Public Meeting Minutes: April 8, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

1. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance

Discussion:

Board President Desh called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
The Pledge of Allegiance was conducted at the CMAR special board meeting earlier in the evening.

2. Announcement of the Open Meetings Act Posting

Discussion:

Board President Desh identified the location of the Open Meetings Act Poster on the wall in the meeting room.
- Please note that no changes to the Open Meetings Act occurred during the last Legislative session and the current Open Meetings Act information will stay current until further notice.

3. Staff and Student Presentations

Discussion:

Summary of Information presented:
- Mrs. Beach (FFA sponsor) and current FFA officers presented FFA highlights from this school year and expressed their sincere appreciation for the CTE facility expansion project.
- Additional discussion included congratulations for student and FFA Chapter success at the most recent FFA State Convention and the acknowledgment of historical successes for PHS in this area.
- A special tribute to Mr. Thomas McChristian for receiving a State and National Science and Math Teaching Excellence Award was also discussed.

Attachments: (1)

School Board Presentation 2024

4. Consent Agenda

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. This motion, made by Dean Busch and seconded by Tim Cheney, Passed.

Busch: Yea
Calfee: Yea
Cheney : Yea
Desh: Yea
Moore: Yea
Penterman: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

Discussion:

No further discussion.

4.1. Approval of Board Agenda

4.2. Approval of minutes of previous meetings

Attachments: (4)

4.3. Approval of Claims/Payment of Bills and Payroll

Attachments: (3)

4.4. Certificated/Classified Hire(s)/Reassignment(s)/Resignation(s)

4.4.1. Presentation, discussion, and or official action to approve the resignation of Mrs. Kari Lottman.

Attachments: (1)

Lottman.Kari. Letter of Resignation.March 21.2023

4.4.2. Presentation, discussion, and or official action to approve the teaching contract for Mrs. Jonna Pester.

4.4.3. Presentation, discussion, and or official action to approve the teaching contract of Mrs. Payton Partida.

4.5. Financial Report

Attachments: (1)

District OR.1 Trial Balance. Financial Report. April 8.2024

5. Public Comment

Discussion:

No public comment was presented at the meeting.

6. Administrative Reports

6.1. Superintendent's Report

Discussion: The Superintendent's Report included information on the following topics:

