November 15, 2023 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting
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1. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance
Discussion:
President Breitkreutz called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM and the Pledge of Allegiance was said.
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2. Motion to Excuse Board Member's Absence
Discussion:
All members were present.
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3. Open Meeting Law
Discussion:
The audience was reminded that Open Meeting Laws would be followed.
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4. District Mission Statement
The Raymond Central community is committed to providing a positive, challenging learning environment which prepares each individual to be a responsible citizen in an ever-changing society. |
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5. Consent Agenda
Discussion:
Motion by Burklund, second by Lange to approve the consent agenda as presented including the regular meeting minutes of October 11, 2023; October financial statement; and monthly bills. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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5.1. Regular Minutes of October 11, 2023
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5.2. Financial Statement/Report
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5.3. Monthly Bills
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6. Correspondence/Recognition
Discussion:
Thank you to all who helped make our Veterans Day Celebration such a huge success. Thank you to the FCS classes, student council and national honor society members for greeting, welcoming, and providing baked goods for the reception. The office staff for decorating reception area and other spaces, the custodial crew for set-up and take-down, the administration for their planning and Mark for being the MC and main organizer. The band under the direction of Melissa Graue and the young singers under the direction of Zac Oschner. Thank you to all of the staff for helping get students where they needed to be. This truly was a district-wide endeavor.
Congratulations to the FFA parliamentary procedures team of Carlee Wolfe, Hailee Nelson, Braelyn Christensen, Jaelyn Kliment, Sarah Lange, and Aleyna Cutlers who earned a Silver Emblem at National FFA competition. Congratulations to Sophia Novoselov as she has been selected to sing the National Anthem prior to the start of the 2024 NSAA State Boys Soccer Championships on Tuesday, May 14 at 5:30 PM. at Morrison Stadium on the Creighton University campus in Omaha and her performance will be broadcast throughout the state on Nebraska Public Media. |
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7. Public Forum
Discussion:
Monica Blank addressed the Board on behalf of the elementary staff regarding proposed changes to grades K-6 and their desire to be included in further communication.
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8. Reports
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8.1. Administrative Reports
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Discussion:
Submitted by Mark Smith, Jr-Sr High School Principal
HAPPENINGS: Parent-Teacher Conferences were held on October 19 in the New Gym. A number of parents commented positively on having all teachers accessible in one location. It made it easier to see all teachers, and parents felt they did not spend as much time waiting in lines to talk with teachers. Our 7-12 grade students had the opportunity to hear from Carol Wolfe and Amy Holspar at a special student assembly held on November 8. Carol’s son died of fentanyl overdose in 2022. Amy Holspar heads Stop Overdose Nebraska. Their presentation made our students aware of the human cost of the growing opioid epidemic. They also brought education and awareness about life-saving resources around overdose prevention. We were excited to host a districtwide Veterans Day Program on November 10 that brought together students from the entire district and members of all the communities we serve. This program was made possible through the effort of students, staff, and members of the community. Students from both the elementary grades and the high school played key roles in the program. Our speaker was Sgt. Ben Marksmeier. This was a great opportunity to honor the service and sacrifice made for the freedoms we enjoy. TEACHER/STAFF PREP: We had two professional development days in the last month. On October 13, staff continued learning how to utilize structured checks for understanding during class instruction. This training helps teachers plan specific ways to structure questioning so that all students actively participate. Deb Kruse brought us information on the science of learning that highlighted the importance of using these active engagement strategies. Mike Feit, from ESU 2, returned with another installment of Classroom Culture training that focused on setting high expectations and ways to build positive relationships with our students. On November 3, we spent part of our morning looking at district testing data. This then allowed us to begin conversations around what we can do to impact student achievement. We plan to continue these conversations throughout the year. This helped highlight the importance of utilizing our ongoing active student engagement professional development. We also began asking questions around building-wide, systemic structures. For example, is our current bell schedule the best structure to serve our students? The remainder of our professional development time on that morning included an overview of how to construct useful, pre-planned hinge questions in our instruction, and another visit with Mike Feit on Classroom