Rationale: 

1.  Review monthly bills using the EMeetings Software.

2.  Review all credit card transactions for the month

3.  Finance Committee Members Sign-off on the review of monthly bills, credit card transactions, and district fund balances.

4.  Approve superintendent's expenses

5.  Lunch Fund Review-Monthly Lunch Fund Balance Worksheet Attached

6.  General Fund Review-Monthly General Fund Balance Worksheet Attached

7.  Payroll Ledger Review

8.  Insurance Billing Review

9.  ACH Payroll Review

10.  Transfers and Interfund Loan Report - No activity this month.

11.  Signage for Building Project Update

12.  2026-27 General Fund Budget Draft (General Fund Only Attached)

13.  "Ravenna Financial Info As of 2-9-26" (Attached) — This is based on our spending while we were at half way through the budget cycle in February.

14.  LB803 (Full Copy of Final Reading of Bill Attached)- This bill will change the budgeting process and require additional hearings and resolutions to complete the budget process.  The superintendent will learn more about the changes on April 20, when he attends a seminar that includes the topic.  A summary of the changes and requirements the bill makes appear below:
 

LB803 Summary
Property Tax Limits:  LB 803 (Revenue Committee) was advanced to Select File by 42-0 vote. The bill provides that by June 1, each political subdivision levying a tax against property must inform the county assessor of every county in which the political subdivision has the authority to levy such tax of the time and place of the political subdivision's first budget hearing.

The bill provides that if the governing body of a political subdivision seeks to set its property tax request at an amount that exceeds its property tax request in the prior year, it may do so, after holding a public hearing and by passing a resolution or ordinance, by a two-thirds majority vote except for seven member boards that will require a four sevenths majority vote.

A new section is added to provide that each county and each city or school district levying a tax on property within a county must participate in a joint public hearing.  Each political subdivision must designate one representative to attend the joint public hearing on behalf of the political subdivision.  At the hearing, there would be no items on the agenda other than discussion on each political subdivision's budget process and preliminary information on relevant data that would impact the political subdivision's budget in the current year.  At least one voting member of the governing body of each participating political subdivision must attend the joint public hearing.  The county assessor of the county in which the joint public hearing is being held shall also attend the hearing.

The joint public hearing must be held on or after July 1 and prior to July 15 and before any of the participating political subdivisions file their adopted budget statement.  The joint public hearing must be held after 6 p.m. local time on the relevant date.

After the completion of the joint public hearing, the county clerk must prepare a report regarding the hearing.  The report must be delivered to the political subdivisions participating in the joint public hearing within 10 days after the hearing.

 

Rationale:  The annual staff appreciation meal will take place on Friday, May 15 at 12:00 (noon) at the Ravenna Golf Course.

Rationale:  Mrs. Barent has chosen to resign effective April 2.

Rationale:  There is an old Ravenna Bluejay sign that has not been used for many, many years.  The maintenance staff is asking that it be declared as surplus for immediate sale or disposal.  A picture of the sign is attached to this agenda item.



 

Rationale: 

Members of the Public, 

This is the portion of the board meeting when we invite anyone in attendance to address the board of education. If you would like to speak to the board regarding any of the items on tonight's agenda or a public concern, now is your opportunity to do so.  Please review the orange sheet (found on the visitors' chairs) of paper that contains the guidelines for public participation.  If you wish to speak to the board at this time, please let me know.  "Would anyone like to address the board at this time?"

 

AFTER THE PERSON(S) INDICATE(S) THEY WISH TO SPEAK

1.  Please stand and state your name?

2.  What topic will you be speaking on?

3.  Are there others in the room who wish to speak to the same topic? (If so, ask that they be recognized so that 30 minutes of time for public comment can be apportioned as per the policy-5 minutes per person).

4.  Optional-"Please understand that public comment is your opportunity to speak to the board and present your concerns, thoughts, feelings, ideas, and observations.  Members of the board are happy to hear from members of the public, but the board will not engage in conversation or dialogue with you during public comment."

4.  "You'll have approximately 5 minutes to address the board, as we allow 5 minutes per person and a total of 30 minutes for public comment.  You may begin when you are ready?"