Student and Staff Kudos:
- Special thanks to our staff and students for the great things they continue do for our schools and our community. A few examples are shared below.
- Special education students practicing customer service skills at a local business.
- Congratulations to Mr. McChristian as one of three finalists for a prestigious science and math teaching award.
  - Plans are being made to publicly celebrate this accomplishment.
PHS School Store Presentation:
- A presentation was shared with board members regarding the start-up of a student-operated school store here at PHS beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. This idea was a collaborative project with our high school special education teachers, the high school art and business departments, our high school students, and Aspire Academy students and staff.
- Special thanks to Riverstone Bank for partnering with the school on this innovative and engaging project.
- A public presentation of this partnership will occur near the end of April.
7th Grade Courage Retreat Summary:
- A summary of the 7th grade Courage Retreat was shared by Mr. Johnson.
- Feedback from the retreat indicated that students were very engaged and thoroughly enjoyed the activity.
- Plans are being made to bring a similar retreat back to PHS students sometime during the next school year.
BIC Representative Student Presentation about CTE Careers:
- Representatives from BIC Construction will present information to our sixth-grade students about Career Technical Education (CTE) opportunities and the various types of CTE-related local businesses and job opportunities in our area.
- This presentation will occur on Tuesday, May 7th at 11:30 a.m. at PHS.
Communication Audit:
- Our district is conducting a Communication Audit to collect information from community patrons, staff, and parents on ways to improve communication and programs.
- A survey will be distributed to our staff, parents, and community patrons and these results will be used to create action plans to enhance areas of strength and address areas for improvement.
Website Enhancements:
- Mr. Brown, Mr. Hoeft and others continue to collaborate to gather information to enhance our district website.
- Enhancements with information organization and HUDL highlights are some of the first changes and these actions have received positive feedback.
PHS Music Results:
- Our music students and instructors performed in a variety of locations this school year.
- These programs have also done exceptionally well this year in competitions, and we are proud of these accomplishments.
The Addams Family Spring Play::
- This event was well attended and our students and staff put on several outstanding performances.
- Special thanks to all of our performers, stage crew members, musical groups, sponsors, boosters, and volunteers for their tremendous hard work, active engagement, and support for this event.
Option Enrollment Policy #5006:
- The board discussed Policy #5006, but no current changes were made.
Severe Weather Week and Safety Activities:
- Students participated in weather safety activities the week of March 25-March 29th.
2024 Legislative Update
- A summary of the current bills, discussion, and initiatives potentially impacting education was discussed.
- More information is available in the attached document.
ESU #4 Core Services Agreement:
- The type of services provided by ESU #4 were discussed.
- Special education services provided by ESU #4 next year will be reduced as we have hired a Director of Student Programs.
- No further discussion.
- This is also an action item later in the meeting.
Certified Staff Non-renewal, RIF, and Termination Notices
- This notice is due by Monday, April 15th.
- No further discussion.
- This is also an action item later in the meeting.
Summer School Plan and Logistics:
- Discussion included room assignments and moving plans for the end of the school year and over the summer.
Personnel Update:
- Board members were updated on certified and classified personnel changes.
  - The additional discussion revolved around the need for a Facilities and Maintenance Director to assist with the growing responsibilities in this area.
  - The addition of a Facilities and Maintenance Director is also listed as an action item later in the agenda.
Community Unity Update:
- Kindness Letters at Bennet
- Palmyra Shelter Sign
2024 Election Information:
- Information was shared regarding the Tuesday, May 14th election.
- More information about candidates and ballot items is attached to this agenda item.
NDE Safety and Security Grant Update:
- Our district has applied for this competitive grant and notification of grantees for this award will be communicated by NDE and the State Board of Education at their May meeting.
- We hope to share additional information about potential district awards at the May 13th regular Board of Education meeting.
High School Grading Discussion Update and Meeting:
- The district Policy Committee met on Thursday, April 4th at PHS to discuss the 1000, 2000, and 3000 Series policies, and policies dealing with grading.
- More discussion about grading will occur in the coming months as needed.
District Activities Update:
- Highlights of FCCLA, FFA, Music, Track, and Golf were discussed.
Pre-School Discussion Update:
- Information was shared on the possibility of a full-day section of preschool for four-year-old students beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.
- Additional information was shared about the priorities for enrollment in the full-day section.
  - Student learning gaps continue to be exacerbated by the residual effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- This is also an action item later in the meeting.

Student Videos:
- The latest construction progress videos for Bennet and Palmyra were discussed.
- These videos will be posted on the district website.
Student Enrollment Update
- The current Pre-K - 12 student enrollment is 742.

Graduation:
- PHS graduation is set for Saturday, May 11th, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
- Additional discussion included possibilities for board members to help with diploma distribution.
ACT Test Summary:
- PHS students took the ACT test at school on Tuesday, March 26th, 2024.
- We greatly appreciate the positive engagement and hard work our students demonstrated preparing for this test.
- Student results will be available very soon and a summary of these results will be shared at the Monday, May 13th regular board meeting.
Monday, April 8th, 2024 Solar Eclipse:
- Information was shared from district activities about the eclipse that occurred on Monday, April 8th.
MAPS and NSCAS Testing Update:
- These assessments will begin on Tuesday, April 23rd.
- A summary of the testing process will be shared at the May 13th regular board meeting.
Kindergarten Round-Up Information:
- Kindergarten students will not have school on Friday, April 12th due to KDG Round-Up.
- Incoming kindergartners will be in school from 9-11 a.m. on that day.
District Wellness Committee:
- A meeting of our district Wellness Committee will be scheduled before our May 13th regular Board of Education meeting.
Summer Enrichment:
- The summer enrichment dates will be Monday, June 3rd - Thursday, June 20th, from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
  - Please note that there is no summer enrichment on Friday, June 7th, and Friday, June 14th.
  - Kindergarten and 1st grade classes will stay at Bennet and 2nd-5th grade will be at PHS for summer enrichment classes.
  - Bus routes will be available at specific locations in Bennet, Palmyra, and Douglas.

