August 12, 2024 at 6:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

1. Call the meeting to order

2. Mr. Weddle's Announcement

3. Welcome

3.a. Notification of the Open Meetings Act – adhered to and published.

3.b. Per Policy 2008 - reasonable advanced notification was made of the meeting.

3.c. Roll Call

4. Pledge of Allegiance

5. Approval of Agenda

6. Consent Agenda:

6.a. Minutes from July 29th meeting 

6.b. Treasurer’s Report and Claims

6.c. Excuse absent BOE members

7. Comment or Correspondence

7.a. Public Information

7.a.i. Any visitors wishing to address the board are invited to do so at this time.

7.b. Foundation Information

7.c. P2T Information

8. Administrative Reports

8.a. SPED

• At Administrator Days in addition to keynote speakers, I attended sessions on: SPED Law, Student Behavior, Building Relationships and Keynote speakers-Stacy Lennon and Gerry Brooks.
• The June 2024 Special Education Snapshot shows a total of 113 students receiving services in the district.
• Total District MDT, IEP and IFSP meetings for the 2023-2024 school year is 167.

8.b. Elementary School Principal
Administrator Days Review
NDE Day

• Meeting the Needs of Your Community with High-Quality Child Care Partnerships
•  Panel shared various community partnerships for childcare and connection to the preschool program in the local school
• Building a Foundational Understanding of the 2024 AQuESTT Accountability Process
  • Talked of the processes used within AQuESTT
• Strengthening School Mental Health Efforts Through ESU Partnerships
  • Discussed mental health needs for districts throughout Nebraska

Administrator Day

• Purposeful Play in the Omaha Public Schools
  • Mindset for play
  • Ideas for centers
  • Research and data supporting play in the classroom
• Real and Hypothetical Tales Learned of What Can Go Wrong
  • Importance of documentation
  • Knowing and understanding policy
• Supporting Teachers who Work with Behaviors
  • Strategies to use with children struggling with aggressive behaviors

8.c. Middle School Principal

• Attendance at Administrator days: Foreign Trained teacher (hiring), NSCAS updates, AQUESTT 101, Leadership (Nebraska State Guard, Major General Craig W. Strong).

• New Staff: Kylee Horst, Alyssa Johnson, Lucas Troyer

• Overall enrollment is 184 (5th-8th grade)

• Theme for open house "Embrace your inner Nerd".

8.d. HS Principal

Enrollment - 231 total

• New Staff
  • Ms. Sarah Beach - High School Vocal Music
  • Ms. Samantha Bowland - Mathematics
  • Mrs. Kristen Christensen - JAG
  • Mr. Doug Glackin - Mathematics
  • Mrs. Mariah Totten - Business
• Administrator Days in Kearney (July 23rd - July 26th)
  • Attended a variety of sessions, including behavior management, school policies, AQuESTT, chronic absenteeism and more. The keynote by Gerry Brooks, a Principal from Lexington, Kentucky, was particularly inspirational and valuable for start of the year preparations.
• High Ability Learning (HAL) Training in Fremont (July 29th - July 31st)
  • As participants in an ESU2 grant program (RESTORE), we will adjust our HAL identification system to match the criteria outlined by ESU2. Any student who has been identified as HAL under our previous identification process, will remain identified as HAL even if they don’t meet the new criteria. Instructional support and professional development will be provided to our staff to support HAL differentiation in the classroom. ESU2 will also provide additional learning opportunities for students identified as H

8.e. Activity Director

•  Summer Projects Update
  • Pole Vault area at track complete.
  • Shot clocks installed.
  • Waiting on resurfacing of track.
  • Gym floors resurface is complete.
• Summer Weight Update
  • Averaged around 55-60 students a day in the weight room.
  • Averaged approximately 30 students Monday and Thursdays (2 Days a week JH weights were offered.)
• Administrator Days Report
  • Thank you for allowing the admin team to go! Great time for team building and comradery with the admin team!
• Sessions attended:
  • Grand Isand did a session on communication with students and families with different languages.
  • KSB on Title 9
  •  AD Session on outreach and ideas.
• Fall Activities
  • Fall activities start today (Monday, August 12)
  • Football, Volleyball, Girls & Boys Cross Country, & Girls Golf.
  • Will have numbers next month.
  •  Fall Scrimmages will be Friday, August 23 rd .
  • Volleyball: 5:15 PM
  • XC: 6:25 PM
  • Football: 7:00 PM Parent Meetings to follow
  • Booster Club will hold their annual Grill Out/Membership drive at the first home football game on September 6th .
• New Activities Secretary
  • Katrin Kreiekmeier started on June 17 th .
  • A lot of new ideas to try! She is doing a great job!
• New Activities Initiative
  • High Five Fridays Friday mornings different activities greet the Elementary kids with high fives and energy! New Coaching/Sponsoring Assignments
• New Coaching/Sponsoring Assignment Head Coaches/Sponsors
  • Cheer: Kylee Horst
  • Dance: Annie Ellis
  •  FBLA: Mariah Totten
  • Cross Country: Meghan Schneider
• Assistant Coaches/Sponsors
  • Unified Bowling: Lindsey Havranek
  • Assistant Wrestling: Connor Kramer
  • Assistant Football: Lucas Troyer
  • Assistant Speech: Samantha Bowland & Shelby Hoffman
  • Assistant Track: Carter Ossian (Distance)
  •  Assistant Track: Lucas Troyer (Throws)
  • One Act: Jared Minnick
  • Baseball: Jacob Ellis
  • Assistant Girls Golf: Lindsey Havranek

8.f. Superintendent Report

• ESSER Fund Allocation  Report
• Update on Building Projects: track, preschool concrete,
• Administrator Days review
• September 18th Board Planning Retreat - Fremont
• NASB Fall Membership Meeting September 25
• Staff Trainings
  • 50 Staff Members were trained on CPR, AED use, and how to handle a choking victim. 1.5 hrs
  • Full staff Narcan and choking vacuum use (15 min)
  • Title IX staff (30min) Admin (3hrs)
  • Bloodborne Pathogens - Alicap (25min
  • Dating Violence (every other year) Alicap (25 min)
  • Suicide Awareness - Alicap (1 hr)
  • Concussion Awareness - NSAA  (1 hr)
  • Child Abuse Mandatory Reporting - Alicap (25)
  • Behavioral Awareness training - ESU2 (4hrs)
  • Seizures (every two years) - Alicap (30 min)
  • Bullying - Admin (15-30 Minutes)
  • Pupil Transportation - UNK Safety Center (2 hr)
  • Alternate Assessment training - NDE (10min)
  • Anaphylaxis and Asthma - NDE (20)min
  • SRP training -  NDE multiple times a year
  • Bus Evacuations - NDE  2 times a year
  • Fire Drill - NDE - 9 per year
  • Tornado - NDE - 2 times a year

9. New Business

9.a. To review and consider a formal request for early graduation from senior Nicole Diaz.

9.b. Discuss, consider, and take all necessary action to adopt a resolution increasing the school district’s base growth percentage used to determine the school district’s property tax request authority by up to six percent (6%)

9.c. To review and discuss and set substitute teacher wages for 2024-2025.

9.d. Discuss and set the date and time for the budget hearing for the 24-25 school year.

9.e. Discuss and set the date and time for the final tax request hearing.

10. To review, discuss and consider the approval of lease purchase financing through Citizens State Bank.

11. Adjourn

12. Next Regular Meeting will be September 9, 2024