March 17, 2025 at 5:30 PM - Regular Board of Education Meeting

Rationale: 

LEADERSHIP  •  SERVICE  •  SUPPORT

Notice of this meeting was given in advance according to State Law 84-1411, by giving notice of the meeting to the public on ESU 7 website www.esu7.org and posted at location of meeting. Notice of this meeting was also given in advance to all members of the Board of Education of Educational Service Unit 7. Availability of the agenda and purpose of the hearing was communicated in the advance notice of the meeting and in the notice to the members of this hearing. All proceedings of the Board of Education of Educational Service Unit 7 were taken while the convened hearing was open to the attendance of the public.

Rationale: 

This meeting has been preceded by reasonable advance notice and is hereby declared to be in open session. A copy of the Open Meetings Act is posted in the meeting room.

Rationale: 

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve Board member absences.

Board Secretary Dawn Lindsley notified Board President Doug Pauley and Administrator Elmshaeuser via email prior to the meeting.

Rationale: 

The sequence of agenda topics is subject to change at the discretion of the Board.

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve the agenda as presented.

Rationale:  The Board has the discretion to limit the amount of time set aside for public participation.

Citizens wishing to address the Board on a certain agenda item must complete the Request to be Heard Document prior to the start of the board meeting. Citizens wishing to present petitions to the Board may do so at this time. However, the Board will only receive the petitions and not act upon them or their contents.

Rationale:  Board Member, Richard Luebbe, submitted his resignation on March 3, 2025. NEB. REV. STAT. § Section 32-562 requires the vacancy to be accepted by the rest of the board. Further, Section 32-574 states, "Unless otherwise provided by law, all vacancies shall be filled within 45 days after the vacancy occurs unless good cause is shown that the requirement imposes an undue burden." 

District 4 includes the following school districts, Lakeview and Columbus. The term will expire December 31, 2027.

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take any action to accept the resignation of District 4 Board Member Richard Luebbe, and adopt a procedure for the appointment of a new member to the Educational Service Unit 7 Board of Education to fill the vacancy thereon created by the resignation of Richard Luebbe. 

Rationale: 

Unless removed from the consent agenda, items identified within the consent agenda will be acted on at one time. 

If any Board member wishes to discuss an item, it must be removed from the consent agenda at which time the remaining items will be acted upon.

Consent Agenda Includes:

• Minutes from the previous meeting(s)
• Presentation of the bills
• Policy review with no recommended changes
• Other routine agenda items

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve the consent agenda as presented.

Rationale: 

This is a consent item.

Rationale: 

The summary of bills for the current month total:$1,071,490.07 - Bills #79403 through #79537

General Activity Fund total: No activity. 

Check #	Amount	Vendor	Description
79409	$54,272.70	B-D Construction	Bridges Project 4th payment
79426	$20,843.01	Eakes Office Solutions	Papercut Software for Printing Dept.
79430	$12,000.00	EMS Linq	Accounting Software annual maintenance
79431	$14,612.72	ESU 2	NNNC Semester billing
79439	$5,157.00	Helping Others Prepare for Excellence	ELC contracted service
79466	$35,961.15	RVW Inc.	Engineer fees for HVAC/Bridges/Playground
79468	$5,857.40	State of NE DAS State Accounting	Network service charges
79482	41715.16	Yanda's Avl Rental	Conference rooms video conferencing
79484	$6,014.00	Amy Mazankowski	Contracted Bridges Admin.

This is a consent item.

Rationale: 

This is a consent item.

Rationale: 

This is a consent item.

Rationale: 

This is a consent item.

Rationale: 

This is a consent item.

Rationale: 

This is a consent item.

Rationale: 

This is a consent item.

Rationale:  Excess Lodging and Meals:

• The Professional Development Department had excess travel to report:
  • AASA Conference in New Orleans, LA (March 4-8, 2025)
    • Marci Ostmeyer - $595.30

This is a consent item.

Rationale:  The board will tour the Level III Bridges Program ongoing construction in the South Building.

Rationale:  Cen7ter Principal Cara Neesen will present the March Board Spotlight in the Cen7ter classroom.

Rationale:  Review the breakdown of the Treasurer's Report.

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to accept the Treasurer's Report as presented.

Rationale: 

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve Article II, Section 8, A Personal Presence at Meetings and Telephone Conference or Videoconference Meetings as presented.

Rationale:  2025-2026 Contract for Brooke Hemmer, Level III Programs Teacher

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve the 2025-2026 Level III Programs Teacher Contract for Brooke Hemmer as presented.

Rationale:   2025-2026 Contract for Amy Melcher, Early Childhood SPED Teacher

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve the 2025-2026 Early Childhood SPED Teacher Contract for Amy Melcher as presented. 

Rationale:   2025-2026 Contract for Olivia Bell, Speech Language Pathologist

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve the 2025-2026 Speech Language Pathologist Contract for Olivia Bell as presented. 

