February 9, 2021 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting
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1. LPS BOARD OF EDUCATION INFORMATION
Rationale:
Notice of the time and place of the Lincoln Board of Education meeting was e-mailed to an extensive list of local and regional news media. A mailing list is maintained at the Lincoln Public Schools District Office. A public notice was published in the LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR. |
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2. CALL TO ORDER
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3. ROLL CALL
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4. ANNOUNCE OPEN MEETING ACT POSTING AND LOCATION
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5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Rationale:
The attached minutes are intended to accurately reflect the action of the Board at its previous meetings.
Explanation The minutes have been prepared for Board approval.
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6. SPECIAL REPORTS, PRESENTATIONS AND CELEBRATIONS OF SUCCESS
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6.1. Staff Celebration: Lis Brenden from Lincoln Southwest High School Named 2020 Nebraska Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska Society of Health and Physical Educators
Rationale:
Lis Brenden from Lincoln Southwest High School was named the 2020 Nebraska Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska Society of Health and Physical Educators. This organization’s mission is to promote healthy lifestyles through leadership, professional development and advocacy in the areas of health, physical education, recreation and dance. It’s a state affiliate of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Every year, the organization recognizes educators for their exemplary leadership and programming in the categories of health and high school, middle school, elementary and adapted physical education.
EXPLANATION:The Nebraska Society of Health and Physical Educators named Lis Brenden the 2020 Adapted Physical Education Teacher of the Year. The organization said this about Brenden when announcing the honor: "Lis Brenden is a true advocate for students with special needs in the classroom, school and community. Two years ago, she volunteered and initiated piloting the first unified physical education class in Lincoln Public Schools. She works closely with the Special Education Department to co-teach this amazing opportunity for students of all abilities. She is always looking at innovative ways to modify equipment to fit her students’ needs so all can fully participate in class. She shares her passion by leading training to assist other teachers who are interested in incorporating a unified P.E. program in their school." |
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6.2. Staff Celebration - Mallory Nutt from Randolph Elementary School Named the 2020 Nebraska Elementary School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska Society of Health and Physical Educators
Rationale:
Mallory Nutt from Randolph Elementary School was named the 2020 Nebraska Elementary School Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska Society of Health and Physical Educators. This organization’s mission is to promote healthy lifestyles through leadership, professional development and advocacy in the areas of health, physical education, recreation and dance. It’s a state affiliate of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Every year, the organization recognizes educators for their exemplary leadership and programming in the categories of health and high school, middle school, elementary and adapted physical education.
The Nebraska Society of Health and Physical Educators named Mallory Nutt from Randolph Elementary School the 2020 Elementary School Physical Education Teacher of the Year. The organization said this about Nutt when announcing the honor: "Nutt always goes above and beyond for her students and fellow teachers. Her classroom is very energetic, fully inclusive for all students, and she uses a variety of technology to make it fun and engaging. As if her work within her school district weren’t enough, she also led a statewide Twitter chat to help Nebraska teachers get through the shift to e-learning in the spring. Mallory is not only an asset to her school but also the state. She integrates mindfulness and social and emotional wellness into every class. You will see her actively participating alongside her students. She truly leads by example in class and out." |
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6.3. Update - 2020 LPS Pandemic Plan & Procedures and Action if Needed
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7. PUBLIC COMMENT
Rationale:
In the interest of maintaining the orderly decorum of the Lincoln School Board's meetings, the following rules are established for the conduct of all person attending a meeting of the Lincoln Board of Education and for those participating in public comment:
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8. CONSENT AGENDA
Rationale:
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8.1. Human Resources Matters
Rationale:
The Human Resources Division also includes the Office of Risk Management. As such, in addition to the Lincoln Board of Education approving all contractual agreements with employees, all employee benefit issues, all personnel actions, and all other matters within the scope of the Human Resources Division, as part of the Human Resources Matters agenda; the Lincoln Board of Education also must approve the settlement of Workers’ Compensation claims, take action on tort claims filed against the district, and take action on all other matters within the scope of the Office of Risk Management.
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8.2. Routine Business
Rationale:
At each meeting, the Board of Education is asked to approve certain items of routine business of the school district.
