Public Meeting Minutes: July 11, 2022 at 6:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

1. Call to Order

1.1. Roll Call

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to excuse Brad Hays and Loretta Hauxwell Passed with a motion by Mike Langan and a second by Tom Bredvick.

Brad Hays: Absent
Dennis Berry: Yea
Mike Langan: Yea
Loretta Hauxwell: Absent
Teresa Thomas: Yea
Tom Bredvick: Yea

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

1.2. Recognition of Open Meeting Law

1.3. Pledge of Allegiance

2. Reports, Communications & Public Participation

2.1. Board accepts public comments

Discussion: Scott Barger Chelsey Hartwell, and Jason Loop Presented a check for $50,806.50 for the MHS basketball gal replacement.

3. Consent Agenda

3.1. Approve the consent agenda which includes the minutes and financials

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Motion to approve consent agenda Passed with a motion by Tom Bredvick and a second by Mike Langan.

Loretta Hauxwell: Absent
Brad Hays: Absent
Dennis Berry: Yea
Mike Langan: Yea
Teresa Thomas: Yea
Tom Bredvick: Yea

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

Attachments: (1)

McCook Public Schools - Board of Education Regular Meeting (3)

6/14/2022 at 9:18 AM

3.2. Approval of Expenditures/Payroll for June

Attachments: (4)

Accounts Payable - June 2022

7/7/2022 at 7:34 AM
Activity Account - Revenue - June 2022

7/7/2022 at 7:34 AM
Activity Account -Expenditures - June 2022

7/7/2022 at 7:34 AM
Financial reports June 2022 for July 22 Board Meeting

7/7/2022 at 7:41 AM

4. Reports from Staff Members and Committees

4.1. Finance Committee Report

Discussion:

Mr. Gross gave a report that covered both the finance and facilities committees.

YTD financial position
- General fund is in good shape.
- ESSER dollars report
- Activities
  - Lower receipt
  - Higher costs
- Depreciation
  - Expenditures
    - Parking
      - Parking lots completed
        
        McCook Elementary
        
        SH circle Drive Plus removed tree and put more picnic table area in hoehner park
        
        SH/YMCA parking
      - Parking in progress
        
        Learning Center parking is being done currently
    - Track
      - Completed
        
        Discus ring
        
        Asphalt
      - Soon to be completed
        
        Retaining wall and sidewalk
        
        Rubber installation on track
        
        Pole vault pit area
      - Likely to be addressed this fall
        
        Shot put area
        
        Building updates
    - School vehicles
      - Still looking for the right vehicles at the right price
      - Some of our vans have received some touchup paint to help improve vehicle appearance
    - Concrete work
      - Elementary steps are being replaced
    - Floor coverings
      - Completed
        
        Central Elem. Office done
        
        McElem classrooms done
        
        Central Elementary music room (Samways)
      - Still on the docket
        
        Learning center
        
        JH office/Counselor space
HVAC High School and Jr. High
- SH/JH control Units
  - Work is complete with minor adjustments still being made. We have yet to gain full control of the system.
- Jr. High HVAC
  - Snell says the project is on schedule. Crane will be installing the last two air handlers this week.
Special Building Fund
- Identified Projects
  - Jr. high HVAC project and update
    - Funds taken out of the special building to pay for this work are to be reimbursed from the ESSER grant.
  - Restroom facility for track and tennis courts
    - Project elements
      - Restrooms
      - Concessions
      - Storage
      - Sitting/viewing area
    - Building design and location
  - Auditorium updates and upgrades
    - On hold due to potential bond issue
- Water and sewer lines at the high school
  - On hold due to potential bond
- Potential future projects
  - Tennis court expansion
    - Addition of two tennis courts (southeast corner of current complex)
    - Shovel ready project
  - Parking lot YMCA adjacent
    - This depends on future partnership growth.
- Special building resources and budgeting for 2022-2023
  - $468,000 in receipts this year
  - $434,000 in expenditures this year
    - $358,000 to be reimbursed by ESSER grant (Jr. High HVAC)
High school facilities updating and upgrading
- Classrooms are almost complete
- Superintendent's office space will be address summer of 2023
- Hallways and lockers to be addressed following the update of the central office
Basketball goals
- Installed and functioning.
Paint
- Central elem. office and music room done
- Learning center done
- Currently @ Weiland Field
- JH office/Counselor next, then touch up at all buildings
Roofs
- SH roof to begin anyday now. Supt, office, Science, IT area.
- Mc Elementary has a section to be done this summer
- Next: Sr. High gym and Central Elementary sealant spray
McCook Learning Center Boiler
Tennis canopy
- The money will be donated to the school for the completion of this project.

