February 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM - Regular Meeting

Discussion:  President Sinner referenced the Nebraska Open Meetings Act as posted and noted that the Board reserves the right to rearrange the order of the agenda and to convene an executive session in accordance with § 84-1410. 

Discussion: 

February 2026 Approved Claims
Salaries, Benefits,	$1,046,731.12
Prof. & Tech. Services; Mileage	$   278,874.67
Leases, Utilities & Maintenance	$     32,376.38
Copies, Postage, Telephone & Travel	$     61,599.14
Supplies, Materials, Software & other Util.	$     62,790.40
Bldg. Improvements, Furn., Equipment, Hardware, Vehicle Acquisition	$              0.00
Dues, Fees & Ind. Costs	$       1,354.99
Total	$1,483,726.70

Discussion:  Calendar:

• February 18, 2026 - Administrative Advisory Council - 10:00 AM
• March 4, 2026 - VALTS Graduation - HARMS Center - 12:00 PM
• March 11, 2026 - All Staff Inservice - Civic Center 9:00 AM
• March 12-13, 2026 - Offices Closed for Winter break
• March 17, 2026 - Regular Board meeting - 7:00 PM Main Office 
• March 18-20, 2026 - NRCSA Spring Conference - Kearney

Discussion:  No Public Forum

Discussion:  Board Member Candidates District 12:

Discussion:  Reports: 

Discussion:  Mr. Millette gave a review of the Legislative Issues Conference meeting he attended on January 26 & 27 in Lincoln.

Discussion:  Head Start Director's Report, Policy Council, and Financial Reports:
No discussion.

Discussion:  Krystie Hohnstein, Head Start Director, presented Eligibility, recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, Attendance (ERSEA) Training:

• Eligibility — Income and age eligibility are the main factors for consideration. A new option added this year allows families who are over income to submit specific household costs, and those over 30% of the household income are able to be subtracted from their total income for eligibility determination.
• Recruitment — Program recruitment efforts were highlighted.
• Selection — Based on selection criteria and is used by the selection committee anytime there is an open position available as a tool to determine the highest need of children on the waitlist.
• Enrollment — The process for enrollment was discussed.
• Attendance — The program is required to maintain an 85% average daily attendance.

Discussion:  Administrator's Report:

• Dr. Barrett shared that Shari Becker from NASB will be at the April 21st Board Meeting to present Clifton Strengths to the ESU 13 board members.
• The Mid-Winter Conference took place on February 16th. Dr. Barrett informed the Board that there were approximately 1400 attendees spread out over several locations. She commended the Professional Learning Department for the planning and organization of this annual event.
• Nebraska Math Readiness Project (NMRP) was discussed.
• State and Federal Legislative Issues were discussed.

Discussion:  Board Committee Reports:

Discussion:  Buildings/Grounds Committee discussed plans for the Meridian addition on January 30, 2026.

Discussion:  The Personnel Committee met on February 10, 2026.

Discussion:  Board Member Comments:

• Mrs. Jones discussed NSAB Legislative luncheons and zoom events open for school districts to participate.
• Mr. Richards gave a review of the NASB President's Retreat that him and Mr. Sinner attended on February 16th in Kearney.
• Mrs. Kinsey and Mrs. Plog commended the two employees that gave their resignations and stated that they did an amazing job for ESU 13.

Discussion:  Business: 

Discussion: 

Discussion:  President Sinner adjourned the meeting at 8:34 pm. The next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at the ESU 13 main office 4215 Aveune I, Scottsbluff. The meeting will also be held by video conference.