Explanation The items included in routine business for this meeting are: a. REGULAR CLAIMS - Claims for the period ending February 9, 2021, were previously provided. Federal Tax ACH Deposit of $5,983,298.74. State Tax ACH Deposit of $933,807.08. Procurement Card ACH Transfer of $67,588.87. Child Support ACH Transfer of $15,612.34. Blue Cross/Blue Shield ACH Transfer of $5,861,028.07. Term Life/Disability ACH Transfer of $191,062.61. b. PAYROLL FOR RATIFICATION - Payroll for the periods ending January 19 and 29, 2021, in the amount of $17,003,704.28. c. GIFTS - Approval for the gifts listed on the attached gift report.
d. BIDS/CONTRACTS/OTHER ROUTINE BUSINESS - Bids/contracts/other routine business will be presented for approval for digital media subscriptions; items listed for auction; and any other bids/contracts/routine business as presented. Proposal
That the Lincoln Board of Education approve the following items of routine business: a. The regular claims for period ending February 9, 2021.
b. Payroll for the periods ending January 19 and 29, 2021.
c. Gifts for Southwest and the district.
d. Bids/contracts/other routine business for digital media subscriptions; items listed for auction; and any other bids/contracts/routine business as presented.
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9. FIRST READING, ACTION AT NEXT MEETING
Rationale:
*The Lincoln Board of Education is empowered to act on any item listed on the Agenda at any time during the meeting, irrespective of the time or order listed. Pages listed, or further detail, are available upon request. The Open Meetings Act requires and the intention of the Board is that agenda items be sufficiently descriptive to give the public reasonable notice of the matters to be considered at the meeting. The Lincoln Board of Education Board releases its agenda well in advance of most meetings and desires that all interested persons are fully informed. Any interested person who has a question or needs clarification about the sufficiency of a descriptive item should contact the Office of the Superintendent of Schools.
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9.1. From Board Committees
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9.1.1. Resolution Regarding School Health Screenings
Rationale:
Title 173 Chapter 7 of the Nebraska School Rules and Regulations sets the guidance for school health screenings, including: vision screening, hearing screening, dental screening and height/weight screening. These screenings are required in Early Childhood, Kindergarten, and grades 1-4, 7, and 10.
Due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible that not every student who is to be screened in the 2020-21 school year, particularly remote learners, will be available for screening due to parents not making their child(ren) available in the school setting for the mandated screening (or making their child available for a health care provider screening). Explanation Efforts have been made to screen all required students including those who are attending remotely, with efforts including offering families the opportunity to come to the school setting for screening and encouraging families to take their children to health care providers. School nurses have contacted families of remote learners, information on screening is available on the district website, and families of remote learners received a district communication concerning required screenings and options for completion. Despite these efforts it is likely some students who are to be screened in 2020-21 school will not be screened. District health staff is committed to conducting school health screenings this year and next school year for those students who are not screened this year. The attached Resolution acknowledges the challenges presented by the pandemic to health screening completion and waives the screening mandate for students who cannot be screened in the 2020-21 school year. Proposal That the Board discuss the attached Resolution Regarding School Health Screenings.
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9.1.2. Proposed Student Calendar for 2023-2024 School Year
Rationale:
Each year a joint LPS/LEA committee, composed of a Board member, parents, teachers, and administrators, recommends a student calendar to the Board for consideration. The Board adopted calendar variables to guide the Calendar Committee’s work in meeting the goal of creating a school calendar that demonstrates the district’s commitment to learning.
EXPLANATION:The Calendar Committee began work in September 2020 to consider a student calendar for 2023-24. The committee met and developed two initial options, both of which met all of the requirements outlined in the Board’s calendar variables. To collect community and parent feedback, a survey was sent to LEA Faculty Representatives, Community Curriculum Council members, district-wide PTO, PTA and Booster Club leaders, and facilitators of CLC Community Cafes. The results of the survey clearly supported one option, which the Calendar Committee is now recommending to the Board.