4.2. Facilities Committee Report

Discussion: Mr. Gross gave a report that covered both the finance and facilities committees.

4.3. Technology Integration presentation by Tina Williams

Discussion: Tina Williams presented on LB 1112 Computer Science and Technology and how the integration of technology works at MPS.

4.4. Career and College preparedness presentations

Discussion: Mr. Borland gave a report on career and college preparedness activities and projects @ McCook Elementarty
Mr. Bednar gave a report on career and college preparedness activities and projects @ Central Elementary
Mr. Lyons gave a report on career and college preparedness activities and projects @ McCook Junior High
Mr. Curl gave a report on career and college preparedness activities and projects @ McCook Senior High

5. Administrator's Written Reports: Please review prior to the board meeting

Attachments: (5)

SPED - J. Hanson

7/7/2022 at 7:43 AM
McCook Elementary - G. Borland

7/7/2022 at 7:43 AM
Central - J. Bednar

7/7/2022 at 7:43 AM
Jr. High - C. Lyons

7/7/2022 at 7:43 AM
Senior High Board Report - C. Dickes

7/7/2022 at 7:43 AM

6. Superintendent's Comments

Interlocal agreement with the city concerning the swimming pool and ball parks is still likely to come, but it has not yet been approved by the city council. We may need to have a special meeting if we cannot delay it until the August board meeting.

The TeamMates program has a new director. Marisa Hoins, special education teacher at Central, will be taking over the role of director for the 2022-2023 school year.

We are in the process of working with a local resident on obtaining teaching credentials that will enable them to teach journalism. This process requires us to seek a transition certificate through NDE via the University of Nebraska Kearney. Individuals that go through this process receive an initial teaching certificate as they take coursework in the area where they are seeking full certification.
- I think it is important to understand that the teacher shortage is becoming evermore critical, and this shortage is undoubtedly a statewide issue, and it is no longer contained to specific content areas.

FYI: Rule 21 - Teacher Certification
- The percentage schools are allowed to have teachers teaching out of their endorsed area and remain in compliance.
  - Elementary 5%
  - Middle School 10%
  - High School 20%
- If a school is higher than the percentages listed above, they can submit a wavier to NDE for approval.
- Currently, MPS is in compliance at every level.

Introduction to the "Rooted Campaign". A public school movement in Nebraska that was started by the members of Greater Nebraska Superintendents (GNS) to foster positive environments through education, encouragement, and engagement, and encourage difference makers in our community to pursue a career in education. Rooted in academics. Grown to greatness.
- We educate all students to find success in their next phase of life, ultimately becoming valuable employees and involved community members.
- We encourage and support all of our students' unique needs, and desire to work collaboratively with the community to grow our youth into productive young adults with the desire and mindset to give back to our communities.
- We value parent engagement and their perspectives and involvement in student activities. Their investment in student success is what brings Nebraskans together to consistently improve our schools year after year.
- Nebraska Public Schools are valuable contributors to our local economies and invite youth and community members to become part of our talented educational community. Nebraska public schools are also working hard to spread the message that, as an educator, you can make a positive difference in someone's life every day.

The new technology instruction bill may get a rewrite due to the poor quality of the legislation. NDE is having difficulty establishing standards for schools to follow based on the language in the legislation.

There are statewide concerns over the new state assessment tool. It appears, based on district level evaluations of the assessment data across the state, that student scores taken from the state assessment do not reflect student performance results on other national standardized assessments. The state assessment results show a grim picture of student performance statewide in traditionally very high performing school districts. We should expect changes to the state assessment or the assessment process in the upcoming months.
- I agree with these findings. As you may recall, I hinted at the low quality of assessment data in my presentation in February when I discussed how the cut scores were determined. Our local data and standardized assessment data did/does not sync with state assessment data. This is likely due to the attempt to make the state assessment both adaptive and summative. These two approaches to assessment do not inherently correlate, and to a certain extent are at odds with each other.
- The state assessments have become overly complicated in their application and data interpretation processes. In other words, the state wants the state assessment to do more than it actually is capable of, resulting in low quality data that has little value.
- A quality summative assessment should consistently and accurately measure each student's level of mastery of specific essential learning objectives (power standards), which is something the state assessment does not do.