Rationale:   2025-2026 Contract for Abbey Andress, NRPDHH Coordinator

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve the 2025-2026 NRPDHH Contract for Abbey Andress as presented. 

Rationale: 

• ESUCC Update
• Professional Development and Production/Print Shop Report - Director Ostmeyer
• Special Education Report - Director Clay
• Technology Report - Director Ellsworth
• Upcoming ESU 7 Events
  • Board Recognition Dinner (April 22, 2025), The Oak Room of Columbus
    • Board Meeting 4:00-5:00
    • Dinner 5:30-8:30
• Upcoming Professional Events
  • NAEP State Convention in Kearney, NE (March 19-20, 2025)
  • NRCSA Spring Conference in Kearney, NE (March 20-21, 2025)
  • New Board Member Webinar, Virtual Event (March 24, 2025)
  • NASB Amplified Finance Workshop in Kearney, NE (March 27, 2025)
  • NASB Open Meetings Law Workshops
    • Gering, NE (March 25, 2025)
    • Kearney, NE (March 26, 2025)
    • Norfolk, NE (March 31, 2025)
    • Lincoln, NE (April 1, 2025)
  • NASB Budget & Finance Workshops
    • Norfolk, NE (April 9, 2025)
    • Kearney, NE (April 16, 2025)
  • NASB School Law Seminar in Kearney, NE (June 11-12, 2025)
  • NASB Leadership Workshops
    • Gering, NE (July 28, 2025)
    • Kearney, NE (July 29, 2025)
    • Omaha, NE (July 30, 2025)
  • NASB Area Membership Meeting in Fremont, NE (September 24, 2025)
  • NASB Labor Relations Conference, Lincoln NE (October 1-2, 2025)
  • 2025 State Education Conference, Omaha NE (November 19-21, 2025)

Rationale:  Goals - Attached for your Review

 Goal 1: By July 2025, the ESU 7 board will have advertised for a Chief Administrator, completed the initial process, sent a contract, hired and Chief Administrator, made the announcement, and begun the onboarding process.

• Completed

Goal 2: By July 2025, the EUS 7 board will attend at least two professional/personal learning events annually. 

Goal 3: By July 2025, the ESU 7 board will attend the corresponding school district board meetings at least once every two years to report the tailored services provided by ESU 7 and the outcomes measured.

• Completed:
  • Clarkson - 10.9.2024
  • Fullerton - 11.11.2024
  • Boone Central - 1.13.2025
  • Osceola - 2.10.2025
  • East Butler - 2.12.2025
• Upcoming:
  • Rescheduling High Plains

Goal 4: By July 2025, the ESU 7 board will continue to use operationalized communication materials detailing tailored services and outcomes at scheduled visits to each district.

Rationale: 

• SIMPL Update

 

Rationale:  The Administrator will provide a facilities update during this item.

Rationale:  All Classified/Non Certificated Hires and Resignations under this item. Not an action item.

Rationale:  During this item, the Administrator will provide a Legislative Update to members of the Board.

Rationale:  The NNNC (Northeast Nebraska Network Consortium) is a cooperative partnership between ESUs 1,2,7,8 and 17. These five ESUs came together in 1997 to enhance the essential services they provide to schools in a 28-county area. The focus of this group is school improvement and technological infrastructure.

The 2025-2028 NNNC Interlocal Agreement is attached for your review.

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action necessary to approve the 2025-2028 NNNC Interlocal Agreement as presented.

Rationale:  The Buildings and Grounds Committee Chairperson will provide an update.

Committee Recommendation: 

Rationale:  Reports of activities and discussions from the Negotiations Committee will take place during this item.

Committee Recommendation: Discuss, consider, and take any necessary action to approve a 4.5% Total Package increase for all staff EXCEPT those who fall under the Negotiated Agreement, and authority to the administrator to distribute up to 6% increase to staff members based on experience, education, and supervisor recommendation.  Staff members whom the administrator determines a need for an increase higher than 6% must be brought to the full board for review of the contract increase.  

Rationale:  A report of activities from the Administrator Evaluation Committee will be given during this item. 

UBPD - Administrator
Evaluation Timeline:

• August: Evaluation Committee and Administrator review Evaluation Tool and Evaluation Policy/Procedures.
• March: Full Board is provided a paper copy of the evaluation questions.
• April: Administrator sends digital evaluation and evaluation resources to the Evaluation Committee Chair in the first week of April. The chair then forwards on to the full Board for completion by April Board Meeting. Board will send their completed evaluation tool to the Evaluation Committee prior to the April Board Meeting. Administrator completes Evaluation Tool as self-assessment and sends it to Evaluation Chair on or before April 30th.
• May: The Committee Chair will send the completed Administrator self-assessment to the full Board after May 1. Evaluation Committee compiles results of full Board completed evaluations prior to the May Board Meeting.
• June: Evaluation Committee meets prior to June Board Meeting to review with the Administrator the results of evaluation. Report to full Board in June Board Meeting following Closed Session requirements with Administrator present.

Rationale:  Conference Attendees will report on their learnings.