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9.2. From the Superintendent
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9.2.1. Park Indoor Air Quality Construction Project #10077
Rationale:
Sealed bids were received on February 4, 2021, from interested vendors, to provide Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) construction of the Park Middle School IAQ project
Explanation
It is recommended that award be made to the lowest responsible vendor meeting specifications: Hausmann Construction, Inc. (Lincoln, Nebraska) $16,716,000.00 There were two other bidders: Sampson Construction Co., Inc. (Lincoln, Nebraska) $16,914,000.00 BIC Construction, LLC (Lincoln, Nebraska) $17,660,000.00 A complete tabulation is available in the Purchasing Department. This will be a total expenditure of $16,716,000.00 from the 2020 Bond Fund and other appropriate building funds. Proposal The Board, by approving this agreement with Hausmann Construction, Inc., is approving the award, the contract documents for this project, and all associated documents related thereto according to the terms and conditions as on file with district records or such other or additional terms and provisions as negotiated and approved by the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs or a designee, and the Board is hereby delegating to and authorizing the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs or a designee to sign, execute, and deliver the contract documents and all such related documents, make all contract payments, and to take or cause to be taken any and all other action and sign any other documents as may be necessary to complete the transaction, and to administer, operate, and/or implement the contract and all associated documents related thereto on a day-to-day basis during this project as contemplated thereby, for and on behalf of this school district, and hereby designates the Director of Operations, or another person as selected by the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs or a designee from time to time as its program administrator under this agreement. |
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9.2.2. FAA Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Grant Program
Rationale:
Airline industry projections for workforce needs in the future are alarming. Boeing, leading manufacturer of airlines in the U.S., predicts a world demand of 754,000 new technicians by 2037. The global aviation maintenance technician workforce will need to add almost 38,000 new technicians annually in order to meet the projected demand.
In passing the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, Congress focused anew on addressing the projected shortages of skills in the aviation industry by directing the establishment of an Aviation Workforce Development Grant Program. The goal of this new program is to provide grants to eligible projects to support the education and recruitment of aviation maintenance technical workers and the development of the aviation maintenance workforce. Explanation To support the local workforce needs in this area, the Lincoln Public Schools Curriculum Department is partnering with Duncan Aviation to develop and launch the LPS Aviation Focus Program at North Star. This program is focused on helping students identify the best aviation track for them and exposing them to a variety of potential aviation-related careers, with an emphasis on aviation maintenance. Using the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) High School STEM Curriculum, LPS began offering 2 courses in aviation during the 2019-2020 school year at Lincoln North Star High School serving 45 students. LPS then added two additional AOPA curriculum courses the following year (2020-2021), serving 60 students. With interest growing, the Aviation Maintenance Grant will now help LPS launch the Aviation Focus Program, which will expand course offerings and provide students with hands-on learning experiences in the field of aviation maintenance. The Aviation Focus Program is being designed to take a holistic approach when it comes to recruitment of students, course offerings, work-based learning opportunities, and higher education opportunities for students. Thus, the Aviation Maintenance Grant will be used for a number of things that support this holistic approach including developing marketing materials, developing curriculum, purchasing equipment, developing an internship program at Duncan Aviation, funding teacher professional development, and establishing student scholarships. Proposal That the Board discuss the submission by Lincoln Public Schools of the Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development Grant application to the Federal Aviation Administration for up to $500,000. This grant has no match requirement. The proposal is due March 22, 2021. |
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10. SECOND READING, RECOMMENDED FOR ACTION
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10.1. From Board Committees
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10.2. From the Superintendent
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10.2.1. Resolution for Option Enrollment Students 2021-22
Rationale:
Nebraska students may attend a school other than the one in the district in which they reside under the option enrollment statutes.
Explanation The attached resolution would admit any K-12 option students who meet the statutory and legal conditions and whose application is received by August 6, 2021. The resolution specifies the circumstances under which late-filed applications would be accepted. Proposal That the Board approve the option resolution for the 2021-22 school year.
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10.2.2. District WiFi Infrastructure #10052
Rationale:
The CLASS technology plan includes budget resources to update the wireless network (Wi-Fi) infrastructure throughout the district after the equipment has been in service for six years. The proposed equipment will update the LPS network to the WiFi 6 standard in all locations.
WiFi 6 is the next generation WiFi networking standard providing greater throughput and more reliable connectivity in areas congested with high concentrations of devices. The continued expansion in the number and different types of devices in the district, along with an increase in reliance upon the connectivity of those devices to meet instructional objectives, reinforces the decision to implement a more capable and up-to-date WiFi infrastructure. Explanation
The majority of devices on the LPS network use wireless connectivity to access resources. It is the only form of network connectivity for the district’s 45,000 Chromebooks and 9,000+ iPads and it is the primary method used by more than 4,000 staff members to connect district-issued laptops. Currently, over 90% of the clients on the network connect via wireless and the LPS network hosts up to 100,000 devices every day. A robust, reliable, and resilient wireless network plays a critical role in the instructional, operational, and administrative work of the district. The existing wireless equipment is nearing end of support from the manufacturer. Most of the current wireless access points are at least seven years old. Aruba is beginning to remove support for these devices. The hardware update will allow network upgrades and improvements to continue to occur. In compliance with Federal E-rate procurement requirements, sealed proposals for Wireless Network Infrastructure, including Access Points and associated software licensing, were sought via Request for Proposal #10052. Eight responses were received and the associated solutions were analyzed based on an E-rate compliant rubric. It is recommended that the Board award a purchase to Datavizion LLC (Lincoln, NE) to purchase 4,504 Aruba wireless access points, associated management and security software and five years of support and maintenance for the equipment and software.
