April 28, 2015 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: 

The American School Counselor Association’s National Model (adopted as the Nebraska model of school counseling) provides a framework for school counselors to design a counseling program that impacts the specific needs of students.  The model emphasizes the attainment of student competencies in academic and career areas as well as social-emotional development. Counselors who implement the national model with integrity are invited to apply for designation as an exemplary program and those who receive RAMP (Recognized ASCA Model Program) status are so designated for three years.

Explanation
Randolph Elementary School counselor Susie Mahoney and Randolph Elementary School have been recognized by the American School Counselor Association for providing an exemplary counseling program. Mahoney and Randolph first received the award for providing a Recognized American School Counselor Association Model Program (RAMP) in 2011.  In 2014, the school counseling program at Randolph Elementary was again recognized as a model program, the only program in Nebraska to be recognized that year.

Here are highlights of her program and its impact:

• Facilitated fourth and fifth grade students making a short video about bystanders "standing up" to bullying behavior that became part of a full-length video shared world-wide by an anti-bullying organization.

• Decreased the incidence of bullying behavior at Randolph by educating students about what bullying is and what it is not.

• Improved the achievement, behavior, attendance and social-emotional development of young men in fifth grade through a small group intervention called SWAG (success, willpower, attitude, goals).

• Developed (with other elementary counselors) parent videos that show the importance of communication, homework strategies, bedtime routines, school attendance, and family meals to school success.

• Implemented activities that resulted in one hundred percent of parents attending parent-teacher conferences one year and ninety-nine percent the following year.

Brenda Leggiadro, coordinator for Counselors and Social Workers at LPS, remarked about Susie’s ability to connect her work with her school community:

"Susie has built strong, collaborative relationships in her school community and this allows her to effectively advocate for students and families.  She brings creativity and passion to her work with students, staff and families, and she has high expectations that all students will thrive."

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: 

Explanation
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.

This report includes routine Human Resources changes:
   a.  Administrator Certificated Employees:
             Elections – 2
             Changes of Status – 1
   b.  Certificated Employees:
             Elections – 24
             Re-Elections Same Assignment – 10
             Changes of Status – 1
             Leaves of Absence – 68
             Separations – 34
   c.  Substitute Certificated Employees:
             Elections – 10
             Separations – 14
   d.  Classified Employees:
             Elections – 22
             Changes of Status – 6
             Leaves of Absence – 1
             Separations – 25
   e.  Other:
             Workers’ Compensation Lump Sum Settlements – 1
             Employment of Family Member – 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.

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 April 28, 2015, were previously provided.                

Federal Tax ACH Deposit of $28,777.34.                

State Tax ACH Deposit of $20,068.83.                

Procurement Card ACH Transfer of $111,307.95.                

Office Depot ACH Transfer of $32,982.69.                

Vendor ACH Transfer of $5,021.19. 

b.  PAYROLL FOR RATIFICATION – Payroll for the periods ending April 6 and April 15, 2015, in the amount of $112,660.15. 

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 registrations of Southwest students for the Thespian Festival; the purchase of social-emotional skills building kits; the purchase of textbooks for private and parochial schools; the purchase of a German program for use with students taking the course at all high schools; the purchase of anti-virus software licenses; the purchase of equipment for Nutrition Services kitchens and The Career Academy; the purchase of telephony infrastructure; an addition to the scope of construction at Seacrest; an amendment to the agreement leasing parking space for Custodial and Transportation Services; 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 April 28, 2015.  

b.  Payroll for the periods ending April 6 and April 15, 2015.  

c.  Gifts for Brownell, Eastridge, Roper, Saratoga, and the district.  

d.  Bids/contracts/other routine business for registrations of Southwest students for the Thespian Festival; the purchase of social-emotional skills building kits; the purchase of textbooks for private and parochial schools; the purchase of a German program for use with students taking the course at all high schools; the purchase of anti-virus software licenses; the purchase of equipment for Nutrition Services kitchens and The Career Academy; the purchase of telephony infrastructure; an addition to the scope of construction at Seacrest; an amendment to the agreement leasing parking space for Custodial and Transportation Services; items to be listed for auction; and any other bids/contracts/routine business as presented.

Rationale: 

On February 10, 2015, the Board adopted a resolution to accept option students for the 2015-16 school year.  Application has been received from a student requesting that they be accepted as an option student for the 2015-16 school year.  Staff recommends that the student referred to in this agenda item be accepted for enrollment as they are in compliance with the Board resolution of February 10, 2015.      

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 10, 2015.  Staff recommends approval of this application.      

Proposal
That the Board adopt the following resolution:  

WHEREAS the student who has been assigned student number 278890 (for purposes of confidentiality, assigned numbers are being used) meets one or more of the criteria of the Board resolution of February 10, 2015, with regard to such option students;  

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the aforementioned student be accepted as an 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.  

