January 8, 2015 at 5:30 PM - Board of Education Reorganization meeting

Rationale:  As required by Nebraska law, the public is advised that a complete copy of the Open Meetings Act is posted on the south wall of the City Council Chambers. Copies of the law are also available for the public and are located on the table in the back of the room.

Rationale:  Per Board Policy 201.4, Superintendent Craig Kautz will administer the Oath of Office to the following new and incumbent Board members:

John Bonham
Tracey Katzberg
Brady Rhodes
Becky Sullivan

Do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Nebraska against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear the faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely and without mental reservation or for purpose of evasion; and that you will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of the office of Hastings Public Schools Board of Education according to the law and to the best of your ability?  An, do you further swear that you do not advocate, nor are you a member of, any political party or organization that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this state by force or violence and that, during such time as you are in this position, you will not advocate, nor become a member of, any political party or organization that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this state by force or violence?  So help you God?  Please answer by saying I will.

Rationale:  Per Board Policy 203.1, Superintendent Craig Kautz shall assume chairmanship of the meeting for the purpose of electing a Board President.

Rationale:  Consistent with Board Policies 203.1, 203.2, and 203.3, the Board of Education shall elect a president and vice president by secret ballot from the membership of the Board at the Annual Meeting.

Rationale:  1.  Nomination of one or more candidates.
              Jim Boeve has submitted his intent to run letter previously
2.  Closing of nominations.
3.  Election by secret ballot.
4.  Announcement of new President for 2015.

Rationale:  1.  Nomination of one or more candidates.
         Laura Schneider and John Bonham have submitted their intent to run letters previously.
2.  Closing of nominations.
3.  Election by secret ballot.
4.  Announcement of new Vice President for 2015.

Rationale:  Consistent with Board policies 203.4 and 203.8 and upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, the Board shall reappoint the following officers and advisors:

Jeff Schneider...................................................................................  Secretary/Treasurer
Diana Reiner.....................................................................................  Assistant Secretary
Connie Niles......................................................................................  Assistant Treasurer
Rex Schultze.....................................................................................  Counsel
                                                                           (Fees based upon services rendered)
Curtis Reimer, M.D.............................................................................  School Physician
                                                                                                ($500 per year)

Rationale:  The Superintendent of Schools recommends that the Board of Education appoint Jeff Schneider, Director of Finance and Operations, as the District's officer for federal programs.  These federal programs include, but are not limited to, Vocational Education, PL 874, Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV, Title V, Title VI-B, ARRA, Homeless, and the school lunch program.

Rationale:  The Superintendent of Schools recommends that the Board of Education designate the depositories for all school funds and that the Board of Education approve the following resolution:

The following Hastings' banks be named as depositories for Adams County School District #18:

Five Points Bank
Heritage Bank
Nebraska School District Liquid Asset Fund
Pinnacle Bank
US Bank
Wells Fargo Bank

Rationale:  The Superintendent recommends that the Board of Education designate an official newspaper each year and that "The Hastings Tribune" be designated as the District's official newspaper by approving the following motion. 

Rationale:  Consistent with Board Policies 701 and 704.1, the Board of Education will be asked to approve two financial resolutions.

Rationale:  Be It Resolved that, under the authority of Section 77-2338, Reissue Revised Statutes, Nebraska, 1943, the County Treasurer of Adams County, Nebraska, is hereby ordered and directed by the Board of Education of Adams County School District No. 18, in the State of Nebraska, to invest any of the sinking funds, bonds, or otherwise of said District in, and to take up any warrant of said District when signed by the President and Secretary of the Board of Education of said District, the interest earned on such warrant to be credited to the sinking funds of the District from which the invested funds were drawn with this order and direction become effective the eighth (8th) day of January, 2015, and continuing in full force and effect and binding upon said Treasurer and only until the sixteenth (16th) day of January, 2016.

(The passage of this resolution authorizes the administration to invest monies from the various funds of the School District and to credit each of these funds with the accrued interest.)

Rationale:  Be It Resolved that under the authority of Section 72-202, 72-1246, 77-2341, 79-520, 79-1308.01, Reissued Revised Statutes, Nebraska, 1943, the President and the Secretary of the Board of Education of Adams County School District No. 18, in the State of Nebraska, are hereby authorized, ordered, and directed by said Board of Education whenever required in order to obtain monies for the General Fund of the District, and such monies cannot be obtained under authority of Section 77-2338, Reissue Revised Statutes, Nebraska, 1943, to borrow such money from other funds of the District, including without limitation, the Sites and Building Fund or the Construction Fund, or in other words, to invest such Sites and Building or Construction Funds in the notes, warrants, or other written evidences of indebtedness or obligations of the District, provided such written evidences of indebtedness are duly signed by the President and Secretary of said Board on behalf of the District and are permanently registered and recorded in a book used for that purpose by the Secretary, provided any such written evidence of indebtedness bears a reasonable rate of interest with the interest earned thereon to be credited to the fund from which the monies were drawn, and provided further the earnings available for debt service have, for a five-year period immediately preceding the date of purchase, averaged not less than two times such debt service requirements, with this authorization, order and direction becoming effective the eighth (8th) day of January, 2015, and continuing in full force and effect and binding upon said Board each succeeding day thereafter not indefinitely but only until the sixteenth (16th) day of January, 2016.

(The passage of this resolution establishes conditions under which money can be borrowed from one of the School District's funds and credited to other funds.)

Rationale:  Per Board Policy 203.06, "The Board shall have no standing committees other than the Americanism Committee, which is required by law."  Per Board Policy 203.01, "At the annual meeting, the Board shall appoint all necessary Board officers and committees."

The Americanism Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the President of the Board of Education.  Responsibilities of the Committee will be to:

1.  Carefully examine, inspect, and approve all textbooks used in the teaching of American history and civil government in the school.  Such textbooks shall adequately stress the services of the men and women who achieved our national independence, established our constitutional government, and preserved our union, and shall be so written to include contributions by ethnic groups as to develop a pride and respect for our institutions and not be a mere recital of events and dates;

2.  Assure themselves as to the character of all teachers employed and their knowledge and acceptance of the American form of government; and

3.  Take all such other steps as will assure the carrying out of the provisions of this section.

The President appoints the following Board members to the Americanism Committee:

Rationale:  The President appoints the following Board Member to be the GNSA Board Representative.

Rationale:  The President appoints the following Board member to serve as a representative of the Hastings Public Schools Board of Education to the Hastings Public Schools Foundation: