November 14, 2023 at 5:30 PM - November Regular Board Meeting

Discussion:  President Stearns called the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and roll call was taken. 

Discussion:  President Stearns read the mission statement. We, at Brady Public Schools, strive to create a positive culture in which all learners reach their fullest potential as EAGLES!
 

Discussion:  N/A

Discussion:  Tina Golter mentioned she has finished mowing, completed putting in the tree surrounds, and planted some spring bulbs. Tina has been working with Heartland to winterize sprinklers. There have been some lines and backflows found broken, so replacement parts are coming. Depending on the weather, more weeds will get pulled, mulch will get laid around trees and flowers, dirt will get added to flowerbeds, and leaves will get picked up. 

Discussion:  Mrs. Foster gave Dan Robison's transportation report. All the fleet vehicles are up to code and complete with inspections. Bus '19 got a new windshield and the grey van #16 had some chip repairs. Dan has been busy keeping all vehicles and buses cleaned and fueled up ready for staff members to take to events/meetings. A new bus route has been added to stop in Gothenburg. Currently there are 7 students, but there is a possibility to have 10 by the end of the month. Darci Sanger is currently the driver, but Sandy Larson will be the designated driver by the end of the month after she completes her testing. Dan is working with a software called fleetico to keep record of all maintenance, odometer readings, and fuel records for the vehicles and buses. There is currently an auction going on with the old gray van and some fencing. There are bids on both of those items. The small bus is at Gator Repairs getting inspected. An estimate of repairs should be available by the end of the week. Darci Sanger has also passed the written tests for her CDL and will be taking the driving test in the next couple weeks. 

Discussion:  Mrs. Foster gave the maintenance report for Ryan Sanger. Ryan has completed the following items this month: indoor unit filters were replaced, the blower fan was changed in hallway B, training room lights were fixed, new ice machine has been installed with the old one going to the boys locker room, and the roof top units have new filters and grates were cleaned for winter. Currently waiting on parts for the fountain by the shop. A regulator has been ordered for the drinking fountain and a new diaphragm is needed for the boys restroom. Ryan is currently working on putting carpet and shelves in the new room for the backpack and giving closet and the lights are getting fixed in the boys locker room.  

Discussion:  Andy Seamann started off his report by congratulating the cross country team for being the first cross country team to make it to state. He also congratulated Keaton Fattig, Taryn Stearns, and Payton Stienike for receiving 2nd team all MNAC volleyball conference recognition and Rylie Shirk and Joel Miller for earning all district football recognition. Fall sports are officially complete, and varsity winter sports started practice on November 13th. Jr High Wrestling has already started with 11 of the 13 boys fully participating and 4 of the 11 girls fully participating. Varisty Wrestling has 10 boys and 5 girls with the numbers possibly changing as some students were on the fence about participating. Boys basketball has 12 players along with girls basketball also having 12 students playing.

There were two home activities events in October.  Gate Revenue was at $1,614 total and the officials cost $2,010. The district hosted the C2-2 volleyball district final on October 28th between Bayard and Summerland. The revenue the school received for this event was $228.75. The hosting district gets 25% of gate revenue after the officials cost, NSAA gets 35%, and participating schools get a percentage for mileage. 

Andy Seamann mentioned it is time to choose for the next two year cycle of football classification. Andy met with the football team and did a poll between staying at 6 man or switching back to 8 man. All the players but one chose to switch to 8 man football. The expected numbers for next year include: 7 freshman, 9 sophmores, 2 juniors, and 2 seniors. 

Andy also mentioned the purchase of the new robot machine that will be painting the lines on the football field. The machine will be used by both Brady Schools and South Loup, so South Loup will be paying for some of the cost. Currently, Ryan Sanger spends about 20-24 hours a week painting the lines on the football field. The robot is able to paint the lines in less than 2 hours. The robot can also paint logos. 