As indicated in the table above, the district has filed all appropriate forms with the Federal E-Rate program to receive Category Two funding of 60% on eligible goods and services.
This will be an expenditure of $1,664,975.26 from CLASS plan Funds with partial reimbursement being sought from the Federal E-Rate Program. Proposal The Board, by approving this purchase with DataVison LLC., is approving the provisions of the agreement and all associated documents related thereto according to the terms and conditions as presented or such other or additional terms and provisions as negotiated and approved by the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs or a designee, and the Board is hereby delegating to and authorizing the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs or a designee to sign, execute, and deliver such documents, and to take or cause to be taken any and all other action and sign any other documents as may be necessary to complete the transaction, and to administer, operate, and implement the same on a day to day basis during its term as contemplated thereby, for and on behalf of this school district. |
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11. EXPEDITED/EMERGENCY ACTIONS
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12. ITEM(S) REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA
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13. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS/REPORTS
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13.1. From Board Committees
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13.2. From The Career Academy
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13.3. From the Superintendent
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13.3.1. Superintendent Update
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14. ANNOUNCEMENTS OF UPCOMING EVENTS FOR THE BOARD
Rationale:
February 10 - Special Mtg/Midwest Plains & Equity Training, LPSDO, 9:00 a.m.
February 11 - Arnold/Air Park Community Cafe, Zoom, 6:30 p.m. February 17 - GNSA Meeting, Zoom, 9:30 a.m. February 23 - Board Meeting, LPSDO, 6:00 p.m. |
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15. PUBLIC COMMENT
Rationale:
In the interest of maintaining the orderly decorum of the Lincoln School Board's meetings, the following rules are established for the conduct of all person attending a meeting of the Lincoln Board of Education and for those participating in public comment:
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16. REQUEST FOR CLOSED SESSION
Rationale:
The Lincoln Board of Education is authorized by state statute to hold a closed session by the affirmative vote of a majority of its voting members if a closed session is clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual. The subject matter and the reason necessitating the closed session are to be identified in the motion to close. Closed sessions may be held for, but shall not be limited to, such the subject matter and the reasons set forth in the Proposal section below.
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16.1. Request for Closed Session - Negotiations/Collective Bargaining, Property/Real Estate, Litigation, Security, Criminal Misconduct, Personnel, and Legal Advice Matters
Rationale:
The Lincoln Board of Education is authorized by state statute to hold closed sessions. Closed sessions may be held when clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual. Reasons that meet this standard include but are not limited to: (a) strategy sessions with respect to collective bargaining, real estate matters, pending litigation, or litigation which is imminent as evidenced by communication of a claim or threat of litigation to or by the public body; (b) discussion regarding deployment of security personnel or devices; (c) investigative proceedings regarding allegations of criminal misconduct; (d) evaluation of the job performance of a person when necessary to prevent needless injury to the reputation of a person and if such person has not requested a public meeting; and (e) legal advice.
Explanation
At this point, it is appropriate for the Board to meet in closed session for one of the stated matters and/or any other permissible closed session matters in compliance with the law. That the Board hold a closed session: 1. For strategy session with respect to negotiations/collective bargaining clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual in compliance with the law. 2. For strategy session with respect to property/real estate matters clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual in compliance with the law.
3. For strategy session with respect to pending litigation, or litigation which is imminent as evidenced by communication of a claim or threat of litigation to or by the public body clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual in compliance with the law.
4. For discussion regarding deployment of security personnel or devices clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual in compliance with the law.
5. For investigative proceedings regarding allegations of criminal misconduct clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual in compliance with the law.
6. For personnel and the evaluation of job performance clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual in compliance with the law.
7. For discussions of the legal consequences of specific action and legal advice clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual in compliance with the law. |
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17. ADJOURNMENT
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