Rationale: 

March 15, 2015, 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 2015-16 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
Request from a student who resides in the Lincoln Public Schools District and wishes to attend school outside of the Lincoln Public Schools District has been received after the March 15, 2015, deadline.  The Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education may deny or approve this request.  If this request is approved by the Board of Education, it will be forwarded to the option school district for their approval.  
                                   
Student Number                             Option District  
405744                                              Waverly                                        

Proposal
That the Board approves this request for option out for the 2015-16 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: 

Over time, policies can become out of date and need to be revised to reflect new conditions.  This is especially true in the area of technology. The language in Policy 6441 has been adapted to demonstrate the strategic goal of preparing students for digital citizenship.

Explanation
The revision of Policy 6441 updates policy language to align the policy with the newly instituted LPS Technology Plan.

Proposal
That the Board discuss changes to Policy 6441.

Rationale: 

Policy 6740 sets the code of conduct for students participating in extracurricular athletics and activities. As the policy is implemented, it becomes helpful to update the language to clarify questions that may have come from LPS or from events in other districts across the state.  The revised Policy 6740 clarifies definitions of “controlled substance” and “under the influence” to provide greater clarity.  Some additional edits have also been made.

Explanation
The revision of Policy 6740 clarifies definitions to provide greater clarity.

Proposal
That the Board discuss changes to Policy 6740.

Rationale: 

Each year the Business Affairs Office makes recommendations to the Board of Education for tuition charges for regular and special education programs.  This is done in accordance with Policy 3300 and Regulation 3300.1.      

Explanation
The following is the recommendation for tuition charges for the 2015-16 school year for the programs noted.  The rates are intended to recover the district’s anticipated actual costs for the 2015-16 school year.  

1.  Regular Instructional Program: 

2015-16 Rates
                                               Per Year                   Per Semester               Per Day           
Grades K-6                         $  8,700.00                      $4,350.00                 $49.43           
Grades 7-8                         $10,400.00                      $5,200.00                 $57.78           
Grades 9-12                       $12,150.00                      $6,075.00                 $67.50            

Based on 176 days elementary and 180 days secondary. 

2.  Specialized Services for Special Education Programs:
 
Special education tuition rates will be determined using the calculation provided by the Nebraska Department of Education.  The rate will include Lincoln Public Schools’ cost per student calculated pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-598(3) plus Lincoln Public Schools’ average cost per student for special education services adjusted upward for students receiving an even more intense program.      

Proposal
That the Board discuss the proposed tuition rates.

Rationale: 

The Board of Education assigns school attendance areas to new schools and property newly annexed to the City of Lincoln or newly platted.  This action establishes school attendance areas allowing parents and students to know which school they will attend.      

Explanation
The new Wysong Elementary School is scheduled to open at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year.  Wysong Elementary School attendance boundaries need to be assigned, and the Cavett Elementary School, Humann Elementary School, Maxey Elementary School, and Zeman Elementary School attendance boundaries need to be modified so that parents and students will know which schools they will be attending.  

It is recommended that beginning with the 2016-17 school year and continuing until further modified that the Wysong Elementary School attendance boundaries be established and that the Cavett Elementary School, Humann Elementary School, Maxey Elementary School, and Zeman Elementary School attendance boundaries be modified as shown on the map attached to this agenda item.      

Proposal
That the Board approve the proposed attendance area assignments of Wysong Elementary School, Cavett Elementary School, Humann Elementary School, Maxey Elementary School, and Zeman Elementary School.  

Rationale: 

The Board of Education assigns school attendance areas to new schools and property newly annexed to the City of Lincoln or newly platted.  This action establishes school attendance areas allowing parents and students to know which school they will attend.      

Explanation
The new Moore Middle School is scheduled to open at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year.  Moore Middle School attendance boundaries need to be assigned, and the Lux Middle School, Pound Middle School, and Scott Middle School attendance boundaries need to be modified so that parents and students will know which schools they will be attending.  

It is recommended that beginning with the 2017-18 school year and continuing until further modified that the Moore Middle School attendance boundaries be established and that the Lux Middle School, Pound Middle School, and Scott Middle School attendance boundaries be modified as shown on the map attached to this agenda item.  

In addition, it is recommended that staff manage the student enrollment process, including option and transfer requests, in a manner that limits new enrollment growth for Scott Middle School.      

Proposal
That the Board approve the proposed attendance area assignments of Moore Middle School, Lux Middle School, Pound Middle School, and Scott Middle School.  

Rationale: 

The Board of Education assigns school attendance areas to new schools and property newly annexed to the City of Lincoln or newly platted.  This action establishes school attendance areas allowing parents and students to know which school they will attend.      