Culture. LOOKING AHEAD: Plans are being made to offer a summer school session. Summer school would be another option to better serve our students and families as we strive to make on-time graduation an achievable goal for all students. Full details for summer school are still in process. Summer school will likely be held for 3 or 4 weeks in June and run Monday-Thursday in the morning. We could utilize our current Apex Learning platform to offer credit recovery options. The goal would be to help students behind in needed credits to recover some of these credits before the 2024-2025 school year begins. OTHER: We recently had Freida Lange, retired NDE Administrator of Accreditation, spend about 4 days in our building. Freida visited almost every classroom and made a number of observations that will become a report that is part of our district Cognia accreditation cycle. At the conclusion of her visits, Freida shared with me that two things she noticed was that Raymond Central has a very positive environment, and she saw a high percentage of active student engagement in our classrooms. These are things that have been evident to many of us that are here every day, but it was encouraging to hear this from an outside observer. Submitted by Tony Kobza, Asst Jr-Sr High School Principal/Athletic Director Activities - FFA attended the National Conference. Aleyna Cuttlers, Jaelynn Kliment, Hailee Nelson, Baelynn Christensen, Sarah Lange, Carlee Wolfe participated in the Parli Pro competition and received a Silver Emblem. FBLA, FFA, Quiz Bowl, Speech, Band, Choir and One Act are all in the midst of their competition season. Athletics - Fall sports have wrapped up and Junior High basketball has started playing games. Winter Sports practices will officially start on Monday, November 13. Kyle Peterson, Quincy Cotter and Savannah Masek all broke school records this year. Facilities - We have added a touch screen to our wall outside the Mustang Room. This will hold our Senior Pictures. We are finalizing the process of having those in digital form. We have started moving dirt on the baseball and softball practice area on the East edge of the property in mid October. This will create a new practice space for both programs as well as move the discus ring to a closer location to the track to enhance practice and competition access to athletes and spectators. The NSAA has approved a shot clock for Class C-1 in basketball. We will be looking to add that to our main gym. The shot clock will not go into effect until the 24-25 season. Installation of the shot clocks are currently 12 weeks out. We are also getting quotes for the sound system for the football/track area as this is in need of an upgrade. Finally, we are working to replace/repair the mats on the front of the stage as they are showing some dramatic wear and tear. We are waiting on a quote for repair as well as information on whether the current mats are covered through a warranty. Submitted by Steve Rose, Elementary Principal and Deb Kruse, Assistant Elementary Principal The elementary teachers have done extraordinary work in delivering the English Language Arts with dedication and fidelity. Teachers have embraced this shift. They come to work early, stay late and often spend weekends to ensure their students receive the best possible instruction. With the adoption of new curricula, it usually takes at least 3 years to see a change in test scores. Even so, we are already seeing great student progress and we are excited to see where students are at the end of the year. We would like to spotlight some staff members that have been instrumental in the successful implementation of the new curriculum. The instructional coaches, Monica Blank and Shelly Hlavaty, spend a portion of their day coaching, modeling, collaborating and planning with teachers. They often come early and stay late working with teachers. The same can be said for the mentors. Kendra Carlson, Cindy Peterson, Kim Hudson, Andrea Rockemann, Nikole Farr, and Kris White go above and beyond what is required as mentors to ensure their mentees have the everyday information they need, answer their questions, help them plan among many other things. Professional Development - Our professional development has shifted from 100% active participation to the science of learning. Teachers have an understanding of the science behind how information passes through the stages of memory. We need a solid mental model on how learning occurs so we can use tactics to help our students better seize control of information at just the right time and in the right manner to give knowledge the best possible chance for moving through the phases of memory. The science of learning is the foundation for the Raymond Central Instructional Model. The instructional model includes the phases of learning and scientifically based strategies that complement each phase of learning. As we learn about the phases of learning and strategies, we will look to see if it is reflected in our curricula. Where it is not, teachers will use scientifically based strategies to ensure information gets to its ultimate destination: long term memory. School-wide Expectations - We held our monthly Mustang Assembly and students continue to receive recognition for being "Caught in the Act". Special Events:
