June 24, 2014 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:  In keeping with Policy 8420, 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.

Rationale: 

Rationale: 

The Human Resources Division also includes the Office of Risk Management.  As such, in addition to the Lincoln Board of Education approving all contractual agreements with employees, all employee benefit issues, all personnel actions, and all other matters within the scope of the Human Resources Division, as part of the Human Resources Matters agenda; the Lincoln Board of Education also must approve the settlement of Workers’ Compensation claims, take action on tort claims filed against the district, and take action on all other matters within the scope of the Office of Risk Management.

Explanation
This report includes routine Human Resources changes:
   a.  Administrator Certificated Employees:
             Elections – 1
   b.  Certificated Employees:
             Elections – 36
             Leaves of Absence – 3
             Separations – 8
   c.  Substitute Certificated Employees:
             Separations – 15
   d.  Classified Employees:
             Elections – 29
             Changes of Status – 6
             Separations – 33

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 her designee, and that the Board hereby authorizes the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources, or her 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.?

Rationale: 

At each meeting, the Board of Education is asked to approve certain items of routine business of the school district.      

Explanation
The items included in routine business for this meeting are:

a.  REGULAR CLAIMS – Claims for the period ending June 24, 2014, were previously provided.

Federal Tax ACH Deposit of $41,898.84.

State Tax ACH Deposit of $666,993.72.

Procurement Card ACH Transfer of $114,609.39.

Retirement ACH Transfer of $4,049,902.45.

Office Depot ACH Transfer of $59,514.95.

Vendor ACH Transfer of $25,880.64.

b.  PAYROLL FOR RATIFICATION – Payroll for the periods ending June 5 and June13, 2014, in the amount of $140,159.14.

c.  GIFTS – Approval for the gifts listed on the attached gift report.

d.  BIDS/CONTRACTS/OTHER ROUTINE BUSINESS – Bids/contracts/other routine business will be presented for approval for student and teacher curriculum packages to be used at all middles school locations; literature titles for use with IDEAS reading intervention course; AP World History textbooks with digital content; security and technology improvements at Holmes, Meadow Lane, Morley, Pyrtle, Lefler, Bryan Community, and East; license renewal for on-line computer assisted learning software programs; an agreement to provide for consultation and implementation of the BIST model; agreements with Southeast Nebraska Region Program and multiple school districts to provide for deaf or hard of hearing services; an agreement for professional development sessions; an agreement with Lincoln Parks and Recreation to provide services related to Community Learning Center activities; an agreement to provide temporary access easement to Wedgewood Manor Lake Association; an agreement with Lincoln Housing Authority to provide services related to Community Learning Center activities; consent to the assignment and assumption of lease and sublease of the Educare Facility; items to be listed for auction; and any other bids/contracts/routine business as presented.      

Proposal
That the Lincoln Board of Education approve the following items of routine business:

a.  The regular claims for period ending June 24, 2014.

b.  Payroll for the periods ending June 5 and June 13, 2014.

c.  Gifts for Irving, Northeast, Roper, Southwest, and the district.

d.  Bids/contracts/other routine business for approval for student and teacher curriculum packages to be used at all middles school locations; literature titles for use with IDEAS reading intervention course; AP World History textbooks with digital content; security and technology improvements at Holmes, Meadow Lane, Morley, Pyrtle, Lefler, Bryan Community, and East; license renewal for on-line computer assisted learning software programs; an agreement to provide for consultation and implementation of the BIST model; agreements with Southeast Nebraska Region Program and multiple school districts to provide for deaf or hard of hearing services; an agreement for professional development sessions; an agreement with Lincoln Parks and Recreation to provide services related to Community Learning Center activities; an agreement to provide temporary access easement to Wedgewood Manor Lake Association; an agreement with Lincoln Housing Authority to provide services related to Community Learning Center activities; consent to the assignment and assumption of lease and sublease of the Educare Facility; items to be listed for auction; and any other bids/contracts/routine business as presented.

Rationale:  On February 25, 2014, the Board adopted a resolution to accept option students for the 2014-15 school year.  Application has been received from a student requesting that they be accepted as an option student for the 2014-15 school year.  Staff recommends that the student referred to in this agenda item be accepted for enrollment as the student is in compliance with the Board resolution of February 25, 2014.      

Explanation
Staff has examined the application of the student included in this proposal.  The student meets one of the criteria set forth by the Board in its resolution of February 25, 2014.  Staff recommends approval of this application.      

