August 28, 2018 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

Notice of the time and place of the Lincoln Board of Education meeting was e-mailed to an extensive list of local and regional news media.  A mailing list is maintained at the Lincoln Public Schools District Office.  A public notice was published in the LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR.

 

The Lincoln Board of Education is empowered to act on any item listed on the Agenda at any time during the meeting, irrespective of the time or order listed. Pages listed, or further detail, are available upon request. The Open Meetings Act requires and the intention of the Board is that agenda items be sufficiently descriptive to give the public reasonable notice of the matters to be considered at the meeting. The Lincoln Board of Education releases its agenda well in advance of most meetings and desires that all interested persons are fully informed. Any interested person who has a question or needs clarification about the sufficiency of a descriptive item should contact the Office of the Superintendent of Schools.

Rationale:  The attached minutes are intended to accurately reflect the action of the Board at its previous meetings.

Explanation
The minutes have been prepared for Board approval.

Rationale: 

BACKGROUND:

VOICE (Vocational Opportunity In Community Experience) is a program for students with disabilities that provides students with relevant educational, life, social, and vocational/career experiences in business and/or agency settings.  VOICE prepares students of transition age, primarily 18-21 years, to gain the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate a positive transition into adult living after high school.
 

EXPLANATION:
 

Rationale:  BACKGROUND:

Increasingly, jobs require some form of post-secondary education.  Students who attend post-secondary education increase their earning power, provide a higher standard of living for themselves and their families, and they become more informed and involved citizens.

A quality post-secondary education can change a student’s life, opening new doors to a promising and fulfilling life.  The Learn to Dream Scholarship was established to create an opportunity for every graduating Lincoln high school student to further their education by attending Southeast Community College (SCC) in Lincoln, Milford, or Beatrice. The Learn to Dream scholarship is available for all low income students graduating from a Lincoln public or private high school.

SCC and Lincoln's high schools have partnered with Union Bank & Trust and Nelnet to offer this innovative scholarship program, the first of its kind in Nebraska. 

Through the program, students have been able to attend SCC for approximately one year of classes without having to pay for tuition and fees.  Since the inception of the program, over 5,000 students have participated in the program.

EXPLANATION:

The existing Learn to Dream scholarship brought over 5,000 students to SCC with the opportunity to complete their first year of college, but many college programs take more than a year to complete, putting some degrees, programs and certification out of student’s reach.  Through the generosity of the Acklie Foundation, a second year of college, and the benefits to the students, their families, and community, are now within reach.

The Acklie Foundation has come forward to fund scholarships for eligible students to attend Southeast Community College up to sixty (60) credit hours.  This not only helps students who have graduated from Lincoln Public Schools and have gone on to Southeast Community College for their post-secondary work, this will benefit existing high school students.  Through The Career Academy and other dual high school and college credit courses taught in LPS, many LPS high school students participate in college courses while still in high school.  The extended Learn to Dream Scholarship will help both existing and recently graduated Lincoln Public Schools students extend their post-secondary learning and make it possible to reach their dreams.
 

Rationale: 

In keeping with Board Policy 8420:

1. Persons speaking during Public Comment will be called forward individually by the Board Chair to the location identified for such purpose. 
2. A time limit of five minutes will be allotted for any speaker. At the discretion of the chair, the speaker may be allotted additional time. Board members may share, address or consider comments from the public during public comment, at the end of public comment or when related business is on the agenda.
3. Each individual speaking to the Board will be required to identify himself or herself prior to giving public comment. A "Record of Appearance" card is provided for this purpose.
4. Persons wishing to appear will be heard in the order in which the Chair of the meeting determines appropriate.
5. In cases where more than one person wishes to speak on the same topic, their presentations to the Board may, at the discretion of the chair, be grouped together by topic.
6. If the number of people wishing to speak under the public participation portions of the agenda is large, the chair may rule that a public hearing be scheduled or the discussion be limited on the issue in question.
7. Persons speaking to the Board during public comment may make printed materials available to the Board but may not use any other form of media.

If at any time persons appearing before the Board exceed the time limitations set forth in this policy or on the agenda or if persons appearing before the Board or who are present at the Board meeting or public hearing become abusive in language or behavior, it shall be the responsibility of the chair to declare that person or persons out of order and to refuse permission to continue to address the Board, require a change in behavior and may require the person or persons to leave the premises of the Board meeting.

