

Rationale: 

June 4-6th our building principals and their teams participated in systems of support training through ESU 8 and NDE. Day 1 was for building administrators, in which they reviewed progress and planned for the needed steps moving forward.  Day 2 the PK-4 building teams met and Day 3 the 5-12 building teams met. The teaming days addressed Tier 1 Core, Data-Based Individualization (DBI), Tier 2 Targeted/CICO. 

At Administrators days I will be attending sessions around Special Education, ELL and MTSS. The conference is being held by NDE and NCSA, July 24-26 in Kearney. 

Student Programs will have team meetings in the early weeks of August to discuss program goals for the 2024-2025 school year.

Rationale: 

• Handbooks are on the agenda as we look to finalize these for the start of this coming school year.  

• The interior door lock project is finishing up.  All interior doors across the district will be able to be locked from inside the classroom/room via a push button or switch.  

• We will be starting our exterior door lock project on all buildings this week.  Each building will have access points for staff to enter via their school ID.  

• We are preparing for fall registration.  Information about online registration through Infinite Campus will be sent to parents and guardians around July 15.  In order to expedite the enrollment process, we are sending information to current families to set up their Parent Portal accounts.  We understand there will be some growing pains with this new online process, but in the long run it will help eliminate back to school lines while cutting down on printing multiple documents.

Rationale: 

The NPS Job Fair will be held on July 22 from 4:00 - 6:00 pm at Central Office for our classified positions.  We are inviting all job seekers to come and talk with our building principals.  Those attending the job fair can fill out applications ahead of time or they will be able to fill out applications on site.  We are hiring for paraprofessionals, custodians, and drivers.

The 2024-2025 school year will begin in less than a month for our staff.  New staff will report on July 31 for training and all staff will report on August 6.  The Back To School staff schedule will soon be shared with all staff.  Applications are now being accepted for substitute teachers and paraprofessionals for the 2024-2025 school year.

Rationale:  * NASB Board Candidate Workshop
* Future Public Comment Procedures
 

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

The committee reviewed claims and financial reports.

A facilities update was given regarding the Middle School construction project and the interior/exterior door locks project. The committee also discussed various summer projects currently happening. 

Mr. Wilson shared the timeline for the budget planning process.

Our next Finance and Facilities Committee meeting is scheduled for August 12, 2024.

Rationale: 

The Policy Committee met electronically to discuss Policy 6700 regarding firearms in schools. There has been confusion among schools regarding LB 1329 because it contained two sections. The first section, which allowed schools to determine whether or not to allow school employees to carry firearms, only applied to Class I and Class II schools. However, the second section applied to ALL schools. That part allowed off-duty police officers to carry firearms on school grounds.  We, like many schools, missed that fact. Therefore, we have updated Policy 6700 to allow off duty police officers to carry firearms on school grounds.

This is the only change made to this policy.

No other policies have been revised since their first reading.

Rationale: 

The Activities Committee met at noon on July 1, 2024. All committee members were present. 

The Committee discussed several items related to Pink Panthers and recommended the following:

1. Pink Panthers should be permitted to participate in the Nationals Dance Team Competition on an every other year basis, contingent upon qualification, as there is no cost to the district.

2. Pink Panthers should expand participation to include both a competitive dance team and a game day team (for dancers who prefer not to participate in dance competitions). 

3. Administration should re-assess the student activity fee for Pink Panthers.

The Committee also reviewed the transportation guidelines outlining when coaches and sponsors may utilize Arrow for transportation. These guidelines will be shared with all coaches and sponsors.

Our next Activities Committee will be scheduled for late August.

Rationale: 

The Norfolk Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors met on Monday, June 17th. Thirteen board members were present.  

The 2024 Norfolk Area Big Give took place last month, and the Foundation fundraised for the Panther Packs program which brought in $2,540.00 and ranked 14th out of the 30 participating local non-profit organizations. The NHS Poetry Club wrote some excellent poems for donors who requested them.

Congratulations to the 2023 Classroom Grant recipients! The Classroom Grant selection committee met in May and selected 42 classroom grants for a total of $22,000 for projects and programs that will benefit students across Norfolk Public Schools at all grade levels. NPSF is proud to support students and teachers in the classrooms.

Rationale:  Minutes from the meeting on June 24, 2024 are attached for review. 

Rationale:  Attached are the claims. These claims were reviewed earlier by our Finance and Facilities Committee. 

There are no conflict statements this month.

Rationale:  2024-2025 Little Panthers Preschool Student Handbook Attached

Rationale:  2024-2025 Elementary School Student Handbook attached

Rationale:  2024-2025 Middle School Student Handbook attached

Rationale:  2024-2025 Junior High School Student Handbook attached

Rationale:  2024-2025 Senior High School Student Handbook attached

Rationale:  Due to Snow Days, our 3 year olds at Little Panthers Preschool did not meet NDE's instructional hour requirement in 2023-2024. Therefore, we are recommending that on October 17, 2024 and February 13, 2025 (Parent Teacher Conference Days) we will hold both AM and PM 3 year old classes with substitute teachers. Previously, we did not have 3 year old classes on those days because we needed teachers to be available for parent teacher conferences. We will now hold half day class on those two dates with substitutes, while the teachers hold parent-teacher conferences in other areas of the building. 

This will give us a total of 462 hours for our three year old program, allowing us enough "wiggle room" in our calendar for  three snow days.

No changes have been made to this calendar for our four year olds.  They will continue with an 11:15 dismissal on October 17th and February 13th like the elementary buildings so that they can hold PT Conferences from 1:00-4:00. 

Rationale:  We have some older trailers that are not meeting our needs for transporting our mowers and skid loader safely around town. Our maintenance team would like to trade in those 2 mower trailers and 1 flat bed trailer for replacements. Board policy requires permission from the board, in order to sell or dispose of district equipment. We feel there is good value yet in these trailers for trade in as we look to replace them with newer, higher load rated equipment. 

Rationale:  See attached resolution.

Rationale: 

No changes have been made to these policies since their first reading except to Board policy 6700, otherwise known as the Firearms Policy.

There were two sections to this firearm legislation LB 1329.  The first section, which allowed schools to determine whether or not to allow school employees to carry firearms only applied to Class I and Class II schools, but the second part applied to ALL schools. That part allowed off-duty police officers to carry firearms on school grounds.  Therefore, we have updated  Policy 6700 allow "off duty cops" to carry firearms on school grounds.


 

Rationale:  No changes have been made to this policy since its first reading last month. However, it has been listed as a separate item, as discussion is anticipated.

Rationale: 

This is a new policy drafted by our school attorney due to changes in state statute regarding preschool enrollment.  No changes have been made to the policy since its first reading last month.

 

Rationale: 

This is a new policy based upon LB 43's First Freedom Act. It will allow  students who are members of an indigenous tribe to wear tribal regalia on school grounds as long as the tribal regalia does not interfere with the educational process or endanger another person.

No new changes have been made to this policy since its first reading last month.

Rationale:  This policy and practice are no longer necessary, as LB705 shifted the responsibility of the textbook loan program from school districts to the Nebraska Department of Education.

It is recommended that the Board rescind this policy.

Rationale: 

The 2nd monthly meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, July 22nd, 2024 at Noon. 

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Monday, August 12th, 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.