Discussion:  Principal Larson mentioned that the ACT scores are still embargoed and they will be presented next board meeting. Mrs.Stearns, Miss.Epp and Mr.Larson are all apart of a HQIM Math group with Paxton and Ogallala through ESU16. Math teachers get together to observe each other in each school. It is really beneficial to see how other teachers teach their lessons. Mr. Larson has enjoyed communicating with the administrators about math teaching and curriculum, and other school-related information. Homecoming was a success this year and spirit week was a lot of fun for everyone. There wasn't a single problem during the homecoming dance, which was a huge success. Congratulations to Zada Earll and Joel Miller for being crowned King and Queen. Also, wanted to recognize the rest of the homecoming court: Rylie Shirk, Shawn McBride, Addyson Christner, and Haylie Donner. This year, instead of individual perfect attendance, there will be a contest each quarter for which grade had the best attendance numbers throughout the quarter. For first quarter, 4th grade and 8th grade won the pizza party on October 31st. Thank you to the Get-N-Go for donating the pizzas! To end the month, the school put on a pumpkin carving contest. Mrs. Dyas's homeroom won first place, with Ms. Shaw and Ms. Shoult's homerooms coming in second place. The students enjoyed trunk or treat downtown on October 31st. Thank you to the community and residents for putting on a great event. Mr. Larson also mentioned that One Acts has 23 members this year putting on the play "I Quit! A guide to quitting your job in style". The choir students had a great time at MNAC Choir Conference. They will be singing one of the songs at the Winter contest. The Veteran's Day Program had great attendance. There are plans to add more ways to honor fallen soldiers for next year's program. Upcoming Events include: Thanksgiving Dinner- Nov 17, Donuts with Dudes- Nov 22, Thanksgiving Break Nov 23-24, Winter Testing- Jan 10th. 

Discussion:  Superintendent Foster started off her report by mentioning ALICAP came to do their safety inspection on Nov 8th. There were positives but also items that need to be addressed. Items needing some help included: condition of football bleachers, emergency lighting in the shop, need for seat belt cutters in vehicles, and ensuring staff members are educated in seizure and asthma awareness. ALICAP has approved of the space for the giving closet, so installation of shelving will be getting started. Currently, four teachers have turned in receipts to get reimbursed for continuing education using the ESSER III funding. There is still about $40,000 left to be used. Superintendent Foster has applied for more funding through a law suit for vape detectors. The school has been awarded $2,524.00. The plan will be to get 8 detectors so each bathroom will be covered. Social and emotional wellness has been a main focus for this year. There is a new feature called "Safe2Help" which is an anonymous reporting system that will allow parents and students to report any safety or wellness concerns. Superintendent Foster also mentioned that there has been a request from a patron to avoid scheduling events like the Community Engagement Night, on Wednesdays. This would allow patrons not to have to decide between Church and school events. Mrs. Foster thanked the board for their continued support and dedication to the well being and improvement of the district. 

Discussion:  The BEA and The Brady School Board Met for the 1st Meeting of Negotiations on November 3rd.

Discussion:  The policy committee met on November 6th and reviewed all of the 2000 series "Board Operations".  The committee needed further clarification from KSB on 2002 Organization of the Board, 2006 Complaint Procedure, and plan to rereview 2015 Student Member of School board to compare differences between former policy and new policy.  

The committee will meet again on December 6 to review the first, of three parts, of the 3000 series.

Discussion:  The finance committee reviewed the expenses for the month. The discussion of Kiln replacement or fixing came up. It was decided to not do anymore repairing until it can be placed into a permanent safe working environment. The placement decision of the kiln will be moved to the facilities committee to figure out a plan. Extra expenses for transportation is due to bringing all of the buses up to code. All expenses are accounted for.

General Fund is under budget by 5.88%
Lunch Fund is under budget by 3.12%

Discussion:  Mrs. Foster, Ryan Stearns, and Bryan Franzen met and discussed immediate needs of our facilities.  Weight room door was ordered earlier this fall, still waiting for it to come in and be installed. New ice machine has been ordered. Mrs. Foster will contact Halls Electric to look at the following areas: Football field lights, new gym lights (contacts) and lights in the training room.  The board would like to see new LED wall packs installed on the exterior of the school.  The board would like an update on weather craft's work on the roof leak.

Discussion:  The SOC Committee worked in groups to discuss the belief statements. From the work, the 10 belief statements currently written in the staff handbook have been condensed, combined and rewritten into 5 statements.  The following five statements are in draft form.

We Believe:

• Education is the heart and cornerstone of our community producing empowered students who are lifelong learners in an ever-changing world.

• Our behaviors and values foster respect and positivity while nurturing growth and resilience in every individual.