Rationale: 

Rationale:  Explanation:

Rationale: 

Rationale: 

On February 13, 2018, the Board adopted a resolution to accept an option enrollment student for the 2018-19 school year.  An application for enrollment during the 2018-19 school year has been received and is in compliance with the Board resolution of February 13, 2018.      

Explanation
The application included in this agenda item has been examined by staff and meets one of the criteria set forth by the Board in the resolution of February 13, 2018.  Staff recommends approval of this application.  

Proposal   
That the Board adopts the following resolution:

WHEREAS, the student who has been assigned student number 222369 (for purposes of confidentiality, assigned numbers are being used) meets one or more of the criteria of the Board resolution of February 13, 2018, with regard to such option student;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the aforementioned student be accepted as an option student on the condition and with the express understanding that all programs, all classes and all buildings of assignment, except as otherwise required by law, shall at all times and from time to time during attendance at Lincoln Public Schools be determined solely by Lincoln Public Schools.

Rationale: 

March 15, 2018, was the deadline for enrollment option applications to be completed for students wishing to attend school in a district other than the one in which they reside for the 2018-19 school year.  The Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education has authority to waive the deadline for late enrollment option requests (NDE Rule 7, Section 004.05).    

Explanation  
Requests from students who reside in the district of Lincoln Public Schools and wish to attend school outside of Lincoln Public Schools have been received after the March 15, 2018, deadline.  The Lincoln Board of Education may deny or approve these requests.  If the requests are approved by the Board of Education, they will be forwarded to the option school district for their approval. 

Student Number            Option District
427429                            Omaha
427617                            Norris
427620                            Norris
253135                            Norris
427622                            Norris
427656                            Milford

Proposal  
That the Board approve the requests for option out for the 2018-19 school year.

Rationale:  *The Lincoln Board of Education is empowered to act on any item listed on the Agenda at any time during the meeting, irrespective of the time or order listed. Pages listed, or further detail, are available upon request. The Open Meetings Act requires and the intention of the Board is that agenda items be sufficiently descriptive to give the public reasonable notice of the matters to be considered at the meeting. The Lincoln Board of Education  Board releases its agenda well in advance of most meetings and desires that all interested persons are fully informed. Any interested person who has a question or needs clarification about the sufficiency of a descriptive item should contact the Office of the Superintendent of Schools.

Rationale:  Explanation:

Proposal:
That the Board approve the recommended 2018-19 insurance rates.
 

Rationale:  Staff recommends that the Board review the budget statement as amended (Attachment One) prepared in compliance with the Nebraska Budget Act, the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act, State Law Sections 79-1081, 79-1085, 79-10,110 and 79-10,110.01 R.R.S. Neb., et. seq., and other Nebraska laws.  After Board review, the following resolution will be presented for approval on August 28, 2018.

RESOLVED by the Board of Education of Lancaster County School District 001:
 

1. That the following is the Board’s estimate of the total amount under its adopted budget statement to be received by the district from taxation of the taxable property within the school district for the fiscal year beginning September 1, 2018, and ending August 31, 2019, namely:

$230,022,990 - To provide for the financing of all facets of services rendered by the school district, inclusive of operations and maintenance, and further known as the General Fund.

$34,372,506 - To provide for payment of interest and the retirement of the school district’s unlimited tax general obligation bonds, further known as the Bond Fund.

$5,077,982 - All of the previously identified Qualified Capital Purpose Undertaking Fund projects have been completed, and as such, in full compliance with all prerequisites, approved itemized estimates, procedures and requirements as provided by Sections 79-10,110 R.R.S. Neb., et. seq. and other Nebraska laws, sometimes known as the Qualified Capital Purpose Undertaking Fund laws, to provide for the payment of principal and interest on bonds issued in accordance with such laws for (a) environmental hazard abatement and accessibility barrier elimination projects; (b) Qualified Zone Academy Bond projects; (c) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Academy Bond projects; and (d) building modifications to address life safety code violations, indoor air quality, and mold abatement/prevention.
 

2. That the County Commissioners of Lancaster County be requested and directed to levy and collect for said mentioned purposes the tax rate necessary to produce $269,473,478, after the county’s tax collection fee has been deducted, the same as other property taxes are levied and collected.