Attachments: (11)

6.2. Administrative Team Report

Discussion: Topics covered in the admin report included:

Students attended State FFA in Lincoln on April 3rd-5th
Students attended State FCCLA in Lincoln on April 7th - 9th
7-12 Concert on April 15th
Addams Family performance on April 4th & 5th and 7th
ACT on Tuesday, March 26th
Prom is Saturday, April, 13th.
- The venue is Prairie Creek Inn in Walton, NE.
- Breathalyzers will be utilized this year.
Staff Inservice day will be on Wednesday, April 17th.
District Music is Friday, April 19th
NSCAS/MAPS testing will begin April 23rd-May 3rd.
The 5th-grade transition lunch and parent orientation will be on Wednesday, April 24th.
KDG Roundup will be Friday, April 12th from 9-11 AM.
The Math Curriculum Committee will be making a final decision on a new math curriculum very soon.

Attachments: (3)

7. Discussion Items- Committee Reports

Attachments: (1)

2024 Board Committee Assignments_ District OR.1. Updated and Approved. January 10.2024 (3)

7.1. Transportation / Facilities Committee Update

Discussion:

The Facilities Committee is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, April 10th, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at PHS in the conference room.
- A summary of this meeting will be shared at the May 13th regular board meeting.

7.2. Budget Committee

Discussion:

Committee members summarized the Budget Committee meeting that occurred on Friday, April 5th at Palmyra High School.

8. Policy Review

8.1. Review Series 1000, 2000, and 3000 Policies and Policy #5204 (Grading)

Discussion: Policy Committee Meeting Agenda Items Follow-Up from Thursday, April 4th:

Committee members and Superintendent Hart discussed the review of the following policies.
- 1000 Series: Community Relations
- 2000 Series: Adminstration
- 3000 Series: Business Operations
No substantive changes were suggested.
Committee Members and other PHS staff discussed information regarding grading:
- Topics included:
  - Grading Philosophy
  - Grading Scale
  - Student Retention
  - Extracurricular Eligibility
  - Scholarships
  - FASFA requirements
  - Parental concerns regarding grading
  - The 1% difference
  - Academic data sources and criteria impacting higher education opportunities for students.

9. Action Items

9.1. Presentation, discussion, and or official action to approve one section of full day preschool for Bennet Elementary School beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to approve. This motion, made by Dee Moore and seconded by Jaimi Calfee, Passed.

Busch: Yea
Calfee: Yea
Cheney : Yea
Desh: Yea
Moore: Yea
Penterman: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

Discussion:

No further discussion as this topic was discussed earlier in the meeting.

9.2. Notice of Certificated employee; contract amendment, termination, nonrenewal, or cancellation; notice; hearing. State Statute: 79-831.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to reaffirm April 15th notice policy. This motion, made by Tim Cheney and seconded by Josh Penterman, Passed.

Busch: Yea
Calfee: Yea
Cheney : Yea
Desh: Yea
Moore: Yea
Penterman: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

Discussion:

No further discussion as this topic was discussed earlier in the meeting.

9.3. Presentation, discussion, and or official action to affirm the ESU #4 Core Services Agreement.

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to affirm ESU Core Services Agreement. This motion, made by Tim Cheney and seconded by Dee Moore, Passed.

Busch: Yea
Calfee: Yea
Cheney : Yea
Desh: Yea
Moore: Yea
Penterman: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

Discussion:

No further discussion as this topic was discussed earlier in the meeting.

10. Board of Education Development

Discussion: Topics included:

NASB Board Quicks
NRCSA Events
Tuesday, May 14th Election Information

Attachments: (2)

11. Closed Session

Discussion:

No closed session occurred during the meeting.

12. Topics for Next Month’s Agenda

Discussion:

No further discussion

13. Next Regular Meeting

Discussion:

No further discussion.

14. Adjournment

Discussion:

The meeting was adjourned at 8:17 p.m.

April 8, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

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