October 14, 2024 at 6:00 PM - Regular October Board Meeting

Discussion:  Ryan Stearns called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and roll call was taken. 

Discussion:  NA

Discussion:  We, at Brady Public Schools, strive to create a positive culture in which all learners reach their fullest potential as EAGLES!

Discussion:  Marge Spencer wanted to rewrite the sentences on these discussion items from the September Minutes to be the following:
8.1 was reviewed by the board
8.1.8 board elects a student body to be a a student member of the board
Roll Call was taken

Discussion:  NA

Discussion:  Tina Golter gave her report. The following items were completed this month: Mowing, trimming, watering plants, and prepped football field for games. Green Acres came and did Fall application for fertilizer on September 26th. Kabota found a lawn mower bagger for clippings and leaves.  

Discussion:  Mrs. Foster gave Dan Robison's report. The following items were completed this past month: #24 (new suburban) and #10 (Ol’ suburban) got oil changes, Bus #19 was in the shop to replace cold fuel sensor, #19 had a left front tire replaced at Gothenburg Tire, still working to get parts for #09 (little bus) to replace the stop arm motor, received new tornado shelter signs to be placed out front and by the commons door, and a new sub vehicle driver for small fleet will be starting after training complete. It was also brought up that the board needs to keep in mind about replacing the old suburban, as it is reaching over 281,000 miles. It also needs brought up that the Gothenburg route and south route are both getting full. Currently, there are enough staff for small fleet vehicles, but will need to add another two more small busses to accommodate our students needs. 

Discussion:  Mrs. Foster gave Ryan Sanger's report. Waldinger's arrived to replace the Damper on the East gym unit and the vent going into Mrs. Foster's office. Rapid Fire did their yearly inspection and tested all backflow and water systems. A yearly inspection for the elevator was also completed. Everything is working properly. Rochester Midland came to check the softener level and everything is at normal reporting. The cooling tower, drippers, and strainers off the main water line were all cleaned. 

Discussion:  Mrs. Foster gave Mr. Seamann's report. Fall sports are in the last couple weeks. Football has one more game left.  Cross Country has districts on Oct. 17th. Volleyball has the MNAC VB tournament, a triangular at Hyannis and Sub-districts remaining. We will be hosting two of the first-round games of the MNAC volleyball tournament on Thurs. Oct. 17th. September gate amount was $3143. The September officials cost $3320. September totals not including cost of VB clock keeper and VB lines is negative $177. 

Discussion:  Mr. Larson's gave his report. Mr. Larson talked about the discipline referrals in eduCLIMBER. PBIS- Public Behavior Interventionsand Supports, is a huge success in the school. There will be an assembly on Friday October 18th, to highlight the great behavior in quarter 1. Mr. Larson attended NeMTSS Conference in Kearney on September 26-27. Parent Teacher Conference on Oct 3rd had 85% attendance. Mr. Larson also talked about the great success of the teacher in-service on October 7th, and the walk through instrument/ Danielson Teacher appraisal model. This year, teacher circle groups were created. Every Tuesday, teachers get into their circle groups before school to discuss school items. 

Discussion:  Mrs. Foster gave her report. Fall membership includes: PreK:13, Elementary: 71, High School: 106. Total: 190. There are a few State Compliance vists coming up. Those include: Title Consolidated programmatic montioring, school nutrition, Rule 52, and Rule 11 Compliance. The Fresh Fruits and Veggie Grant is going really well. Molly Miller finds unique fruits to serve to the K-6 students each day. School Emergency Mapping grant was submitted for $5,000. E-Rate Funds will be applied for in April to receive $30,000. It will be used to help provide the rest of the cost for the new PA System. Brady School Foundation Teacher Grant is currently open and closes November 15. School Nutrition Equipment Grant is currently open and closes October 25. A new salad bar will be applied for. 

Discussion:  An email came from James McGown to Mrs. Foster:" I want to take time to thank Ms. Widick for her efforts in leading the Student Council and all that she has done to this point with Homecoming. Lydia came home last night and talked at length about the history of Brady Public Schools and how impressed she was about the amount of former graduates that contributed vintage Brady High School apparel. As a recovering Social Science Teacher, it gave me great joy that my daughter was so interested in the history of her school and local community. Lessons not taught in a class but from an activity and organization she is involved in spurred by the sponsor and possible help from Logan (he was mentioned as well). Outstanding job and both of you need to hear the positives that can come from homecoming week! Thanks for having a positive impact on the students of BHS! " 

The board also acknowledged Macey Widick for the fabulous job she is doing, along with the assistance of Logan Porter! 

Discussion:  Marge Spencer gave a report on the Learning Center information from the Foundation. The Foundation submitted an application for the Betterment Grant. Since the foundation was rewarded over $4,000 the last quarter, it was recommended to skip this quarter and apply next time. If the village doesn't come up with their half of the cost by January 1st, the design fees go up 12-13% of the $600,000. A task force of members from each board was created at the last meeting on September 25th. This group will meet every two weeks over the next couple months to get items completed. A list of businesses to contact was created. A list of donations and the amount of money already received was shown to the school board. As of October 9th, $225,091 has been received, leaving a remaining balance needed of $74,409.