• We uphold the guiding principle of accountability and high expectations for all.

• A student’s success is a collaborative effort of caring, dedicated, positive role models that promote a student’s overall well-being.

• School leadership is strong, effective, and visible with a commitment to planning and financial resources necessary for success.
  
  It was also mentioned that the community members mentioned information is key. They would like school information to be advertised more.  

Discussion:  Ryan Stearns met with Senator Jacobson at an event put on by ESU. Everything with Legislature is still getting reviewed. 

Discussion:  State Educational Conference is this week November 15-17 in Omaha. Superintendent Foster, and Board Members Stearn, Spencer, Miller, and Gentry will all be attending.

Discussion:  Mrs. Foster would like to recognize Molly Most for a job well done throughout the year. The auditors were extremely impressed with her organization, attention to detail, and precise accounting.  Brady Public Schools runs smoother and is better because of Molly!

The administration would like to recognize Mrs. Assels for her work with NHS and Student Council. She has been incredibly busy from planning Homecoming, to Pep Rally's, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Dinner, and the Giving Closet. The administration greatly values and appreciates Mrs. Assels' dedication to the staff and students of Brady Public Schools. 

Discussion:  The Emergency Plan was attached for the board members to review. It is recommended to have a lock box outside of the school for the fire department and sheriffs, to have access to if they are needed in the building for an emergency. 

Discussion:  We had a very successful audit. The only finding for the year is a lack of segregation of duties because we only employ one bookkeeper.

Discussion:  Superintendent Evaluation is due November 15 at midnight. 

Discussion:  We anticipate a public release of AQuESTT Classifications on Wednesday, November 22, 2023. ACT Data is currently embargoed and not available for public release.

Discussion:  Mr. Mann came and presented about starting an FFA at Brady Public schools. Mr. Mann had a meeting for Skills USA and 17 students showed interest. Mr. Mann put out a poll to see about interest in FFA and 36 students showed interest. There is a difference between Skills USA and FFA competitions. Brady Public Schools is currently one of two schools west of Kearney that doesn't have an FFA. The requirements to start an FFA include: 1 certified teacher in agriculture, 10 students minimum in the program, and $250 annually with $18 per student. Fundraising in FFA is a big deal and FFA has a leadership focus. Registrations needed to be submitted by Nov 1st, with a due date of November 15th. Mr. Mann will be observing Mr. Swedberg, the Ag Teacher in North Platte, on Thursday. Next Steps are seeing the student interest and need of our community, but the key point is what the interest is in our students. It is recommended to start small in the learning curriculum. There are many different learning curriculums to choose from. The district doesn't have to participate in every event. Marge Spencer shared a concern that it seems FFA individuals are gone all the time from school because of events. Bryan Franzen shared his own personal experiences and what an impact it had in his life. Ryan Stearns mentioned, since the district has the teacher, there is no need to change the curriculum, and the dues are at a low cost, to go ahead and get the chapter started even if the district registers late. The board members were in agreement of this.

Discussion: 

Brady Public Schools will be attending Threat Assessment Training in January.  Mr. Larson and Mrs. Shaner attended the SRP training in October and we are taking steps to ensure all staff members are aware of the SRP protocol.  Another addition to our school safety is  Safe 2 Help. Students can use our new Safe2HelpNE app to report: bullying, suicide concerns, depression, sexting, stealing, threats, cutting, abuse, dating and domestic violence, fights, drugs, alcohol, weapons or other types of dangerous situations that threaten the safety of others. Their reports will be addressed by a trained school threat assessment team.
Furthermore, per state statute, the district will be having quarterly Safety Meetings. The meetings will be placed in Sparq so that board members can review the minutes. 
As far as school building and grounds, safety, Carl Dietz with AliCap was here and conducted a safety audit. The safety audit as well as the Rule 10 audit are attached. The facilities committee and the Brady Public Schools Safety Team will meet at the end of the month to review both reports and create a plan to address concerns within the reports.

Discussion:  Next 2-year cycle for high school football.  As the district did last cycle following the last game, Andy met with the football team, and discussed the options of either staying 6-man or switching back to 8-man.  All of the current 8^th graders and high school football players voted on what they wanted to do and everyone except for one player voted to go back to 8-man.  Our expected numbers for football next year are 7 freshman, 9 sophomores, 2 juniors and 2 seniors putting us at 20 members and that number may go up.  Year 2 of the cycle is obviously harder to predict.  But there are 5 current 7^th graders who played football this year and even if only 3 of them go out for high school football that would still put our roster at 21 members.

