September 14, 2026 Immediately following Tax Request Hearing - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion: 

Notice of the meeting was given in advance thereof by publication in the Holdrege Daily Citizen, the School District's designated method for giving notice, and posting at the Loomis Public Schools, Loomis Village Office and Loomis Post Office, a copy of the Affidavit of Publication being attached to these Minutes.  Notice of this meeting was given in advance to all members of the Board of Education, and a copy of their Acknowledgment of Receipt of Notice is attached to these Minutes. Availability of the Agenda was communicated in the advance notice and in the notice to the members of this meeting.  The President publicly stated to all in attendance that a current copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act was available for review and indicated the location of such copy in the room where the meeting was being held.  All proceedings of the Board were taken while the convened meeting was open to the attendance of the public.

Discussion:  Reviewed the Bill Roster and the fund expenses, receipts.

Discussion:  Receipts $79,936.45, expenses $523,998.49, balance $1,981,672.71

Discussion:  Depreciation:  Receipts $200,169.38, expenses $69,480.00, balance $1,705,982.62
Bond:  Receipts $1,630.72, expenses $0, balance $336,577.35

Discussion:  Receipts $50,800.80, expenses $14,531.30, balance $107,615.70

Discussion:  Receipts $11,166.45, expenses $37,158.79, balance $(5,217.01)

Discussion:  Receipts $898.91, expenses $0, balance $470,273.36

Discussion:  Booster Club:  purchased TVs for the weight room, held a successful corporate sponsorship campaign, the Wolf Den has been a hit, also purchased an electronic score table. They are looking into purchasing a hydration system for teams.  They have applied for a grant through PCCF for the track.
 

Discussion:  The next meeting will be in October. I plan to go to the Labor Relations workshop on September 29th and 30th. 

Discussion:  Held a public meeting September 8, 2026.  

Discussion:  Met last month. Mini split a/c units need replaced, waiting for additional bids.  

Discussion:  Our next meeting is September 22nd. The same night as the Joint Public Hearing. Mrs. Thorell will cover this meeting. i will get the agenda sent out this week. Sidney Robinson and Heather Gray are the parents on the committee and Farren, Kelly and Luke are the board members on the committee. 
 

Discussion:  Question regarding the time frame of the Superintendent Evaluation.

Discussion: 
 

Discussion: 

The Wolf Way

In August, we completed our first round of The Wolf Way Awards to recognize students who demonstrate outstanding citizenship and exemplify what it means to do things "The Wolf Way." Teachers throughout the building nominated students who consistently demonstrated positive character, responsibility, respect, and leadership. Ten students were honored with a certificate explaining what the Wolf Way means and were also given a special T-shirt designed specifically for Wolf Way recipients.

This recognition will take place at the end of every month throughout the school year. Our goal is to encourage positive behavior throughout the building while recognizing and celebrating the students who help make Loomis Public Schools such a great place to be. We want our students to know that we see and appreciate the positive choices they make each day.

Standards-Based Grading

Our elementary staff and I met this past month to discuss how we can continue to improve our practices surrounding Standards-Based Grading. We implemented Standards-Based Grading several years ago, but we recognized that more work needed to be done to create consistency and continuity throughout our elementary classrooms. We want to ensure that students and parents are receiving consistent information, using the same language, and developing a clear understanding of what our grading system means.

As a team, we participated in professional development, conducted research, and had meaningful discussions about how Standards-Based Grading should be implemented with fidelity. We agreed on a consistent numbering system for both academics and behavior that will be utilized in grades K-5. Our behavior expectations will also be incorporated into preschool. This work will help create a more consistent experience for students and families as they move through our elementary school.

CharacterStrong

Our district recently purchased the CharacterStrong curriculum for students. This curriculum will be used during Mrs. Meyer’s guidance lessons as well as during Junior High/High School H.O.W.L. time. CharacterStrong is a social-emotional learning and character development program designed to help students develop skills such as self-awareness, empathy, responsibility, perseverance, leadership, and positive relationships. The curriculum provides age-appropriate lessons and activities that help students build character and develop skills they can use both in and outside of school.

CharacterStrong is designed to support students from preschool through 12th grade, allowing us to build consistent character development learning practices throughout our entire district. We are excited to see how this program can support the positive culture we are continuing to build at Loomis Public Schools.

CPR Training

Many of our staff members, including coaches, teachers, administrators, and paraprofessionals, completed CPR/AED/First Aid certification. This training included both an online curriculum and an in-person skills training component required for certification.

Providing this refresher training and recertification is an important part of keeping our students and staff safe. Having trained staff members throughout our building and at school activities ensures that we are better prepared to respond appropriately in the event of an emergency, whether it occurs during the school day or at a school-sponsored activity.

Staff Evaluations

Starting this September, I have begun the evaluation process for our certified teachers. 6 staff members will be evaluated during the month of September. This process includes classroom observations, taking detailed notes, writing an evaluation report, and meeting with teachers afterward to review the observations and discuss areas of strength and opportunities for continued growth.

This process will continue throughout the school year until all certified staff members have been evaluated. New staff members will receive two evaluations throughout the year, while tenured staff members will be evaluated once during the year. The goal of the evaluation process is not only accountability, but also professional growth, reflection, and continued improvement in our instructional practices.

MAP Testing

All students in kindergarten through 10th grade completed their fall MAP assessments last week. During the testing window, our juniors also met with Mrs. Vrbka, Mrs. Masske, and Mrs. Johnson for ACT preparation and junior class meetings.

Our seniors met with Mrs. Johnson on the 8th and were given a 10:00 AM late start time during the testing window. I am pleased to report that all of our seniors arrived at school and were on time. Because of their success and their demonstration of responsibility, we will continue to provide them with an additional day off during our winter testing window.

I am especially proud of our students for how hard they worked during their Fall testing window, and excited to see the progress that is made in the winter testing window. 

 

Discussion:  Woodword Disposal Service
Joint Public Hearing Meeting Sept. 22nd
Project updates - footings are planned for end of Sept, beginning of Oct.  
Labor Relations -  Sept 29-30
1:50 OUT -   October 9th
Bus Update  -  
Give to Grow - Nov. 12

Discussion:  Do we prefer to get beef in on a schedule?  We do have freezer space now to accommodate multiple beef donations. 

Is there a correlation to the Bldg & Grounds list of projects to the tax request?  No necessarily, many of the items are repairs that must be taken care of, some items are wish list items.  
Would it be a better investment to replace the mini split units with a better quality unit?

Discussion:  None taken

Discussion:  The next regular meeting will be held October 12, 2026 at 7:30 p.m.

Discussion:  Meeting adjourned at 9:48 p.m.