Proposal
That the Board adopt the following resolution:   WHEREAS the student who has been assigned student 303141 (for purposes of confidentiality, assigned number is being used) meets one or more of the criteria of the Board resolution of February 25, 2014, 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, 2014, 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 2014-15 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 Lincoln Public Schools District and wish to attend school outside of the Lincoln Public Schools District have been received after the March 15, 2014, deadline.  The Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education may deny or approve these requests.  If these requests are approved by the Board of Education, they will be forwarded to the option school district for their approval.  

Student Number Option District
299486 Louisville
272211 Waverly      

Proposal
That the Board approve these requests for option out for the 2014-15 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: 

The Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) 10-Year Facilities & Infrastructure Plan has recommended a new Middle School in southeast Lincoln.  In October 2013, LPS issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking to acquire a land parcel suitable for such purpose and in the February 11, 2014, bond election, the voters approved acquiring sites for school facilities of the district and constructing, furnishing, and equipping a new middle school in the southeast area of the district.  Various land parcels have been evaluated according to the Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education’s School Site Selection Criteria and negotiations have been pursued with land owners offering land parcels that best met the criteria.  

The City of Lincoln responded to the RFP with an offer to consider a portion of the “Jensen” property site located in the southeast corner at approximately 84th Street and Yankee Hill Road.  

The Board’s Planning Committee recommends the property located on the southeast corner of 84th and Yankee Hill, based on several desirable features.  

The geographical location is well positioned to create capacity to serve portions of the Lux, Pound, and Scott attendance areas.  The new middle school will provide capacity for 850 students.  The attendance area for the new middle school will be made official by the fall of 2015, two years prior to opening the school.  

The site provides the benefit of maintaining public property for a public purpose and does not take private property off the tax rolls.  

The proposed purchase and sale agreement with the City invests the purchase price in needed infrastructure and grading to begin the development of an adjacent future regional park, an additional public benefit.        

Explanation
The Planning Committee is recommending that LPS purchase the Jensen property for the new middle school site and enter into a Property Purchase and Sale Agreement for such site with the City of Lincoln.  

The proposed Property Purchase and Sale Agreement is attached.

Proposal
That the Board of Education consider and discuss selection of the Jensen property for the new middle school site and entering into a Property Purchase and Sale Agreement for such site with the City of Lincoln.  

That the Board approve the agreement and hereby approve and adopt the following motion and resolutions:            

    BE IT RESOLVED, by Lancaster County School District No. 0001, a/k/a Lincoln Public Schools, a Class IV School District under the laws and statutes of the State of Nebraska, at this regular meeting of its Board of Education, ("LPS"), that the Purchase and Sale Agreement for the Jensen property (“Agreement”) between LPS and the City of Lincoln, Nebraska (“City”) in the form on file with official LPS records and as presented at this meeting, should be and is hereby authorized and approved;            

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs, or a designee for the school district, should be and is hereby authorized and directed to sign, execute, and deliver such Agreement and any development plans, documents, or agreements called for in such Agreement for and on behalf of LPS, and is further hereby authorized and directed to execute and deliver any necessary deed(s) under such Agreement or in the development of the described property according to the Agreement, and is authorized and directed to retain any necessary professionals for assistance, to pay all costs and expenses, and to take or cause to be taken all other action necessary or appropriate to close the sale, purchase, and conveyance transaction, and to develop the described property and pay all development costs and expenses as provided therein according to such Agreement or any approved changes thereto, or those in the best interest of the district upon presentation of deeds or other required plans, documents, or development proposals from the City, or others on the described property to be purchased, received, and developed by LPS under this Agreement.  

Rationale:  The Board of Education assigns school attendance areas to property newly annexed to the City of Lincoln or newly platted.  This action establishes school attendance areas prior to the sale of residential lots, allowing purchasers to know what schools their children will attend.

Explanation
The City of Lincoln has annexed a parcel of land, which automatically brings this property into the Lincoln Public Schools district.  This property needs to be assigned attendance centers so that potential purchasers of homes in this area will know which schools they will be attending:

S 88th St & Pioneers Blvd, Annexation #20021, for 2014-15 school year:  Maxey Elementary School, Lux Middle School, and East High School.

Proposal
That the Board discuss the proposed attendance area assignments of the newly annexed properties.

Rationale: 

The use of video surveillance equipment is one of the measures used by the district to help ensure the well-being of students, staff, and patrons, and provide for the safety of equipment, grounds, and security has been established as an effective means of both deterring and responding to issues.  Policy 3999 outlines the district’s policy for using video surveillance when and where it is appropriate.