 

 

 

Rationale:  Attached are the drafts of the school calendar for the 2026-27 school year, prepared by Mr. Anderson for review and consideration by the school board.

Rationale:  The cabinets in the concession stand are old, worn out, and need to be replaced.  Bids for replacing the cabinets are attached, and the bid tabulation is below:

Bid Tabulation:
Builders: $12,138.41
Maschka's: $10,499.00

Rationale:  Due to the remodeling in the elementary office area, some storage will be diminished.  Cabinets will be installed in the teacher's workroom to assist with storage capacity.  Bids for the cabinets are attached to this agenda item and the bid tabulation appears below:

Bid Tabulation:
Mead Lumber: $23,094.94
Builders: $27,469.41

Rationale:  The school's phone system is becoming obsolete.  By 2027, it will not be operable, so it will need to be replaced.  Dave will be at the board meeting to discuss some options.

Rationale:  Attached to this agenda item is a freeholder's petition that was submitted to the Buffalo County Clerk by Gary & Jolene Jones.  They are requesting that 160 acres of land be transferred from the Gibbon Public School District and the Shelton Public School District into the Ravenna Public School District.

The superintendent spoke with Ms. Christensen, the Buffalo County Clerk, and she indicated that she would need a letter from the school indicating that the school district would be willing to accept the transfer of the parcels of land into the Ravenna Public School District.

Should the board choose to accept the land transfer and provide the letter of acceptance to the Buffalo County Clerk, Ms. Christensen will then meet with the board of control that regulates such matters, and that board will make a decision on whether to approve the land transfer.  Ms. Christensen indicated the timing of this decision would be within the next couple of months and would have to be completed by June 1.

Rationale:  1.  AD's Office Option - Mr. Bolling has chosen to stay in his current office rather than move to the stage.

2.  Elementary office cabinets - (2 Bids Attached) -We will need a contractor to install these.  The superintendent will contact local contractors and get a bid. - Owner Directed

3.  Cabinets in the concession stand - (2 Bids Attached) - Dan Cyboron will make the time to install these. - Owner Directed

4.  Exterior Signage - There is a bid to install the signage $39,862.88, as opposed to the $87,000 that was originally proposed.  In this proposal, only one of the signs (the south main high school entry sign) will be lighted. 

5.  "Bluejay Blue" - Confirm the color that is being proposed to be used as "Bluejay Blue" to ensure that everyone agrees on the color.

6.  Storefront Color Match - Match the color of the doors for the fire doors as closely as possible to the color selected for the storefronts at the main entrances and let BD know which color has been selected.

7.  Irrigation Line for Football Field - The current underground line from the well is going to be abandoned, as it runs underneath the new addition and presents a potential, future hazard (it is 50 years old and it could burst and cause a sink hole).  So, it will need to be replaced.  Forward Well Service has been called to look at the project and to generate some budget pricing.  Owner Directed


A copy of the updated "Construction Schedule" as of 4/8/26 is attached for review.

Summary of April 7th Meeting Appears Below

The meeting reviewed construction progress, short-term schedule adjustments, and budget implications for the Ravenna Public School addition. The start was delayed by audio and screen-share issues, after which the team addressed site sequencing constraints driven by an eight-inch decking gap, pending manufacturer direction on a path extension, and the need to avoid moisture before freezing that affects roofing and concrete work. Concrete pours are underway while gravel placement continues, and a coordination meeting was scheduled for sequencing and weather-dependent dates. The team confirmed that students will be vacated by May 15 and will return on August 17, and agreed the addition will host crews over the summer when other areas are inaccessible. Jacob committed to updating and reposting the overall schedule in Autodesk and offered to send a PDF to Ken on request.