Submitted by Amanda Coufal, Director of Special Education Tri-State Regional Special Education Law Conference: On November 2-3, Caitlin Roussan, Andrea Hicks and myself attended the special education law conference at CHI Health Center in Omaha. Karen Haase, from KSB Law was the keynote speaker. Karen reviewed the most recent and interesting special education decisions in the court systems. Some of the sessions that we attended were: Child Find, Compensatory Services, Grading on Curve, Legal Ethics, Mental Health, Legal Aspects of Finding and Retaining Special Education Teachers, ADA, Responding to Misconduct and Behavioral Issues, etc. This is always one of my favorite conferences to attend as we have time to reflect on what we are doing well at Raymond Central and areas that we can continue to grow. Elementary Turkey Trot: As Steve and Deb alluded to the Turkey Trot, I wanted to take a moment to share a heartwarming story during this time. At Ceresco, most of the students had finished the race while one of our students was still finishing up. Almost all of the 4th and 5th grade students ran back to run with this particular student. For the majority of the race, he walked but when he saw his friends coming, he ran with them while the kids encouraged him and the K-3rd graders chanted his name. I want to take this opportunity to share and recognize what amazing and caring students that we have at Raymond Central!!! This will definitely be a moment that all of us will cherish! National School Psychology Week: We celebrated our school psychologist, Caitlin Roussan, during the week of November 6-10. Caitlin has been our school psych for the past 3 years and does an amazing job. She is always willing to help out everyone in our district and loves to collaborate with her colleagues to do what is best for our students. This year’s theme was "Let’s Grow Together," inspired by the importance of both personal and shared strengths in our growth as individuals and school communities in every season of life. The theme recognizes every aspect of growth, as fundamental to effective learning environments and to the school psychologist’s role in supporting students well-being and learning. This was a perfect theme as Caitlin exhibits all of these attributes. We are lucky to have Caitlin supporting our students, staff and families at Raymond Central! |
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8.2. Student Board Member
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Discussion:
Submitted by Rosalie Tvrdy, Student Body President
Hello, my name is Rosalie Tvrdy and, again, I am the Student Body President this year. I wanted to talk about the two different assemblies we had this week, as well as some plans that the Student Council has made for a canned food drive and winter clothing drive. Firstly, I wanted to talk about the presentation about the danger of fentanyl that was given by Carolyn Wolfe and Amy Holman. At the very beginning, Carolyn shared her story about how she lost her son by him being laced with fentanyl when he was at a wedding in Tennessee. Everyone knew him to be a very good kid, and he was hardworking and would never do anything like that. He and his friend were both laced with fentanyl, as well as a couple other people that were staying in the same hotel that they were in. Then, Amy took over and gave us a detailed presentation about the risks of fentanyl, and how dangerous it actually is. Even just a grain of salt of fentanyl could be deadly. They gave us the presentation because they wanted to raise our awareness of how prevalent it is in Nebraska, and even in Lincoln. After speaking with them after the presentation was over, they said the biggest key takeaways would be to know about Narcan, which stops an overdose. They told us that it is something that is important to bring with you if you go on spring break, are going to a party, or even just to have just in case. Their program works to make sure that you can get Narcan for free from the sellers that they partner with. Another key takeaway that they said to remember was that everyone needs to realize that the world is so different, and you may never know what you are taking. They want to raise awareness to people, because fentanyl is more common than any of us think. Another speaker that we had was Ben Marksmeier. He was a veteran who spoke at our Veteran’s Day assembly. Ben told us about his story and how he lost a leg and almost died. After talking with many students, we thought that he had an educational message to his story, however, some of his content was slightly inappropriate for the audience in attendance. Because there were younger children there, we think that he should have made his speech easier for them to understand. I think that to avoid this issue in the future, speakers should make sure to submit their presentation to the administration to be reviewed before they give the speech to the whole school. But I do believe that he had an educational message about staying persistent, working hard, and always pushing through your hard circumstances. Lastly, I wanted to finish with the plans that the Student Council has for a Thanksgiving food drive and a Christmas toy and winter clothing drive. For our food drive we will have students, teachers, and other staff members bring canned goods to the high school, and these canned goods will go right back into the community through our Caring Shelves here at the high school. As a little incentive for people to bring canned goods, we are entering everyone’s name into a drawing and the winner will win a $15 Amazon gift card. For our Christmas toy and winter clothing drive, we will have students and staff bring new, or like new, toys and winter wear to the high school, and we will donate these items to the Caring Shelves. We will probably offer an incentive for students to donate then, but we will focus more on that after the canned food drive. Thank you for listening to what I have to say and taking these things into consideration. |
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8.3. Superintendent's Report
Discussion:
This week will be a busy week with two committee meetings, a regular board meeting and NASB State Conference. The plan on Thursday and Friday is to leave the Jr/Sr building at 6:45 AM.