The Gala date has been set for March 22nd. A theme is still being decided. 

Discussion:  Students from the FFA, along with sponsor Mr. Mann came to report on how the FFA program is going. Currently, there are 31 students in FFA. Their first competition in Valentine was a great success with many of the members placing. Their next FFA competition will be on November 18th at Wallace. Community projects are being planned by committees. There are a total of 15 committees and each committee is run completely by the students. They decide every detail. Currently, Miller Repair is doing a fundraiser for FFA. They are selling tickets at $50 for a special edition lawn mower. Currently, there is still talk about what events to do for Ag Safety Day. The FFA will be on the board agenda moving forward to share an update on competitions and events. 

Discussion:  For October, the General Fund is under budget by 3.53% and the Lunch Fund is under budget by 0.91%. A new subscription got purchased this month called Frontline. This subscription will allow for all absence forms and substitute calls to be based on an online portal. This will allow for more efficient and transparent work. It also includes a way more updated timeclock for our hourly employees. Mrs. Foster also discussed with the finance committee to have bus route pay be considered as an extra duty instead of normal hours so it doesn't count towards overtime. She has been in contact with other superintendents and this is becoming the normal way of doing it. Our bus drivers are having to cut down on their regular job hours to avoid overtime, in order to drive the buses. This will become a discussion and action item for November. 

Discussion:  The Policy Committee met on October 9 and reviewed some additional policies which are on the agenda tonight to be reviewed. The committee also reviewed students who applied to be the student member of the board. 

Discussion:  Marge Spencer gave the Village board meeting report. 
September 11, 2024, Mrs. Foster discussed on opportunity to work with Communities 4 Kids to address the need for child care in our town. The Fire Department asked for help from the Village to pay for insurance costs for ambulance. Marge Spencer gave an update on the Learning Center. Robert Litzenberger, of Brady Community Church, approached the Village on the potential of purchasing the vacant building.
October 9, 2024, Marge Spencer gave an update on the funds raised for the Learning Center. She also discussed with the board about not finding in their minutes where it stated about the school partnership on the Learning Center.  The Village Board thought it was in special meeting minutes, but stated it would get taken care of at the next meeting. The village board discussed with Robert Litzenberger about the price for the church building.  Dan Robison, discussed how he would like to see it for a possible daycare for the community.  Todd Roe shared what the village might be able to pay for the building.  Jeff Miller felt if they could get a grant that would make it possible to purchase. Jeff stated the building was probably worth more than they could pay for it. The Interlocal Agreement with Brady Public School was approved. The BHS Class of 1988 requested to plant a tree in Palmer Park and it was granted. New Well Bids were reviewed and approved.

Discussion:  Senator's Roundable: 
October 22nd in North Platte. Mrs. Foster and President Stearns will be attending to meet with our local senators and other area Superintendents and Board Presidents about legislative issues that impact our schools.
State Board of Education:
The State Board held its October meeting in Grand Island, NE. Some highlights are below. 

• Board Member Morrison Resigns - The State Board accepted the resignation of Jacquelyn Morrison from District 4. 
• Dyslexia Research Grant - The State Board approved a $500,000 grant to Dyslexico as part of the dyslexia research grant resulting from legislation this year. 
• Competitive Grants for State Assessments (CGSA) - NDE received a national grant to support the creation of more useful and intuitive state assessment reports. 
• Nebraska Literacy Project - The State Board received an update on the Department’s reading efforts. More information can be found here. 
• The next State Board meeting will be held in Lincoln on December 5 & 6 at the NDE office. 

Discussion:  All Board Members are registered to go to the State Conference on November 20-22, 2024 in Omaha.

Discussion:  The BEA requests that the school board takes action to recognize the BEA as the exclusive bargaining agent for the district's non-supervisory certified staff for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years.

Discussion:  One Senior has applied for Early Graduation. The senior has fulfilled the requirements of the Early Graduation Policy and is on track to completing all credits needed to graduate by December 2024.

Discussion:  This policy was reviewed by the Policy Committee and recommends that it is approved as written.

Discussion:  It is a requirement that the Board of Education approve the Option Enrollment Resolution each year.  The Policy Committee met and reviewed the resolution and recommends approving it as written.

Discussion:  This policy is needed to be considered for a grant that Mrs. Foster applied for, to have new school maps done for our building and for our EOP.  The Policy Committee reviewed this policy and recommends approving it as written.

Discussion:  The Brady Schools Safety Committee reviewed the EOP at our quarterly meeting in August.  It is all up to date.