Budget and finishes decisions were advanced. An alternate glass that matches existing conditions added $3,739 and will be charged to the post-bid inflation allowance rather than a change order. Signage quotes ranged from about $33,000 to $83,000; the team will consolidate those quotes for a board presentation before Monday. The electricians issued a small conduit credit and Jacob will incorporate a $526 concrete curing compound credit into PR7 while tracking it separately. Exterior and interior color matching was narrowed to a single blue tone; Jacob and Lisa will exchange Pantone/color files and Jacob’s team will produce mock-ups. The group agreed to document the proposed wall padding relocation and anchor changes with an RFI. Site coordination for irrigation includes installing a sleeve and conduit during entrance footing excavation after school ends, with roughly one to two weeks' notice to the well crew. The regular COA meeting date was changed from May 5 to May 7.

 




 

Rationale:  As part of our on-going policy review, board members should please review our 4000 Series Board Policies in advance of the April Board Meeting.  The superintendent will do the same and provide any suggested revisions to the Board Policy Committee & to the whole board at the April Board Meeting.  It's simply best practice to continually engage in a review of board policies.

These, and all other board policies, are available at: https://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Organization/64

Rationale:  As part of our on-going policy review, board members should please review our 5000 Series Board Policies in advance of the April Board Meeting.  The superintendent will do the same and provide any suggested revisions to the Board Policy Committee & to the whole board at the April Board Meeting.  It's simply best practice to continually engage in a review of board policies.

These, and all other board policies, are available at: https://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Organization/64

Rationale:  Mrs. Yendra is going to be teaching two new courses next year.  The administration would like the board to review the curriculum and approve its purchase.

A copy of the syllabi and textbooks for the course are attached to this agenda item.

Rationale:  Mr. Christensen is going to be teaching a new course next year.  The administration would like the board to review the curriculum and approve its purchase.

A copy of the syllabi and textbooks for the course are attached to this agenda item.

Rationale:  NSCAS/MAP Assessments
We will be conducting our Spring assessments beginning this week and continuing into next week.  Students in grades K-2 will take MAP (Measure of Academic Performance), and students in grades 3-6 will take NSCAS (Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System).  Each student will take a Reading/ELA and Mathematics assessment.  Fifth-grade students will also take a science assessment.

911
On Wednesday of this week a representative from the Buffalo County Sheriff's office is coming to talk to the 1st and 2nd graders about 911.

High Five Friday
For our High Five Friday in April, we had community members and business owners greet the kids. 

Ride to School on a Fire Truck
Last Fall, the RFD held a coloring contest in conjunction with Fire Safety Week.  On May 1, the contest winners get to ride to school on a fire truck.  The RFD and EMTs will also be on hand for a High Five Friday.

Loyalty Day Program
We will have our annual Loyalty Day Program on May 1 at 1:30 pm.

Rationale: 

Principal Report April Board Meeting

 

Academic

• Junior high students completed the ELA and Math NSCAS tests.

  • The 8th graders will take the Science test on April 15th.   

• The freshman class completed the Pre-ACT on April 8th.

• The sophomore class completed the Pre-ACT on April 9th. 

• Juniors completed the ACT on March 24th. 

• Mrs. Loeffelholz and Shari are currently working on getting students' schedules set up for the next school year. 

  • We are still on track to offer our new high school classes and limit 9–12 study halls to two periods while making them guided study halls.

  • Junior High schedules and study halls will not change for the upcoming school year. 

Student Behavior/Mental Health

.  

Activities

• Four students qualified for the State Speech meet on Friday, March 27th.

  • Maggie Huryta and Abbie Lewandowski placed 6th in Duet.

  • Wyton Fiddelke and Owen Standage placed 4th in Duet.

  • Owned Standage is the state champion in Serious Prose.

• Fine Arts Night was held on March 24th with 32 performances taking place. 

• The prom took place on Saturday, March 28th.

  • Mrs. Havranek, Mrs. Clark, and the junior class did a nice job of putting on the prom this year for the seniors. 

• Two students participated in the special olympics state meet in Lincoln on Friday, April 10th.

  • Tatum Maples placed 1st in her division while Heidi Bench placed 3rd in her division. 

