September 15, 2025 Directly following the Tax Asking/Final Levy - 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: 

Board President Doug Pauley notified he would be absent prior to the meeting. 

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

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: 

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: $1,180,513.80 - Bills #80344 through #80530

General Activity Fund total: No Activity

	Amount	Vendor	Description
80347	$10,000.00	All American Entertainment	Title IC Suenos Summit speaker
80381	$11,303.65	ESU 2	NNNC Semester billing
80384	$20,520.00	Flagler Technologies LLC	Technology flow through - Huntress renewal
80391	$17,766.95	FNBO-DE	Technology flow through/department storage cabinets
80409	$18,150.00	Imagine Learning	Title III License Renewal
80418	$33,329.08	Journeyed.Com, Inc.	Technology flow through - Veeam renewal
80436	$70,778.00	NASB ALICAP	Property/Liability/Auto/Workers Compensation
80499	$5,250.00	Lexia Learning Systems, LLC	LETRS participant materials bundle
80522	$33,798.00	Gregg Young Toyota	2025 RAV4
80522	$24,689.00	Gregg Young Chevrolet GMC	2025 Chevy Trax

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:  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:  Now be it therefore resolved that the Board of ESU 7 has a tax request of $3,672,339.40 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and the final levy of the Board of ESU 7 should be, and hereby is set at .015 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve the 2025-2026 Tax Asking and Final Levy Resolution as presented.

Rationale: 
Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve the 2025-2026 Budget as presented.

Rationale: 

From Attorney Justin Knight: "If your ESU holds (or will hold) a federal grant, this policy update will be required if you are subject to a federal desk review audit."
Travel Costs: Travel costs (including transportation, lodging, subsistence, and related items) incurred by an employee who travels on official business for a federal award may only be charged to the federal award on an actual cost basis, a per diem or mileage basis, or on a combination of the two, provided the method used is applied to an entire trip and not to selected days of the trip. The District will ensure that the method used will be consistent with the method normally allowed in similar circumstances in the District's other travel and Board Policies. Any travel costs charged directly to a federal award must be documented to justify that (1) the individual's participation is necessary for the federal award and (2) the costs are reasonable and consistent with the District's travel costs and expectations. All travel costs must be reasonable and not in excess of what the District typically allows for other travel. All reasonable rates and amounts will be consistent with the rates and amounts established under 5 U.S.C. 5701-11

Legal Reference: 2 C.F.R. § 200.475

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all necessary action to approve Article III, Section 4, F as presented.

Rationale:  The North Building HVAC Backup Heat System installation can begin as soon as materials arrive, the current lead time is 5 to 6 weeks on material shipping. The presented proposal will be honored until the end of September, 2025. 

Administrator Recommendation: Discuss, consider and take all action necessary to approve the installation of the Backup Heat System by Rutt's and not to exceed $33,980.00.

Rationale:  Review committee member assignments and appoint Clark Lehr to the Budget Committee and Amy Blaser to the Negotiations Committee.

Administrator Recommendation: According to Board Policy, committee member appointment or replacement member can be approved by President appointment or majority vote of the entire Board.

Rationale:  Selection of one Board Member to represent ESU 7 at the Delegate Assembly on Friday, November 21, 2025 from 8:00am-9:30am.
 

Rationale: 

• ESUCC Update
• Digital Accessibility Training with Nebraska Department Education (NDE) & WebAIM
• Professional Development and Print Shop Report - Director Ericson
• Special Education Report - Director Clay
• Technology Report - Director Ellsworth
• ESU 7 Apparel Store - September 22-October 3, 2025
  • Polo Link
• Upcoming Events
  • NASB Area Membership Meetings (Those being awarded achievement points in attachment below)
    • September 24, 2025 - Fremont *Last chance to register*
      • Registered: Dawn Lindsley, Joyce Baumert, Bob Arp, Jack Young, Marci Ostmeyer
  • Labor Relations Conference
    • October 1-2, 2025 - Lincoln
      • Registered: Marci Ostmeyer, Linda Shefcyk, Richard Stephens
  • 2025 State Education Conference - Google Form
    • November 19-21, 2025 - Omaha
      • Registered: Marci Ostmeyer, Don Graff, Jack Young, Dawn Lindsley
  • New Board Member Workshop
    • December 3, 2025 - Kearney
  • AESA Annual Conference
    • December 3-5, 2025 - Colorado Springs, CO - Google Form
      • Registered: Beth Kabes, Bob Arp, Clark Lehr, Don Graff, Karen Gomez, Marci Ostmeyer, Marni Danhauer, Dawn Lindsley

Rationale:  NASB Board Goal Retreat Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Time: TBD

2025-2026 District Board Visit Scheduling

Rationale: 

• SMART Update
• July-September 2025 Quarterly Report (Attached below)

Items inside this item include visit updates, quarterly report, director reports, etc.

Rationale:  Administrator Ostmeyer will give an update on the Learning Academy and Playground.

Rationale:  Resignations:
Tanley Miller, Bridges Paraprofessional. Last day, August 31, 2025. 
Iriana Medel, Bridges Paraprofessional. Last day, September 17, 2025.

Retirements:
Larry Shefcyk, Custodian/Maintenance. Last day, December 22, 2025.

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

Rationale:  Reports of Budget Committee activities and discussion will take place during this item.

Committee Recommendation:

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

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

Joint Budget and Negotiations Committee meeting to take place in October.

Committee Recommendation: 

Rationale:  The ESU 7 Education Association requests that the Board representing the Educational Service Unit 7 take action to recognize ESU 7 Education Association as the exclusive bargaining agent for the non-supervisory certificated staff for the 2027-2028 contract year. 

Committee Recommendation: Discuss, consider, and take all necessary action to recognize ESU 7 Education Association as exclusive bargaining agent for the non-supervisory certificated staff for the 2027-2028 contract year.

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

Evaluation Timeline:
- August: Evaluation Committee Chair and Administrator review Evaluation Tool and Evaluation Policy/Procedures.
- September: Full Board is provided a paper copy of the evaluation questions. 
- October: Administrator sends digital evaluation and evaluation resources to the Evaluation Committee Chair in the first week of October. The chair then forwards on to the full Board for completion by the October Board Meeting. The Board will send their completed evaluation tool to the Evaluation Committee prior to the October Board Meeting. The Administrator completes the Evaluation Tool as a self-assessment and sends it to the Evaluation Committee Chair on or before October 31.
- November: Committee Chair will send the completed Administrator self-assessment to the full Board after November 1. The Evaluation Committee compiles results of the full Board's completed evaluations prior to the November Board Meeting.
- December: The Evaluation Committee meets prior to the December Board Meeting to review with the Administrator the results of the evaluation. Report to the full Board in December Board Meeting following Closed Session requirements with the Administrator present.
- January: Confirm Evaluation Committee members. The Administrator provides the Evaluation Committee with goals and shares with the Board at the January Board Meeting.

Committee Recommendation:

Rationale:  Conference Attendees will report on their learnings.

• Nebraska Association School Boards (NASB) Area Membership Meeting - York