February 24, 2025 at 12:00 PM - Board of Education 2nd Monthly 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:  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 three minutes and the total cumulative time for all public comments will be limited to 30 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.

Additional procedural guidelines are available at the media table.

Rationale: 

The total amount of claims to be approved on the consent agenda by specific fund are listed below:

General Fund = $244,878.83

Nutrition Fund = $315,321.39

Cooperative Fund = $260.00

Subsidiary Fund = $8,221.07

Special Building Fund = $301.80

Senior High Activity Fund = $40,885.04

Junior High Activity Fund = $6,407.23

Student Fee Fund = $5,573.00

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

Rationale:  Minutes from the meeting on February 10, 2025 are attached for review. 

Rationale: 

Cho, Tia

• Kindergarten Teacher, Woodland Park Elementary

• Bachelor’s Degree, Elementary Education & Special Education, Wayne State College, Wayne, NE, to be conferred 5/2025

• January 2025-present, Student Teacher at Lincoln Montessori & Westside Elementary Schools, Norfolk, NE

Rationale:  Zach Ahrenholtz - Social Studies Teacher, Norfolk Senior High - resigning at the end of the 2024-2025 school year

Sandra Gaspers - Special Education Teacher, Norfolk Catholic Schools - resigning at the end of the 2024-2025 school year

Brent Gatzemeyer - Physical Education Teacher, Norfolk Senior High - resigning at the end of the 2024-2025 school year

Traceten Halley - Physical Education Teacher, Norfolk Junior High - resigning at the end of the 2024-2025 school year

Taya Johnson - 4th Grade Teacher, Jefferson - resigning at the end of the 2024-2025 school year

Megan Mueller - Special Education Teacher, Bel Air - resigning at the end of the 2024-2025 school year

Alyssa Seier - Special Education, Norfolk Senior High - resigning at the end of the 2024-2025 school year

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

There are 4 conflict statements that need to be read before voting. 

Rationale:  We have completed the negotiation process and approved the Certified and School Psych. agreements for 2025/26. The following are the proposed 25/26 salary schedules and agreements for all other groups. The first document shows the breakdown for all groups. This motion is to approve the classified hourly salary schedule. It includes adding $0.12 to the base and $0.51 for all existing employees. 

Rationale:  As with the previous group, this is the proposed salary schedule for 25/26. There is no increase to the base, it stays the same as 24/25. Cost to the district is 3.45% increase. That equates to a $1,695.33 increase for existing classified salaried employees. 

Rationale:  Nurses have a similar salary structure as teachers. I have applied the 3.45% total cost to the district to the nurses base salary schedule for 25/26. They also do not have a contract but there has been an updated Employment Agreement attached that brings their agreement more in line with what has been negotiated in the Certified Teachers Contract.

Rationale:  This is the admin salary schedule for 25/26. There has been no change in this from the 24/25 schedule. The 3.45% increase is applied to the base for existing employees, which equals a $3038 increase. 

Rationale:  This proposal is the same salary increase for the Superintendent as what was presented for all other administrators.  A $3,038 salary increase to Dr. Thompson's contract would be a 1.23% increase for her for 25/26.

This is only a discussion item. Dr. Thompson's salary cannot be approved today, as her contract and salary schedule D must be updated (once I receive direction from the Board regarding how to proceed) and it needs to be posted on the website for a minimum of three days prior to Board action. 

Rationale: 

The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Monday, March 10th, 2025 at 5:30 PM. 

The 2nd monthly meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, March 24th, 2025 at Noon.

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:  See attached resolution.