Explanation
Policy 3999 is a new policy.  It establishes the policy for how the use of video surveillance pertains to staff, community members, and property. 

Proposal
That the Board discuss Policy 3999.

 

Rationale: 

It is illegal for staff, students, and patrons to use tobacco on school grounds.  The growing popularity of consuming tobacco through a process called “vaping” or through the use of electronic cigarettes requires an update in policy and regulations.  Policies 4890, 5480, and 6740 have references to tobacco use that is no longer current.

Explanation
Policies 4890, 5480, and 6740 have been amended to include more current language regarding the prohibitions to tobacco use on school grounds, at school events, and in school vehicles.

Proposal
That the Board discuss Policies 4980, 5480, and 6740.

Rationale: 

Educational field trips related to curriculum objectives and other trips provide students with positive experiences that cannot be had without travel.  Legal restrictions on the funding of student trips are determined by the type of trip that is taken and who sponsors the trip.  Having clear guidelines for student trips ensures that staff and families make prudent and timely decisions that lead to positive experiences for students.

Explanation
Policy 6525 and its regulation have been amended to provide more detailed descriptions of the different types of student trips and guidance on the approval and funding of those trips.

Proposal
That the Board discuss Policy 6525.

Rationale: 

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education provides funds to finance Perkins Career and Technical Education Innovative and Program Grants. This funding supports districts in designing and implementing innovative programs, services, and activities that demonstrate new models and/or practices for career and technical education programs and teachers.      

Explanation
Lincoln Public Schools Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department is applying for a Perkins Innovation Grant for up to $50,000 for the 2014-15 school year specifically for the purpose of continuing the Programs of Study revisions. Lincoln Public Schools has already received two years of funding under this Innovation Grant process. This application would seek additional funding to complete and implement the alignment work. Programs of Study for each career field have been developed, edited, and revised by the Nebraska Department of Education and each Lincoln Public Schools Career and Technical Education course needs to be in alignment with those Programs of Study pathways. This alignment is critical for current and future Perkins Federal funds. The work involves curriculum revisions, coding changes, alignment within, and with postsecondary schools, analysis of concentrators, professional development, training, internship development, and more. The grant application would primarily fund teacher workshop attendance and pay for substitute time during contractual time to accomplish analysis work and implementation of program changes and innovation. The funds would primarily be used to update high school and Career Academy courses that include business advisory involvement and collaboration with postsecondary programs. Counselors will be involved in the process for career guidance.

Lincoln Public Schools in-kind services, curriculum support, and supplies would be provided through the Career and Technical Education Department program funds. There is no required funding match.      

Proposal
That the Board discuss and approve the submission of the Perkins Career and Technical Education Innovation Grant application for up to $50,000 for a one-year period beginning July 1, 2014, dependent upon final funding. This program does not involve cost sharing or matching funds.  

The grant application is due July 11, 2014.  

Rationale: 

Annually, the Board of Education evaluates and reviews the contract of the Superintendent of Schools.  The 2013-14 evaluation of Steve Joel, Superintendent, has been completed and is being recommended for approval to be placed in his personnel file and his contract is being recommended for extension and compensation increase as well as a  one-time additional compensation agreement.  Copies of a public summary of the Superintendent’s evaluation have  been made available to the public  and the proposed contract and one-time compensation agreement for approval are attached.

Explanation
It is recommended that the current contract for the Superintendent be amended and the one-time compensation agreement be approved.  The proposed contract and the one-time agreement are attached.

Proposal
That the Board of Education hereby approves:

1. The completed 2013-14 evaluation for the Superintendent to be placed in his personnel file, the public summary thereof, and an extension and compensation increase as set forth in the agreement as attached.
2. The one-time compensation agreement as attached.

Rationale:  At the second Board meeting of the month, information regarding the district's monthly financial report is presented.

Explanation
The monthly financial report for the month ending May 31, 2014, is attached.

Proposal
Information item; no Board action required.

Rationale:  Thursday, June 26
Budget Forum, Lefler Middle School, 7:00 pm

Friday, July 4
LPS closed for the HOLIDAY

Monday, July 7
Board Work Session, LPSDO Board Room, 4:30 pm
Board Meeting, LPSDO Board Room, 6:00 pm

Tuesday, July 8
No Board Meeting

Rationale:  In keeping with Policy 8420, 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.

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.