Discussion:  The final SOC report from NASB was attached for the board members to review. 

Discussion:  A settlement with the final Defendants in the Juul e-cigarette litigation has been reached. Altria Group, Inc. and Philip Morris USA, Inc., Altria Client Services LLC, Altria Enterprises LLC, and Altria Group Distribution Company (collectively "Altria") have proposed a $168,250,000 Government entity settlement. Brady Public Schools has been awarded $2,524.

Discussion:  N/A

Discussion: 

General Fund
Check Number	Check Date		Entity Name	Amount
6254	10/11/2023		Peg Sundberg	210.00
6255	10/20/2023		Homestead Pumpkin Patch	270.00
6256	11/01/2023		Jolene Schlemmer, FCSTN Treasurer	20.00
6270	11/14/2023		All Star Auto Glass	395.00
6271	11/14/2023		Amazon Capital Services	971.21
6272	11/14/2023		Black Hills Energy	1,758.24
6273	11/14/2023		Brady Get 'N Go	3,712.08
6274	11/14/2023		Capital Business Systems Inc	1,678.55
6275	11/14/2023		Chris Blecha	2,357.50
6276	11/14/2023		Consolidated Telecom, Inc.	423.47
6277	11/14/2023		Dawson County Public Power District	5,271.38
6278	11/14/2023		Educational Service Unit #16	28,736.79
6279	11/14/2023		First National Bank	4,151.27
6280	11/14/2023		Ann Foster	104.80
6281	11/14/2023		Fresh Seasons Market	141.68
6282	11/14/2023		Gator Road Repair	2,241.42
6283	11/14/2023		Gothenburg Tire & Service	628.00
6284	11/14/2023		The Graphic Edge	687.83
6285	11/14/2023		Hershey Public School	2,267.83
6286	11/14/2023		Ideal/Bluffs Facility Solutions	761.70
6287	11/14/2023		Illuminate Education, Inc.	300.00
6288	11/14/2023		Inland Truck Parts and Service	7,278.59
6289	11/14/2023		J. W. Pepper	120.00
6290	11/14/2023		KSB School Law	180.00
6291	11/14/2023		Lincoln County Sheriff	109.33
6292	11/14/2023		Kate Lovitt	4,734.50
6293	11/14/2023		Trevor Mann	5,511.00
6294	11/14/2023		Matheson Tri-Gas Inc	283.39
6295	11/14/2023		Menards	727.37
6296	11/14/2023		NASB	2,220.41
6297	11/14/2023		Nebraska ASCD	40.00
6298	11/14/2023		Nebraska Council of School Administrators	385.00
6299	11/14/2023		Nebraska Safety & Fire Equip	18.00
6300	11/14/2023		Nebraska Science Olympiad	200.00
6301	11/14/2023		North Platte Public Schools	1,752.00
6302	11/14/2023		Otis Elevator Company	192.02
6303	11/14/2023		Platte Valley Electric	1,093.00
6304	11/14/2023		Red Arrow Truck Wash LLC	45.00
6305	11/14/2023		Reliable Pest Control Service	71.00
6306	11/14/2023		Renassiace Learning Inc	500.00
6307	11/14/2023		RSchoolToday	75.00
6308	11/14/2023		S & S Auto Parts, Inc.	8.99
6309	11/14/2023		Sherwin Williams	101.94
6310	11/14/2023		Syndicate Publishing	297.76
6311	11/14/2023		Teacher Innovations, INC	33.75
6312	11/14/2023		Uline	486.92
6313	11/14/2023		Village Of Brady	968.62
6314	11/14/2023		Macey Widick	2,241.24
6315	11/14/2023		Yandas Music & Pro Audio	348.94
RyanStearns                                                                President, Board of Education Tina Golter                                                               Secretary, Board of Education The time and date of the Brady Public School’s regular meeting was advertised in the Gothenburg Leader and posted at the Brady Get-N-Go, Post Office, and Flatwater Bank. The next regular meeting date will be December 11th, 2023, at 5:30 P.M.			TOTAL:	87,112.52