May 19, 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: 

2026 Approved Claims
Salaries, Benefits,	$1,009,085.80
Prof. & Tech. Services; Mileage	$     74,865.88
Leases, Utilities & Maintenance	$     18,668.80
Copies, Postage, Telephone & Travel	$     61,895.39
Supplies, Materials, Software & other Util.	$   100,726.55
Bldg. Improvements, Furn., Equipment, Hardware, Vehicle Acquisition	$              0.00
Dues, Fees & Ind. Costs	$       2,133.48
Total	$1,267,375.90

Discussion:  Calendar:

• May 21, 2026 - All Staff In-Service - Gering Civic Center - 9:00 AM
• May 25, 2026 - ESU offices closed for Memorial Day
• May 27-28, 2026 - Middle America School Mental Health Conference (Barrett)
• June 10-11, 2026 - 2026 NASB School Law Seminar, Kearney
• June 16, 2026 - Regular Board meeting

Discussion:  No Public Forum

Discussion:  Reports: 

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

Discussion:  Administrator's Report:

• The pre-construction meeting on the Meridian project was held on May 8th, 2026.
• Dr. Barrett shared that in the past the board had voted to cancel the July board meeting if there was no business other than paying bills.
• 2026-2027 Core Services was discussed. ESU 13 will be receiving $821,161.00 in Core Service dollars for 2026-2027 which is a decrease of 5 percent.
• State and Federal Legislative Issues were discussed.

Discussion:  Board Committee Reports: none

Discussion: 

• Ronda Kinsey commented on the 800 VALTS graduates and expressed how successful and impactful the VALTS program has been. Ronda shared that her oldest daughter was a former VALTS student who chose to enroll in the program on her own initiative. She also commended Dr. Barrett for her thoughtful remarks regarding the VALTS program.
• Scott Marsh shared that, during the LifeLink Golf Ball Drop Event, former students spoke with remarkable confidence and delivered inspiring testimonies about their experiences. He noted that the event was exceptional and highlighted the positive impact the students had on the attendees. Dr. Barrett mentioned the VALTS students chose the service projects and recipients of the fundraising.

Discussion:  Business: 

Discussion: 

Discussion:  The new policies relating to artifical intelligence that were reviewed by the Policy/Legislative Committee were discussed. (first reading)

• Article 6 Section 5 (Standards of Conduct)
• Article 6 Section 9 (Artificial Intelligence)

Discussion:  The proposed changes to the policies for the Annual Organizational Meeting and Notice of Meeting reviewed by the Policy/Legislative Committee were discussed.  (first reading)

• Article 2- Section 3 (Annual Organizational Meeting)
• Article 2- Section 6 (Notice of Meeting)

Discussion:  The proposed changes to the policies for Records Management and Purchasing reviewed by the Policy/Legislative Committee were discussed. (first reading)

• Article 3 - Section 5 (Purchasing)
• Article 3 - Section 9 (Records Management)

Discussion:  President Sinner adjourned the meeting @ 7:38 PM. The next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at ESU 13 Main Office, 4215 Avenue I, Scottsbluff.