October 14, 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:
             Changes of Status – 1
             Separations – 1
   b.  Certificated Employees:
             Elections – 2
             Changes of Status – 4
             Leaves of Absence – 2
             Separations – 2
   c.  Substitute Certificated Employees:
             Elections – 20
   d.  Classified Employees:
             Elections – 75
             Changes of Status – 4
             Leaves of Absence – 1
             Separations – 18
   e. Other:
             Civic Leaves – 1
   f.  Board Resolution regarding recognition of Lincoln Education Association as the official bargaining agent for 2016-17.

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 October 14, 2014, were previously provided.                

Federal Tax ACH Deposit of $5,267,743.97.                

Procurement Card ACH Transfer of $188,838,85.                

Office Depot ACH Transfer of $13,848.93.                

Vendor ACH Transfer of $31,408.57. 

b.  PAYROLL FOR RATIFICATION – Payroll for the period ending September 30, 2014, in the amount of $13,677,189.24. 

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 security and technology improvements at Zeman, Rousseau, Kahoa, North Star, and Southwest; an increase in the amount of the YMCA CLC agreement; 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 October 14, 2014.  

b.  Payroll for the period ending September 30, 2014.  

c.  Gifts for Eastridge, Pershing, Riley, Roper, Saratoga, West Lincoln, and the district.  

d.  Bids/contracts/other routine business for security and technology improvements at Zeman, Rousseau, Kahoa, North Star, and Southwest; an increase in the amount of the YMCA CLC agreement; and any other bids/contracts/routine business as presented.  

Rationale:  On February 12, 2014, the Board adopted a resolution to accept option students for the 2014-15 school year.  Applications have been received from students requesting that they be accepted as option students for the 2014-15 school year.  Staff recommends that the students referred to in this agenda item be accepted for enrollment as they are in compliance with the Board resolution of February 12, 2014.      

Explanation
Staff has examined the application of the student included in this proposal.  The student meets one of the criteria (currently enrolled) set forth by the Board in its resolution of February 12, 2014.  Staff recommends approval of this application.      

Proposal 
That the Board adopt the following resolution:   WHEREAS the student who has been assigned student number 260687 (for purposes of confidentiality, an assigned number is being used) meets one or more of the criteria (currently enrolled) of the Board resolution of February 12, 2014, with regard to such option students;  

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                                
217895                      Norris                                    
217894                      Norris                                                                                      

Proposal
That the Board approves 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: 

As directed by Policy 3997 and Regulation 3997.1, a committee of seven (7) community members (Jane Burke, Connie Duncan, Brendan Evans, Jane Holt, Luke Peterson, Mary Schleich, and Kylee Yakel) and three (3) Board members (Boswell, McLeese Stephenson, and Zimmer) solicited and reviewed suggestions for names of the new elementary school to be built at South 61st Street and Blanchard Boulevard, the new middle school to be built near 84th Street and Yankee Hill Road, and the soon-to-be-renovated facility at 1801 South 40th Street.  Over 300 names were suggested by more than 400 individuals.  The committee met September 29, 2014, to discuss the submissions and make a recommendation to the Board.

Explanation
The committee unanimously recommended that the next LPS elementary school be named for Sally G. Wysong, a long-time early childhood education advocate.  Wysong pioneered one of the first accredited pre-schools in the state of Nebraska and served eight years as a member of the LPS Board of Education.  

The committee unanimously recommended that the next LPS middle school be named for Marilyn Moore, retired LPS Associate Superintendent for Instruction.  Moore often talked about the specific needs of middle school students and initiated the process to transition LPS from the junior high to the middle school model.  

The committee unanimously recommended that the renovated facility at 1801 South 40th Street be named for Bill Nuernberger, the first separate juvenile judge for Lancaster County.  Judge Nuernberger’s philosophy on juvenile justice was that it should focus on helping young people, not on punishment.

Proposal
That the Board thank the community members of the School Naming Committee for their thoughtful service, and that the Board receive and discuss the committee’s recommendations:  Sally G. Wysong Elementary School, Marilyn Moore Middle School, and Bill Nuernberger Education Center.  

Rationale:  Policy 6443 on Parental Involvement was adopted by the Board of Education on May 23, 1995, in compliance with the specific provisions in State Statute 79-4, 242, et.seq.  The statute further provides that “the policy shall be reviewed annually and either altered and adopted as altered or reaffirmed by the Board following a public hearing.”

Explanation

Proposal
That the Board approve Policy 6443.

Rationale:  Tuesday, October 28
Board Meeting, 6:00 pm, LPSDO

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: 

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.