December 9, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion: 

• Board President Desh called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. 
• Board President Desh led the board members and patrons in attendance at the meeting in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Discussion: 

• Board President Desh identified the location of the Open Meetings Act Poster on the wall in the meeting room.
  • The changes are reflected in the currently posted materials: revised April 2024.

Discussion: 

• Transportation and Facilities Committee members summarized the Tuesday, November 26th, 2024 construction meeting.  
• Dedication plaques for both buildings to celebrate the most recent expansion projects have been ordered as indicated and will be prominently displayed in the near future. 
• Pictures of the dedication plaques for the high school and the elementary school are attached to this agenda item. 

Discussion:  Activities Update:

• During the first staff presentation, Mr. Hoeft discussed the following topics:
  • Fall Sports Summary (this summary included significant achievements, current student participation numbers, and potential future trends).
  • Winter Sports Preview
  • Music and Theater Performances Update / Preview
  • Baseball Update
  • 2025-2026 District Calendar: Activities Alignment and Challenges

During the second staff presentation, Mr. Lahmon (Elementary Counselor) and Mrs. Vodicka (Junior/ Senior High School Counselor) discussed the following topics as related to School Counseling and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). The presentation highlighted the following areas: 

• Mental Health Supports
• Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)
• "Branching Minds" Data Platform
• "Value Up" Presentations Follow-up
• Elementary Counseling Update 
• Junior/Senior High School Counseling Update

Discussion: 

• No further discussion. 

Discussion:  Previous board minutes are attached. 

• Monday, November 11, 2024: Board of Education Regular Meeting Minutes
• Monday, November 11th, 2024: Regular Board of Education Summary Document 

Discussion: 

• No public comment was presented at the meeting.
• Additional FYI: Several high school students (seniors) attended the meeting, fulfilling social studies course requirements. 

Discussion:  The district uses the Nebraska Association of School Boards (NASB) superintendent evaluation instrument. 

• Board President Desh summarized the results of the  current NASB superintendent evaluation document.
  • In response to board member feedback and in alignment with the results of the evaluation, the superintendent developed 2024-2025 goals and shared them at the meeting.
  • Discussion relative to the superintendent's contract will be on the agenda for the January 13th, 2025 regular board meeting. 
• Board members also received hard copies of the executive summary at the meeting.

Discussion: 

Highlights of the report included:

• Hwy 2 Safety Project Update:
  • Design work is currently underway for a safety improvement project near Palmyra.  The project will make significant modifications to several Highway 2 intersections including those with Hwy 43, I Street, and S66A. 
  • The Nebraska Department Of Transportation (NDOT) met with local leaders regarding initial concepts and will meet with the public in the Spring of 2025 to solicit project input. 
  • The project is currently scheduled for construction in 2026.
• NDE School Profile:
  • The most current information about our school district and our performance on the latest NSCAS and ACT assessments is located at the following website address: https://nep.education.ne.gov/#/
    • After connecting with the link, please scroll down and select the school of your choice.
• "Community Unity" Panels Update
• State Conference Feedback and Debrief
• Superintendent Goals for 2025-2026
• Staff and Student Kudos
• 2025-2026 District Calendar 
• NDE Teacher Recruitment and Retention Grant 2024
• "Splash for Cash" Update and Community Partnerships
• Communication Audit: Student Survey Update 
• Community Child Care Survey Update
• Personnel Update
• Mass Messaging Update: PowerSchool Hub 
• District Equipment Sales / Donations
• Upcoming Events

Discussion: 

• Superintendent Hart provided a "draft" proposal for the district calendar for 2025-2026.
  • Feedback from staff and the District Calendar Committee was solicited and considered in the development of the calendar.
• Board members reviewed and discussed the proposed 2025-2026 district calendar.
• The 2025-2026 district calendar is scheduled to be on the board agenda as an action item for the January 13th, 2025 regular board meeting.

Discussion:  The admin reports contained information on the following topics:

• The Bennet Elementary Holiday Music Concert was held on Tuesday, November 26th at PHS. 
• The first semester of school ends on Friday, December 20th at 1:00 pm for Winter Break, and staff will return on Monday, January 6th, 2025 for a staff in-service day.
• All students return to school on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025.
• The high school is adding one minute to its class passing periods throughout the school day to accommodate the increased square footage in the building.
• The 6th -12th-grade concert was held on Monday, December 9th at PHS.
• There are no early graduates for December 2024.
• The district activities report and calendar were shared.
• K-8 students will complete winter MAPS/NSCAS testing beginning Friday, December 13th.
• The English Language Arts (ELA) Reading Committee will meet in January with two publishers to discuss potential reading curriculum programs.
• The Accountability for a Quality Education System, Today and Tomorrow (AQuESTT) Classification Report 2024 for District OR1 (Bennet and Palmyra) ranked both schools and the district as Great. 

Discussion: 

• In compliance with Nebraska State Law LB452, the Financial Literacy Act, Palmyra High School meets the requirements of this law.
• The graduating class of 2024 was also the first class required to meet Nebraska State Statute 79-3003 requirements.
• District OR-1 Public Schools has included financial literacy in the instructional curriculum of elementary and junior high to meet additional requirements of LB 452.

Discussion: 

• An updated committee assignment document will be added after the Monday, January 13th, 2025 regular Board Meeting. 

Discussion: 

• Budget Committee members summarized the highlights of the meeting held on Monday, December 9th, 2024.

Discussion: 

• Negotiations Committee members discussed the highlights of the Wednesday, December 4th, November 2024 Negotiations Committee meeting.
  • Highlights from the meeting included the adjustment of contract language in the Salary Schedule Advancement section of the current Negotiated Agreement.  
  • Future meeting agendas will include information and discussion on classified staff work agreements, and administrative and superintendent contracts. 
  • The next Negotiations Committee meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 8th, 2025 at the high school. 

Discussion: 

• The current district policies have been updated and are now available on our district website. Policies are now "searchable by word".

Discussion: 

• To align with current practices at the high school, the wording in the section regarding student use of digital devices listed in the student handbook has changed.
• The updated wording change removes authorized student cell phone usage from passing periods.
• The new language states that:
  • Students may use personal electronic devices in the common areas of the school before and after school, and at lunch, so long as they do not create a distraction or a disruption. 
• As a reminder, students should not use personal electronic devices during class time. All devices will remain off and out of sight during class time unless permitted by a staff member. 
• Students using personal electronic devices during school hours, without permission, will be subject to disciplinary action. 

The updated version of the student handbook is now posted on our school website. 

Discussion: 

• The discussion included clarification about the use of the bus.
  • This vehicle will be primarily used as a route bus.
  • The bus is needed to offset the loss of several buses due to mechanical failures and inoperable conditions. 
• FYI: This purchase will be a Depreciation Fund expense. 

Discussion: 

• No further discussion. 

Discussion: 

• No closed session occurred during the meeting. 

Discussion: 

• No further discussion.

Discussion: 

• The meeting was adjourned at: 8:53 p.m.