Rationale:  1.  Summer Project List-Below is what we are thinking for the next couple of summers:

This Summer:

• Elementary Office Cabinets -  $23,095 + Cost of Installation — We will need a contractor to install these.  The superintendent will contact local contractors and get an installation bid. - Owner Directed
• Concession Stand Cabinets - $10,499 - Dan Cyboron will make the time to install these. - Owner Directed
• Exterior Signage - $39,862.88 - Exterior signage for the construction project is owner directed.  BD went back and got additional bids from a different sign company, after original pricing came in at over $80,000.  By not lighting a couple of the exterior signs and using a different sign company, the cost has come down to $39,862.88, which is still $19,863 over the budget price of $20,000. - Owner Directed
• Irrigation Line for Football Field (Estimate Attached) - $11,922.44  The current underground line from the well is going to be abandoned, as it runs underneath the new addition and presents a potential, future hazard (it is 50 years old, and it could burst and cause a sinkhole).  So, it will need to be replaced.  The estimate is over $10,000, so we will probably want to get multiple bids.  - Owner Directed
• Walk-In Cooler Repair—$2,310 (Hand Machine will provide the materials and Dan Cyboron will install the metal, which will be about 1/2 the cost of the other bidder.).  
• Painting Hallways in JH/SR-$3,757 (Randall's Painting - Pleasanton)
• Ceiling Tile Replacement- $49,684 ($33,500 + $7,000 for removing fire devices and reinstalling them by Midwest Alarm + $9,184 for cabling trays)
• Bus Barn/FFA/Welding Lab Roof Replacement-$35,500 (Insurance will pay for this.)
• Pre-School Concrete 15' x 45' Playground Pad-$4,725
• Football & Track Stadium Handrails - (Randall's Painting - Pleasanton.)-$1,464
• LED Lighting Replacement in Elementary (Lower Elementary & Elementary Music Room)-$5,000
• Tiny Toilet-$11,600
• Veteran's Memorial (Metal Cap, Mortar Replacement, Concrete, Vases, & Flag Holders) - $7,000 (RPS Foundation will pay for this).
• Total Estimate:  $206,419.32;  District's Responsibility: $163,919.32

2. Budget Draft for 2026-27 (Attached-General Fund Only on APA Document) 

• Looking at a $8.2 million dollar spend for 2025-26, before any end of the year transfers
• May want to consider spending down the $375,000 in the Employee Benefit Fund in order to lower the total 2025-26 spend as much as possible.  This will increase the cash balance forward for the General Fund in 2025-26.

3.  Kitchen Staffing-Increase pay and lower staff numbers, possibility.

4.  LB803 (Copy of Final Reading of Bill Attached)- This bill will change the budgeting process and require additional hearings and resolutions to complete the budget process.  The superintendent will learn more about the changes on April 20, when he attends a seminar that includes the topic.  A summary of the changes and requirements the bill makes appear below:
 

LB803 Summary
Property Tax Limits:  LB 803 (Revenue Committee) was advanced to Select File by 42-0 vote. The bill provides that by June 1, each political subdivision levying a tax against property must inform the county assessor of every county in which the political subdivision has the authority to levy such tax of the time and place of the political subdivision's first budget hearing.

The bill provides that if the governing body of a political subdivision seeks to set its property tax request at an amount that exceeds its property tax request in the prior year, it may do so, after holding a public hearing and by passing a resolution or ordinance, by a two-thirds majority vote except for seven member boards that will require a four sevenths majority vote.

A new section is added to provide that each county and each city or school district levying a tax on property within a county must participate in a joint public hearing.  Each political subdivision must designate one representative to attend the joint public hearing on behalf of the political subdivision.  At the hearing, there would be no items on the agenda other than discussion on each political subdivision's budget process and preliminary information on relevant data that would impact the political subdivision's budget in the current year.  At least one voting member of the governing body of each participating political subdivision must attend the joint public hearing.  The county assessor of the county in which the joint public hearing is being held shall also attend the hearing.

The joint public hearing must be held on or after July 1 and prior to July 15 and before any of the participating political subdivisions file their adopted budget statement.  The joint public hearing must be held after 6 p.m. local time on the relevant date.

After the completion of the joint public hearing, the county clerk must prepare a report regarding the hearing.  The report must be delivered to the political subdivisions participating in the joint public hearing within 10 days after the hearing.