Raymond Central 7-12th graders had a guest speaker on the great risk of Fentanyl. Carol Wolfe tragically lost her son to a Fentanyl overdose. A recording of the presentation is available on our Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@raymondcentralactivities4329 School Configuration survey results There were 32 responses to the survey. Generally speaking, our internal stakeholders are in favor of putting grade alikes together and they note a variety of pros for that configuration. There is a definite split regarding where the 6th grade should be located. My Thoughts Regarding Next Steps: Moving 6th grade back to Valparaiso at this time does garner additional room here at the Jr/Sr level, BUT, the space we really need for special education is life skills/transitional space and the space that will be recaptured will not suffice for that program. I don’t think that the pros of this move outweigh the cons of this move at this point and time. It was also mentioned that moving PK to the elementary side might be more advantageous than moving 6th graders. Moving PK would require facility work as we would need to develop specific classroom space with restrooms and the appropriate playground. That move would garner space that, with slight renovation, would be appropriate for special education life skills/transition. In addition to facility work, another concern for this move might be the loss of preschool clients in the south sector of our district where we are growing the most. Once we lose them will they return at school age? That move merits further consideration and study. I would recommend spending the next year or two developing a more exhaustive short term plan. This plan may include adding some space here at the Jr/Sr campus to alleviate the immediate needs and moving toward a grade 6-8 middle school programming philosophy. Some of that movement can happen next year without moving kids. Examples may include consistent bell schedule grades 6-8, consistent and viable curriculum 6-8 in math/science (already have it in ELA), continued growth of consistent support structures appropriately designed for grades 6-8, and expectations geared specifically to grades 6-8. This buys time to let a new superintendent be part of the solution and own the direction of the district. I think that parents/patrons will better appreciate moving grades (K-2/3-5) together if they recognize it as part of a well developed, visionary plan to create the best educational opportunities for all students. |
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8.3.1. NASB and NRCSA Monthly Update
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8.3.2. Update on Superintendent Goals
Goal I. Student Performance: Continue the development and initial implementation of the district Instructional Model Framework. (G1.PI3) (G6.PF1) Goal II. Student Performance: Continue the implementation of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS-B) model in K-12 is implemented with fidelity to support student learning and social-emotional/ behavior instructional support. (G1.PI3) (G7.PF1.PF2) Goal III. Facility/Student Performance: Continue the development of a 10 year facility master priority list that addresses maintenance and improvements for existing buildings and grounds and to determine configuration of students to maximize use of facilities and instruction. (G4.PF1) Goal IV. Continue the development of safety and security practices for Raymond Central Public Schools. (G8.PF1.PF2.PF3.PF4) |
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8.3.3. Facilities Report
Discussion:
The ground work on the practice softball/baseball field is in progress.