Student teacher pay
- Among GNS member schools
  - 2 are paying $9,000
  - 2 are paying $4,000
  - 1 is paying $1,000
  - 1 advanced placement on the salary schedule if they take a job in the district

7. Business Manager Comments

Discussion:

Monthly Business Manager Board of Education Report
June 2022
June Lunch #’s = 3,145 = 1330 Breakfast (83 kids per day) 1815 Lunch (114 per day)

Financial #’s = After 83% of the fiscal year = YTD Revenue is 101%, YTD Expenses is 81%

Projects - Updates

Report given during committee presentation

Upcoming Projects

2021-2021 RFP’s

None at this time

Federal/state Reports filed in June:

Energy Loan audit

NDE Data Collections

Attachments: (1)

July 2022 Monthly Business Manager Board of Education Report

7/7/2022 at 7:44 AM

8. Board Comments

9. New Business

9.1. Accept Resignations

9.2. Approve contract for Norabel Chessmore - High School Journalism

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to approve a Contract with Norabel Chesmore for High School Journalism at BA+0, Step 0, Index 1.00, $38,550.00. Passed with a motion by Tom Bredvick and a second by Mike Langan.

Mike Langan: Yea
Loretta Hauxwell: Absent
Teresa Thomas: Yea
Tom Bredvick: Yea
Brad Hays: Absent
Dennis Berry: Yea

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

Attachments: (1)

chessmore.resume

6/27/2022 at 2:48 PM

9.3. Motion to approve administrator salary package with a maxim total salary increase of $32,500

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

move to approve an administrator salary package with a maximum total salary increase of $32,500 Passed with a motion by Teresa Thomas and a second by Dennis Berry.

Loretta Hauxwell: Absent
Teresa Thomas: Yea
Tom Bredvick: Yea
Brad Hays: Absent
Dennis Berry: Yea
Mike Langan: Yea

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

9.4. Approve the Tennis Canopy project

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to approve the Approve the Tennis Canopy project Passed with a motion by Mike Langan and a second by Dennis Berry.

Teresa Thomas: Yea
Tom Bredvick: Yea
Brad Hays: Absent
Dennis Berry: Yea
Mike Langan: Yea
Loretta Hauxwell: Absent

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

Attachments: (3)

MBT22_Construction-Costs - Tennis Canopy

7/7/2022 at 7:50 AM
22_06-10_MBT22-Stamped - Tennis Canopy

7/7/2022 at 7:50 AM
MBT22-3D - Tennis Canopy

7/7/2022 at 7:50 AM

9.5. Gratefully accept an anonymous donation in the amount of $2,500.00 for the Tennis Canopy project

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to gratefully accept a donation from the anonymous donation for the Tennis Canopy Project in the amount of $2,500.00. Passed with a motion by Tom Bredvick and a second by Mike Langan.

Tom Bredvick: Yea
Brad Hays: Absent
Dennis Berry: Yea
Mike Langan: Yea
Loretta Hauxwell: Absent
Teresa Thomas: Yea

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

9.6. Gratefully accept an anonymous donation in the amount of $15,000.00 for the Tennis Canopy Project

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to gratefully accept an anonymous donation for the Tennis Canopy Project in the amount of $15,000.00. Passed with a motion by Teresa Thomas and a second by Mike Langan.

Brad Hays: Absent
Dennis Berry: Yea
Mike Langan: Yea
Loretta Hauxwell: Absent
Teresa Thomas: Yea
Tom Bredvick: Yea

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

Discussion: Meeting adjourned @ 8:20pm

10. Positive Comments

Discussion: Mr. Berry would like to give special thanks to the maintenance and the janitorial staff for the outstanding job over the summer.
Mr. Bredvick thanked the bison booster club and all the efforts being made to help with career pathways for our students.
Mr. Langan loves the facility improvements and how the project is coming together.
Mrs. Thomas commented on the High School YCR and their drive-in movie project.
Mr. Gross thanked the partners in McCook on the wellness initiatives for all the partnerships in McCook
Mr. Norgaard commented on the teammates' program and thanked Mr. Wiemers for his time with teammates, and was really excited and thanked Marissa Hoins for stepping into the leadership role.

11. Adjournment

12. Items for Review

July 11, 2022 at 6:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

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