August 27, 2019 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

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. The Lincoln Board of Education shall also make available for examination and copying as requested by members of the public, at least one copy of all reproducible written materials to be discussed at the meeting.

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.

This report includes routine Human Resources changes:

a.  Certificated Employees:
         Elections - 4
         Re-Elections Change Assignment - 1
         Changes of Status - 4
         Leave of Absence - 9
         Separations - 7

b.  Substitute Certificated Employees:
           Elections - 11

c.  Classified Employees:
            Elections - 170
            Changes of Status - 16
            Separations - 63

d.  Other:
             Civic Leave - 1
             Employment of Family Members - 1

Proposal:
That the Board approve the Human Resources items presented in the attachment(s).*

*The information in the attachment(s) may be protected by privacy legislation until the Board of Education takes action on the staff recommendations.  Therefore, this attachment(s) is not included in agenda materials provided the public and the news media.  Any information in the attachment(s) that is not protected by privacy legislation, however, is available for public inspection from the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources upon request.

That the Board is approving the Human Resources items attached with the information as presented or as on file with official district records and documents relating to each such item, or in such other form as may be approved by the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources, or the Associate Superintendent’s designee, and that the Board hereby authorizes the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources, or the Associate Superintendent’s designee, to transact and complete each such item approved hereby, and to sign, execute, and deliver necessary documents or contracts, and to take or cause to be taken any and all other action as may be necessary to complete each such item of transaction as contemplated, for and on behalf of this school district.

On March 26, 2019, the Board adopted a resolution to accept option enrollment students for the 2019-20 school year.  Applications for enrollment during the 2019-20 school year have been received and are in compliance with the Board resolution of March 26, 2019.      

Explanation
The applications included in this agenda item have been examined by staff and meet one of the criteria set forth by the Board in the resolution of March 26, 2019.  Staff recommends approval of the applications.  

Proposal   
That the Board adopts the following resolution:

WHEREAS, the students who have been assigned student numbers 290983, 433188 (for purposes of confidentiality, assigned numbers are being used) meet one or more of the criteria of the Board resolution of March 26, 2019, with regard to such option students;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the aforementioned students be accepted as option students 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.

March 15, 2019, 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, 2019, 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 districts for their approval.

Student Number            Option District
284205                               Waverly
422631                               Omaha
228220                               Blair
286930                               Blair

Proposal  
That the Board approves the requests for option out for the 2019-20 school year.

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, 2019, and ending August 31, 2020, namely:

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 $288,910,842, 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, 2019, 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 2019-20 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 2019-20 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, 2019, 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 2019-20 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.

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.

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.