Discussion:  Carl Dietz with ALICAP came on September 10, 2024 and did our Rule 10 Safety Inspection.  Our rating has continued to improve!  2022 (1.25), 2023 (1.21), 2024 (1.09). Our goal is to have our safety rating under 1.0!
Highlights from the visit include:
- New secure entrance
- The building is in excellent condition (inside and out)
- Fire and tornado exit procedures posted
- Hallways and classrooms were clean
Recommendations:
- The boiler room and maintenance room must be cleaned up to avoid trip hazards.
- Make sure all staff know where the water shut off valve is located.
The back hallways is crowded, and we have 4 feet of unobstructed walking space and the recommendation is to have 6 feet of unobstructed walking space.
- Replace the wooden bleachers
- paint the bus drop off/pick up curb area in yellow. (Dan Robison and Bob Fattig (Thanks Bob for volunteering your time) were able to get this completed already.)

Discussion:  In order to provide the School Board with a greater insight into student activities, programs, and needs; and to encourage student involvement in school district governance activities the board may allow one nonvoting student member(s) on the Board of Education. The role of student member is advisory.  The board will elect 1 or 2 student members to serve in this role. Mrs. Foster mentioned the committee decided not to pick a student related to a board member, and the student must be in good standing with grades and attendance. After looking through the students who applied, the policy committee recommended Braelynn Anderson and Alexis Buck. 

Discussion:  NA

Discussion: 

General Fund
Ck #	Check Date	Entity Name	Amount
4583	09/13/2024	Flatwater Bank	21.40
6938	09/10/2024	Brady Get 'N Go	2,308.40
6939	09/10/2024	Black Hills Energy	267.43
6940	09/11/2024	D2UP	1,750.00
6941	09/16/2024	Nebraska Speech, Communication, Theater	175.00
		Association
6942	09/26/2024	Bsn Sports	45.90
6943	10/02/2024	Frontline Technologies Group LLC	5,915.00
6959	10/14/2024	Acco Brands USA LLC	506.00
6960	10/14/2024	Activate Learning	572.20
6961	10/14/2024	Activity Fund Dist. # 6	70.00
6962	10/14/2024	Al's Lock & Safe	20.50
6963	10/14/2024	Amazon Capital Services	2,228.49
6964	10/14/2024	Aupperle Plumbing & Heating INC	275.00
6965	10/14/2024	Black Hills Energy	341.76
6966	10/14/2024	Blue Cross Blue Shield Of Ne	333.80
6967	10/14/2024	Brady Get 'N Go	3,056.80
6968	10/14/2024	Brady Public School	500.00
6969	10/14/2024	Business Telecommunication Systems	1,430.10
6970	10/14/2024	Capital Business Systems Inc	1,279.08
6971	10/14/2024	Capital Business Systems, Inc - Wyoming	65.93
6972	10/14/2024	Clearfly	489.75
6973	10/14/2024	Consolidated Telecom, Inc.	116.40
6974	10/14/2024	Culligan of Cozad	123.27
6975	10/14/2024	Dawson County Public Power District	5,863.94
6976	10/14/2024	District 9 School	150.00
6977	10/14/2024	Educational Service Unit #16	22,518.63
6978	10/14/2024	Educational Service Unit #5	35,468.00
6979	10/14/2024	Engineered Controls	1,023.16
6980	10/14/2024	First National Bank	15,088.79
6981	10/14/2024	Gator Road Repair	99.97
6982	10/14/2024	Gothenburg Tire & Service	561.72
6983	10/14/2024	Ideal/Bluffs Facility Solutions	1,826.28
6984	10/14/2024	J. W. Pepper	243.99
6985	10/14/2024	Jensen Publishing Inc	25.00
6986	10/14/2024	Kiddom INC	190.00
6987	10/14/2024	KSB School Law	144.00
6988	10/14/2024	Samantha Mann	14.38
6989	10/14/2024	Menards	332.54
6990	10/14/2024	Mid-American Research Chemical	411.70
6991	10/14/2024	NASB	3,285.00
6992	10/14/2024	Nebraska Safety  Cntr	250.00
6993	10/14/2024	Nebraska Safety & Fire Equip	2,275.25
6994	10/14/2024	North Platte Bulletin	88.00
6995	10/14/2024	North Platte Public Schools	1,905.60
6996	10/14/2024	Otis Elevator Company	192.18
6997	10/14/2024	Paper Tiger Shredding	45.00
6998	10/14/2024	Red Arrow Truck Wash LLC	45.00
6999	10/14/2024	Reliable Pest Control Service	71.00
7000	10/14/2024	Daniel Robison	143.00
7001	10/14/2024	S & S Auto Parts, Inc.	95.94
7002	10/14/2024	Syndicate Publishing	354.14
7003	10/14/2024	Teaching Strategies	301.47
7004	10/14/2024	Village Of Brady	968.62
7005	10/14/2024	Macey Widick	29.39
7006	10/14/2024	Yandas Music & Pro Audio	504.34
	TOTAL		$    116,386.84

____________________________________ Ryan Stearns President, Board of Education
____________________________________ Marge Spencer Secretary, Board of Education
The time and date of the Brady Public School’s regular meeting was advertised in Gothenburg
Leader and posted at the Brady Get-N-Go, Post Office, and Flatwater Bank. The next regular meeting will be November 11th, at 6:00 PM.