September 15, 2025 At the conclusion of the Special Hearing to Set Final Tax Request - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  Mr. McMurtry provided the administrator report in absence of Mrs. Friend as follows:

Sept. 2025 Board Meeting - Friend

Elementary:

• Elem. Picture Day was Aug. 26. - Picture Retake will be 9/23

• No School on 9/2 for Regional PLC in Hershey

• 9/10 sending 7 elementary students to Partner Up Rodeo (Hatch, Hammond, Kayli)

• Elementary will be doing a fun, refreshing fundraiser for Homecoming (special events)

• Several of the staff will take CPI Refresher on 9/18 in NP (ESU)

• Title 1 and the Library are teaming up to host our 1st parent night on 9/18 at 5:00, Book Scavenger Hunt

• Sierra will begin 9/25 with Screening (K & 1) and work through several more dates till finished

 

High School:

• 7-8 MAPs testing is off and running. We will finish the fall round of testing with Math on September 15th and 16th. 

• Pre-ACT test dates: October 10th for Sophomores and November 12th for Freshmen.

• ACT test date: October 30th

• We are continuing with our plan to test once in the fall and once in the spring for the Pre-ACT and ACT. 

• Our professional development focus right now is for teachers to select their individual professional development plans and link them with their individual professional development goals. 

Activities Director:

• Fall sports have kicked off. Our first home Football game was against Hitchcock County, and our first home Volleyball game was against Maywood Hayes Center. Cross Country began its season at the Medicine Valley meet

• Homecoming games will be on October 3rd against the Mullen Broncos.

• Play Production Season is beginning. Maxwell has been selected to host District Play Production on December 6th. We are partnering with North Platte Community College to provide the location.

• Five high school students, Kurri Gosnell, Hannah Evans, Emme Lucas, Genevieve Lucas & Jada Nelson, volunteered to help at the Partner Up Rodeo in North Platte, assisting with an event that gave 217 students with special needs from around the area an opportunity to attend a Rodeo/Ranch themed social skills event. 

• Seniors attended a college fair at North Platte Community College last week. 

• Elly Gosnell, Emmeline Lucas & Lauren Mead were selected to represent Maxwell as NSAA Believers & Achievers. 

HQEE: Teacher Evaluation:

• All new staff have received training on Vector Solution/Teachpoint on the New Teacher First Day.  They are also provided a Padlet with videos to review if needed. 

• All new teachers are provided a mentor teacher to help answer questions, assist with concerns, and provide feedback.  

• Teachers were asked to set personal goals that were meaningful to them, to encourage them to grow, and to connect to their PLC goals (HS). 

Discussion:  Mr. McMurtry provided the building and grounds report on behalf of Jason Sommer as follows:

• Took possession of the 15 passenger yellow route bus and started it out the Maxwell area route last Thursday.

• Record boards were finished up last week by Condons, Got all the updates done Thursday before our home volleyball match.

• Started with the second round of 80 day inspections for all the buses/small vehicles. 

• The fire dept. has ok’d the use of their repeater in some of the radios that will hopefully pass tonight to add to our route buses. We will be able to talk directly to them. Myself, admin and maybe the front desk along with the fire department will be able to communicate with the buses. I believe this will be a step in the right direction preparing for the worst case scenario.

• Also the fire department asked for a walk through of the building for their training tonight. I will be conducting that at 7pm. We will not interfere with the board meeting. 

• Doors installed on the pantry a couple weeks ago. Also received the small gym doors that need to be painted before installation. 

• I have had a couple people reach out to me and ask about the van we had for sale. They asked if we would put it up for sale again. If we do, maybe we won't let it go until the end of JH football season. They have been utilizing it for transportation back and forth to the field. Just a thought.

Discussion:  Mr. McMurtry presented the following:

• Audit was on Tuesday of last week.  Tom sold the company.  It is now Inman CPA

• WNA

  • President Elect

• Commissioner’s Council

  • I really value the time I get with this group

  • Strategic Plan is ending and a new one is being created for the department

  • New Deputy Commissioner Dr. Jane Stavem - replaces Brian Halstead

  • SPED services age 21

  • Alternative pathway - True grow your own

• NRCSA meeting tomorrow in Hershey @ 12:30

• Meeting with McConnell Psychological services

• NCTE

• CPI training on Thursday with a large group

• Newcomer Meeting - Hope Esperanza

• External Visit

  • October 1st information is being sent to the lead

• School Finance Review Committee

• Reports

  • Staff reporting

  • Rule 10 assurances

• Damage to concession stand

• Vision appointments - 13 students

• October 10th Football game

• Computer purchases

  • Annual purchases for both students and staff utilizing REAP funds

• Wire Transfer Agreement

  • Paperwork not done.  Our decision to make is do we want a third parity involved when one of the 2 approvers is the one who initiates the wire transaction (superintendent or business manager

Discussion:  Mr. McMurtry discussed the possibilities of implementing vape detectors

• The school does feel like it is an issue among students
• There have been several infractions in the building already with vapes
• Putting detectors in each bathroom and locker room would serve as a major deterrent to the problem.
• The drawback is the expense
• Installation would run about $10,000
• Annual fee for the software is about $800

Discussion:  Mr. McMurtry talked about the need to upgrade radios.  

• Our current radios are not reliable
• We lose connection and have a hard time hearing many times
• These radios are used to ensure safety of everyone in the building
• New radios could utilize the fire station's repeater
• This would allow all route vehicles to communicate with each other and the office simultaneously and instantaneously

Discussion:  An agreement needs to be put in place with Nebraskaland for any wire transfers.  Mr. McMurtry presented the two options available

• Have the superintendent and business managers as approvers.
• Require a board member (president or treasurer) to be the second approver if a wire transfer is initiated by either the superintendent or business manager as they would not be allowed to be an approver

Mr. Meyer stated that Nebraskaland Bank contacted him and he thought it should be a decision made by the board.
Mr. Gosnell reiterated that safeguards are a good thing
Mr. Pagel noted that having both the president and treasurer available to call for approval would be good in case one is not available to approve