Explanation
The new Moore Middle School is scheduled to open at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year.  This adjustment of high school attendance areas allows for Moore Middle School to fall within the East High School attendance boundaries.      

Proposal
That the Board approve the proposed attendance area assignments of East High School and Southeast High School.

Rationale: 

The U.S. Department of Education releases funds to State Departments of Education annually, which then release an application to local education agencies to apply for a School Improvement Grant (SIG).  In Nebraska, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) reviews school performance to identify specific schools considered eligible for a SIG grant.  Three tiers of schools are identified by NDE as Persistently Lowest Achieving Schools (PLAS), making them eligible to apply for a SIG.  Tier I schools are the lowest performing five percent (5%) of Title I schools in Nebraska. Tier II schools are the lowest performing five percent (5%) of Title I-eligible but not Title I-receiving secondary schools with graduation rates below seventy-five percent over a period of three years. Tier III schools are all Title I schools identified as being in need of improvement, corrective action, or restructuring based on their lack of making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the No Child Left Behind Act.  

The Nebraska Department of Education is currently working on an application to the U.S. Department of Education for SIG funds, which is due April 15, 2015.  On April 16, NDE will release an application to school districts to apply for these funds, estimated to be a total of $2.4 million.      

Explanation  
Within Lincoln Public Schools, no school has been identified as Tier I and one school, Lincoln High School, has been identified as Tier II. Because the annual AYP requirement has become one hundred percent proficiency this year, twenty-two LPS Title I-funded schools are included in Tier III, as are approximately 250 other schools across Nebraska.   

Lincoln Public Schools proposes to submit a SIG application on behalf of Lincoln High School (LHS).  The LHS state-calculated graduation rate hovered around sixty-nine percent (69%) for three years, but decreased slightly to 66.6 percent (66.6%) last year.  LHS student demographics reflect the highest rates of mobility, poverty, English Language Learners, Special Education, suspensions, and expulsions.  The additional supports available through a SIG grant would provide an unprecedented opportunity to create or enhance academic and support services at LHS.  We would propose to submit a SIG proposal following the Transformation Model, one of four required models that must be used. This proposal would allow LHS to enhance efforts to improve the high school graduation rate through the use of targeted strategies including staff development, instructional reforms, increased learning time, and district operational supports.      

Proposal
That the Board approve the submission of a School Improvement Grant Application to the Nebraska Department of Education for the approximate total amount of $2,000,000 for a total of five years, dependent upon final funding determination. There is no match or in-kind requirement for this award.  

Rationale: 

The Sixpence Early Childhood Education Endowment Grant Program was established to serve children from birth to age three, and is a public-private partnership funded from the State and from the private sector. The fund is used primarily for grants to school districts to provide programs and services for infants and toddlers who are at risk of school failure in partnership with community agencies and child care programs serving this age group. The purpose of the Endowment Grant is to help promote opportunities for children to experience positive environments that provide for their healthy growth and development during their earliest years.  

Lincoln Public Schools has been fortunate to receive Sixpence funding since the program’s inception in 2008, when our application for $300,000 to support both enhancement and expansion of Student/Child Learning Centers was awarded.  In 2014, we received an additional $300,000 to support partnerships with CEDARS and Educare for home-based and center-based programming for children birth to age three.      

Explanation
Lincoln Public Schools was recently notified by the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, which administers the Sixpence program, that our original award of $300,000 is now eligible to receive an increase of $45,000 per year, for an annual total of $345,000.  This increase is intended to address our need for additional support for program costs that have slowly increased over the last six years.  LPS must submit a continuation proposal for a Sixpence Endowment Grant in order to receive these additional funds for the Student/Child Learning Center program. Our combined total continuation request for $645,000 will include continuations of the partnerships developed last year.            

Proposal
That the Board approve the submission of a continuation proposal for Sixpence Endowment Grant funds to support ongoing programming of the Student/Child Learning Center program, as well as partnerships with CEDARS and Educare. The continuation application request is for $645,000 which requires a local level match with at least the same amount. The match of $600,000 has been provided annually by LPS from existing program costs that are provided through other existing funding sources such as child care subsidy reimbursements, Title I, and LPS general funds.  The additional $45,000 of match required this year will be provided through this same mechanism.  

Application due date: April 30, 2015.

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 March 31, 2015, is attached.      

Proposal
Information item; no Board action required.  

Rationale:  May 1, Nuernberger Education Center Groundbreaking, 11:00 am, 40th & South Street
May 6, Chamber Coffee, 8:00 am, Chamber Office
May 8, Sally Wysong Elementary School Groundbreaking, 11:00 am, 63rd & Yankee Hill Road
May 11, African American Student Recognition, 6:30 pm, SCC Lincoln Campus
May 12, 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.