The charging station for the EV bus was installed on Monday. Jared, Patty Hudson, and I attended a workshop at Omaha Truck Center that was put on by the representatives from Thomas regarding the EV buses. There were a variety of school districts in attendance as well as Thomas national experts and Thomas local service providers. We gained a lot of information and insight at this meeting. All three of us were glad that we attended. A bus similar to ours was being displayed. They had it hoisted up so we could see the underside of the bus and they provided a walkthrough of all aspects of this EV bus. We were then taken on a ride and people could drive the bus if they wanted to. Key takeaways:
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8.3.4. Important Upcoming Dates:
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8.4. Board Committee Reports
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8.4.1. Curriculum & American Civics Committee (Burklund-chair, Lange, Matulka)
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8.4.2. Facilities & Transportation Committee (Blanchard-chair, Burklund, Matulka)
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8.4.3. Finance Committee (Blanchard-chair, Breitkreutz, Burklund)
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8.4.4. Negotiations Committee (Blanchard-chair, Benes, Lange)
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8.4.5. Policy Committee (Breitkreutz-chair, Benes, Lange)
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9. Old Business
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9.1. Discuss and Consider plans for the superintendent search with the search firm consultants
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Discussion:
NRCSA Consultant Rob Hanger presented the timeline for the Superintendent Search. Selected candidates will be interviewed on Saturday, December 16.
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10. New Business
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10.1. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to Approve Substitutes
Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Blanchard to approve Justin Reed, Dianne Coffin and Teresa Way as substitute teachers. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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10.2. Discuss and Consider the Resignation of Staff
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Discussion:
Resignations have been received from Jaxn Kobza, Technology Director and Kristi Meier, Paraeducator/Preschool Bus Driver.
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10.3. Discuss and Consider the Hiring of Non-Certificated Staff
Discussion:
Courtney Barry has been hired as a Paraeducator at Ceresco; Samantha Desh will serve as Jr High Speech coach; Jackson Hilyard, Asst Boys Basketball; Jeff Eppenbach, Asst Wrestling; and Brandon Varilek, Asst Jr High Wrestling.
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10.4. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve RCEA as Exclusive Bargaining Agent for Non-Supervisory Certificated Staff for the 2025-2026 Contract Year
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Discussion:
Motion by Lange, second by Matulka to recognize the Raymond Central Education Association as exclusive bargaining agent for the district’s non-supervisory certificated staff for the 2025-2026 contract year. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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10.5. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action associated with the review of the Preliminary Plat information for the Hunter Addition - 1st Addition in Ceresco
Discussion:
Review of the Preliminary Plat information for the Hunter Addition-1st Addition to Ceresco was tabled until next month.
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10.6. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve the contract with Kidwell for safety equipment to include additional interior/exterior cameras and door access equipment.
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Discussion:
Motion by Benes, second by Lange to approve a contract with Kidwell for safety equipment to include additional interior/exterior cameras and door access equipment at the Ceresco and Valparaiso buildings for a total cost of $103,285.00. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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10.7. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve a bid to upgrade the sound system at the football/track stadium.
Discussion:
Upgrading the sound system at the football/track stadium was tabled in order to collect further information on bids.
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10.8. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve a snow removal bid for Ceresco
Discussion:
Motion by Burklund, second by Benes to approve the Ceresco Elementary snow removal bid from Joe Metzger for a maximum of $350.00 per event. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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10.9. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve a managed service agreement with Pine Cove Consulting for technology support and services
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Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Burklund to approve a managed service agreement with Pine Cove Consulting for technology support and services at a cost of $4,500.00 per month. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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10.10. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve a quote with ScoreVision for adding a shot clock OES backboard lights
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Discussion:
Motion by Lange, second by Breitkreutz to approve a quote from ScoreVision for adding a shot clock with backboard lights at a cost of $15,000.00. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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10.11. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve the Superintendent Evaluation
Discussion:
Motion by Burklund, second by Lange to approve the Superintendent Evaluation as presented. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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11. Next Regular Board Meeting
Wednesday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m. with a holiday reception for the board starting at 5:00 p.m. in the District board room.
Discussion:
The next regular Board of Education meeting will be Wednesday, December 13, 2023 with a holiday reception for the Board starting at 5:00 PM in the District Board Room.
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12. Adjournment
Discussion:
Motion by Blanchard, second by Matulka to adjourn the meeting at 7:36 PM. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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