July 11, 2016 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

1. The Board of Education reserves the right to enter into Closed/Executive Session for 1) the protection of public interest or 2) the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual, and the individual has not requested a public meeting. When making a motion to enter into Closed/Executive Session, the member making such a request should be as specific as possible keeping the previously listed stipulation in consideration. 
2. If the Board is in agreement, a motion maybe to enter into Closed/Executive Session to 1) discuss a personnel matter, or 2) for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of the individual, or 3) to discuss litigation and for the protection of the public interest.
3. Action concerning matters discussed in Closed/Executive Session will be acted upon in open session

Welcome to the Dundy County Stratton Public Schools Board of Education Meeting.  The Board welcomes citizens to attend board meetings to become acquainted with the programs and operations of the district.  Members of the public are also encouraged to share their ideas and opinions with the Board during the agenda item labeled “Public Items”.  Comments or questions from the audience at any other time during the meeting except for the agenda item “Public Items” will out of necessity be declared out of order.

The Nebraska Open Meetings Act prevents the board from speaking to a matter that is not on the agenda.  Please understand that the board may be unable to address your issue during the meeting.  It is not permissible for the board to comment on items not listed for the protection of the public’s right to know and participate in the discussion of items that do come before the board and stated appropriately in the meeting agenda.  

During this agenda item “Public Items” we ask that you abide by the following rules:

Public Comment Protocol and Procedures

1. Anyone wishing to speak to the board on specific agenda items or on other topics relevant to board business must complete a Public Comment Request Card and submit it to the Board President prior to the opening of the meeting.   The public will only be recognized and their comments heard at Item “Public Items” on the board agenda.  The total time allotted for the public comment will not exceed thirty minutes and each member of the public will be allotted not more than five minutes to address the Board.  If a group wishes to speak, please designate one spokesperson for the group.
   
   
2. Please state your name and the topic you are addressing before you begin.  
   
   
3. Speakers are asked to direct their questions and comments to the chair.  A member of the Board of Education or the Superintendent may direct clarifying questions to the chair, but the board will not under any circumstance enter into a debate with any the member of the public.
   
   
4. Speakers may offer objective criticism of district operations and programs, but the Board would encourage members of the public to address complaints concerning individual district personnel through the proper chain of command.  The chair may direct the member of the public to the appropriate means to address concerns brought before the Board; however, the board will not respond with action but will take comments under advisement and direct the comments to the appropriate staff member to address outside of the board meeting.
   
   
5. Please remember that is a public meeting for the conduct of business of the Dundy County Stratton Public School District. Offensive language, personal attacks and hostile conduct will not be tolerated. You should further be advised that there is no legal protection for any comments that are made. 
   
   
6. As stated in NEB. REV. STAT. § 79-570 Class I, II, III, IV, or VI school district; president; meetings; maintenance of order.  

   If any district meeting of a Class I, II, III, IV, or VI school district any person conducts himself or herself in a disorderly manner and persists in such conduct after notice by the president or person presiding, the president or person presiding may order such person to withdraw from the meeting and, if the person refuses, may order any person or persons to take such person into custody until the meeting is adjourned.

7. As stated in NEB. REV. STAT. § 79-571 Class I, II, III, IV, or VI school district; meetings; disorderly conduct; penalty. 

Any person who refuses to withdraw from such meeting on being so ordered as provided in section 79-570 or who willfully disturbs such meeting shall be guilty of a Class V misdemeanor. 

To verify that notice of the meeting was given by publication in the Benkelman Post, a legal newspaper for Dundy County Stratton and by written notice to each member of the board, the designated method of giving notice

To adopt the agenda of this meeting. The board reserves the right to change the order of items within the agenda.

We went through these policies last month. The changes in this motion are all recommended by legal counsel. What should be the final versions is attached.

We should annually review this amount. Currently we pay $100 per day. 

We review this annually as well. The activity shuttle vehicle is addressed annually per the respective merger agreements. The service is usually provided by staff, who use a school vehicle, whenever we can. If not a driver is hired at a rate of $15 per trip. A copy of the information relating to the shuttle service is attahed. We have not charged for the service recently, most of the time staff have driven the school vehicles. The get a free ride to work and take students home for us. We don't have to find or pay a driver. The students also get a free ride, because if we hire a driver the students split that cost.

We annually review activity admission prices. I would recommend no change at this time. If we were to want to make a change it works better to do it in conjunction with the RPAC

In my opinion our lunch prices are high enough. Our new association with OnCore should be making us more efficient and our purchases cheaper.  We are under-spent in our general fund support of the lunch program and could absorb any increases there should it be necessary next year. At this time I would recommend no increase in lunch prices.

As part of this years negotiations the board will annually set the meal reimbursements for travel. The reimbursement has been $7.50 since 2003-2004. 

Presentation of the financial status of the district, balances in various funds, recent/impending activity therein, anticipated expenses and planning for future considerations. 

The board must review the amount of money collected from students and review the waivers of student fees provided to students under its student fee policy. It must then hold a public hearing on a proposed student fee policy for the following school year. NEB. REV. STAT. § 79-2,134. 

The board must review the amount of money collected from students and review the waivers of student fees provided to students under its student fee policy. It must then hold a public hearing on a proposed student fee policy for the following school year. NEB. REV. STAT. § 79-2,134. This is the hearing portion. 

The board must hold a public hearing on its parental involvement policy. After the hearing, the board must either alter and adopt the revised policy or reaffirm it as written. NEB. REV. STAT. § 79- 533.

In addition to the general parental involvement policy, the district must have a policy on the involvement of parents in its Title I program. The board must “conduct, with the involvement of parents, an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parental involvement policy in improving the academic quality of the schools served....” 20 U.S.C. § 6318(a)(2)(E) (Elementary and Secondary Education Act § 6318(B)). Note that NDE has been looking for evidence of parental input in the “annual evaluation” of the policy and programs. It is recommend that we provide evidence of input from at least one affected parent, even if that is a staff member of the district, such as recording their input in your board meeting minutes or receiving an e-mail from an affected parent suggesting changes or stating that the policy is good as written. The hearing was conducted prior to this regular meeting.

The board must review its bullying policy. No public hearing is required. NEB. REV. STAT § 79-2,137.

The board must annually review its attendance policy at a board meeting. The statute requires that this review be "in collaboration with the county attorney." We interpret the statute to allow an administrator to communicate with the county attorney either before or after the board's annual review of the policy. 

The school district must review its local assessment plan and, if changes are made, it must submit the new plan to the Nebraska Department of Education. Rule 10 § 005.01A.

The board must receive a report about the district’s multicultural education curriculum. Rule 10 § 004.01G5.

The district’s safety and security committee must meet at least annually to prepare and/or review safety and security plans and procedures. Rule 10 § 011.01C. To meet Rule 10 they must meet quarterly. 

We may have someone to recommend for this position

If we need time in addition to the financial report to discuss the budget in general, timelines, handling of the hearing, any work sessions needed, etc. this will be the time.