November 9, 2026 at 7:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion: 

Notice of the meeting was given in advance thereof by publication in the Holdrege Daily Citizen, the School District's designated method for giving notice, and posting at the Loomis Public Schools, Loomis Village Office and Loomis Post Office, a copy of the Affidavit of Publication being attached to these Minutes.  Notice of this meeting was given in advance to all members of the Board of Education, and a copy of their Acknowledgment of Receipt of Notice is attached to these Minutes. Availability of the Agenda was communicated in the advance notice and in the notice to the members of this meeting.  The President publicly stated to all in attendance that a current copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act was available for review and indicated the location of such copy in the room where the meeting was being held.  All proceedings of the Board were taken while the convened meeting was open to the attendance of the public.

Discussion:  Receipts $247,502.46, expenses $394,319.16, balance $2,051,465.30

Discussion:  Depreciation:  Receipts $13,784.94, expenses $ 0, balance $1,716,997.55
Bond:  Receipts $8,418.73, expenses $221,025.00, balance $168,791.89

Discussion:  Receipts $37,808.70, expenses $11,891.52, balance $126,271.97

Discussion:  Receipts $23,326.30, expenses $28,779.61, balance $(15,989.65)

Discussion:  Receipts $9,509.32, expenses $0, balance $508,974.88

Discussion:  Booster Club interviewed Sunflowers Grant Writers to help them find and apply for grants to build a track.  PCCF would like to see more funds coming in before they are interested in awarding grant funding for the track project.  They purchased youth and jr high wrestling singlets.  Purchased the drink station for outdoor sports.  The Wolf Den drink sales have been very profitable.  

Discussion:  Health Insurance premiums increased from last year.  Negotiations for 2027-2028 have begun.

Discussion:  The Veterans Day ceremony is planned for November 11th. Mattie Bell will be our speaker. She currently has a PK student and a kindergartner. Breakfast will be at 9:00 and the program will be at 10:00. The Air Force Band will be performing sometime in March. I will let you know when that date is finalized. Our next meeting is March 4th. 

Discussion:  27 Policies for approval

Discussion:  Mower & skid loader will be replaced.  Wresting mat and h-vac systems 

Discussion:  We are looking for beef to purchase for the lunch program.

Discussion:  Marcy Luth reviewed the 2025-2026 annual audit.

Discussion: 

Mrs. Thorell’s Board Report

November 9, 2026

October In-Service
On October 22, we held an in-service day for certified staff, along with a Quiz Bowl tournament and MTSS meetings throughout the day. We began with small-group discussions and reflective questions to give staff time to connect, share experiences, and support one another in the demanding work of education. The experience was meaningful, and staff feedback was positive. I also reviewed school safety protocols, particularly important with several new staff members joining us this year. Throughout the day, our coaches, Jenny Cox and Hannah Squiers, and high school students, and other staff volunteers helped run the Quiz Bowl tournament by reading questions, keeping time, and recording scores. Their hard work earned several well-deserved compliments.

Lockdown Drill
On November 3, we conducted our first lockdown drill of the school year. Staff had reviewed procedures during the October in-service, and I sent a reminder outlining protocol the day before the drill. Overall, the drill went well, with a few areas identified for clarification. I shared a follow-up recap with staff and created brief emergency reference sheets for substitute teachers. These have been placed in substitute folders to help ensure that anyone working in our building has access to important procedures. Continued review and practice will help strengthen our preparedness and maintain a safe environment for students and staff.

APL Refresher
After asking staff at the beginning of the year what they would like to discuss during staff meetings, one common request was a refresher on our APL instructional strategies. With new staff who may be unfamiliar with the model and veteran staff who have used it for years, I wanted to make the review engaging for everyone. I introduced an APL Challenge and created a poster highlighting the top eight strategies. Each Monday, staff receive a strategy to use in their classrooms and can submit a photo showing it in action. The first elementary and first high school teachers to submit evidence receive a certificate for a free jeans or athleisure day. On Fridays, I announce the winners and share submitted photos so staff can learn from one another. This has been a fun way to build familiarity with APL, encourage collaboration, and celebrate effective instruction.

Veterans Day Program
We are looking forward to hosting our Veterans Day program on November 11. Mrs. Maaske and the senior class have been working hard to organize a breakfast for local veterans and their families, which will be prepared by our kitchen staff. Seniors have sent invitations and helped coordinate the morning’s events. Breakfast will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by a program open to the public at 10:00 a.m. Mrs. Norris has been preparing students to sing during the program, and local veteran and Loomis Public Schools parent Mattie Bell will serve as our guest speaker. We appreciate everyone helping make this event possible and look forward to honoring those who have served our country and community.

Family Literacy Support Through CLSD Grant Funding
We have partnered with the ESU and utilized CLSD grant funding to purchase customized literacy packs from Just Right Reader for our Tier 2 students and families. These materials are designed to strengthen reading skills while encouraging literacy practice at home. The packs include high-interest fiction and nonfiction books that support students in developing skills such as reading multisyllabic words, using text features to locate information, organizing ideas, and understanding more complex details. These books will be a valuable resource for providing continued reading practice and creating opportunities for families to read together. This partnership allows us to extend literacy support beyond the classroom and strengthen the connection between school and home.

Discussion:  Rationale:
Surplus items -  have sold some of the projectors and swingset.  welders will be available later
Additional Para -  received a promising applicant
Project updates - footings are poured, plumbing will be worked on this week, 
State Education Conference -  Scott, Denny and Nate will be attending
New Board Member Workshop - all three new members will be attending
Superintendent evaluation schedule - 
Mon. Nov. 9^th - Sun. Nov. 15^th: Superintendent completes the self-evaluation 
Tue. Nov. 17^th: NASB sends board self-evaluation results
Tue. Nov. 17^th - Sun. Nov. 29^th: Board members complete their evaluations
Final Report & Executive Summary will be emailed to the board president by Mon. Dec 7^th (The board president will also receive a follow up call from a Board Leadership Team Member to discuss results.)
Bus Update  -  several vehicles needed new tires
Give to Grow  - 
Legislative update coming up via zoom.

Discussion:  None taken

Discussion:  The next regular meeting will be held December 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 117, Loomis Public School Media Center.

Discussion:  Meeting adjourned at 8:51 p.m.