 

3. That the officers of the Board be directed to report the action of the Board of Education to the County Commissioners of Lancaster County (in their capacity as the levying board) and to the Auditor of Public Accounts not later than September 20, 2018, in accordance with State Law Section 13-508 R.R.S. Neb., and that the officers be further directed to report the action of the Board to the Lancaster County Clerk in accordance with State Law Section 79-1083 R.R.S. Neb.

 

4. That the 2018-19 budget as presented, and amended, all supporting documents (copies of which are on file with official district records and which are hereby incorporated herein by this reference as though set forth in full) as developed by the administration are hereby approved and adopted.

 

5. That the administration is hereby authorized to take all action necessary to implement the adopted budget herein, and to make any necessary changes or adjustments as required by Nebraska laws to properly reflect such adopted budget statement hereby approved, due to assessed valuation certifications or re-certifications or such other matters which require necessary fiscal adjustments to complete the budgeting process for the 2018-19 fiscal year adopted budget and budget statement hereby approved.

 

6. That the officers of the Board be directed to make and deliver to the County Clerk, not later than September 20, 2018, the approved itemized estimate of the amounts necessary and period of years to repay the principal and interest on bonds issued in accordance with § 79-10,110, et. seq., and other laws.

 

7. That in accordance with Section 003.04C of Title 92, Nebraska Administrative Code, Chapter 2, Section 79-1070 R.R.S. Neb., and other Nebraska laws and regulations, the Board authorizes that at any time during the 2018-19 school fiscal year there is temporarily insufficient money in any of the particular funds detailed in section 1 of this resolution, or in any of the funds of a "blended component unit" of the district as such term is defined in the Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement 14, the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs or a designee may transfer money from other funds to such fund, such transfer to be considered a loan subject to repayment as soon as funds are available to do so.

That the Board approve and adopt the 2018-19 budget statement, itemized estimate and the above budget resolution, as amended.

 

Rationale: 

Rationale:  August 29: Chamber Celebrate Business Awards Lunch,  11:30 am, Cornhusker Hotel
September 3: Holiday - No School All Levels
September 11: Board Meeting, 6:00 pm, LPSDO

Rationale: 

In keeping with Board Policy 8420:

1. Persons speaking during Public Comment will be called forward individually by the Board Chair to the location identified for such purpose. 
2. A time limit of five minutes will be allotted for any speaker. At the discretion of the chair, the speaker may be allotted additional time. Board members may share, address or consider comments from the public during public comment, at the end of public comment or when related business is on the agenda.
3. Each individual speaking to the Board will be required to identify himself or herself prior to giving public comment. A "Record of Appearance" card is provided for this purpose.
4. Persons wishing to appear will be heard in the order in which the Chair of the meeting determines appropriate.
5. In cases where more than one person wishes to speak on the same topic, their presentations to the Board may, at the discretion of the chair, be grouped together by topic.
6. If the number of people wishing to speak under the public participation portions of the agenda is large, the chair may rule that a public hearing be scheduled or the discussion be limited on the issue in question.
7. Persons speaking to the Board during public comment may make printed materials available to the Board but may not use any other form of media.

If at any time persons appearing before the Board exceed the time limitations set forth in this policy or on the agenda or if persons appearing before the Board or who are present at the Board meeting or public hearing become abusive in language or behavior, it shall be the responsibility of the chair to declare that person or persons out of order and to refuse permission to continue to address the Board, require a change in behavior and may require the person or persons to leave the premises of the Board meeting.

Rationale: 

Explanation
At this point, it is appropriate for the Board to meet in closed session for one of the stated matters and/or any other permissible closed session matters in compliance with the law.

Rationale:  The Lincoln Board of Education is authorized by state statute to hold closed sessions.  Closed sessions may be held when clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual.  Reasons that meet this standard include but are not limited to:  (a) strategy sessions with respect to collective bargaining, real estate matters, pending litigation, or litigation which is imminent as evidenced by communication of a claim or threat of litigation to or by the public body; (b) discussion regarding deployment of security personnel or devices; (c) investigative proceedings regarding allegations of criminal misconduct; (d) evaluation of the job performance of a person when necessary to prevent needless injury to the reputation of a person and if such person has not requested a public meeting; and (e) legal advice.