April 18, 2016 at 6:30 PM - Omaha Public Schools Board of Education and Educational Service Unit 19 Board Meeting

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Notice to visitors: If you wish to speak, please obtain a “Request to be Heard” form from the entry table and return the completed form to the table attendant or the Board of Education Director.

The agenda will be kept current and available for public inspection in the office of the Secretary of the Board of Education at the Administrative Building during regular working hours. 

Board members may request specific agenda item(s) be moved to a different place on the agenda.  Please attend the entire meeting to ensure you hear discussion on a particular agenda item.

Pursuant to Section 84-1412 of the Nebraska Statutes, the public is hereby informed that a current copy of the Nebraska Open Meetings Act is posted in the Board meeting room on the north wall.

Agenda items are subject to reordering at discretion of the board president, please attend the entire meeting to ensure you're able to hear any discussion. If you would like to rehear any discussion, please listen to our podcast located on the District Web Page, district.ops.org.

Rationale:  The Vision:  Every Student.  Every Day.  Prepared for Success.

The Mission:  Omaha Public Schools prepares all students to excel in college, career, and life.

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Madam President, members of the board, the Spotlight for this evening is on four schools, Benson High School, North High School, Buffett Middle School and Marrs Middle School.

Congratulations to the teams who competed in the Heartland Regional Robotics Championship held at Omaha North High School during the weekend of February 27^th.

 There were approximately 80 middle and high school teams from across Nebraska and Iowa that competed against each other for 11 spots to the World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky this April.  It is with great honor that OPS was awarded five out of the 11 spots to compete at the World Championships this week from April 20-23.

We salute and welcome the school teams, staff members and Career Education Supervisor Jim Musil.

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TREASURER 

The Treasurer's Report for March 2016 is attached for review.

Rationale:  At this time, any Board member may request that any item in the consent agenda be removed from the consent agenda and be considered and voted on separately. 

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APPROVAL OF CLAIMS - SCHOOL DISTRICT OF OMAHA

It is recommended that the claims for the School District of Omaha be approved as presented by the central administrative staff.

A.    CLAIMS REPORT A

Rationale:  APPROVAL OF CLAIMS - SCHOOL DISTRICT OF OMAHA

It is recommended that the claims for the School District of Omaha be approved as presented by the central administrative staff.

A.    CLAIMS REPORT B

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APPROVAL OF CLAIMS - SCHOOL DISTRICT OF OMAHA CLAIMS REPORT C:

All Claims submitted as potential conflict of interest for members of the Board of Education.

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APPROVAL OF CLAIMS - EDUCATIONAL SERVICE UNIT NO. 19

It is recommended that the claims for Educational Service Unit No. 19 be approved as presented by the central administrative staff.

Rationale:  The Committee on Claims met on 04/04/16 and 04/18/2016 and approved the audit of claims conducted by the Secretary to the Board of Education. 

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     REIMBURSABLE GRANT FUND BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS

 

It is recommended that the receipts and expenditures of the detailed grant fund budget for the 2015-2016 fiscal year be amended to include the following reimbursable programs:

 

A.   INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA) – BASE ALLOCATION, NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - PROJECT 460016.

            

Central administrative staff request approval to accept the IDEA Base budget.

 

This budget amendment, in the amount of $4,130,556.00, is for the period beginning September 1, 2015, and ending August 31, 2016.  It represents the continued participation in a program conducted during the 2014-2015 school year for the purpose of assisting Omaha Public Schools in providing special education and related services to eligible children with disabilities.

 

This program is 100% reimbursable.

 

B.   INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT (IDEA) – PART B ENROLLMENT/POVERTY, NONPUBLIC, PRESCHOOL, NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - PROJECT 461016.

            

Central administrative staff request approval to accept the IDEA Enrollment/Poverty budget.

 

This budget amendment, in the amount of $8,287,588.00, is for the period beginning September 1, 2015, and ending August 31, 2016.  It represents the continued participation in a program conducted during the 2014-2015 school year for the purpose of assisting Omaha Public Schools in providing special education and related services to eligible children with disabilities.

 

This program is 100% reimbursable.

 

C.   SPECIAL EDUCATION PLANNING REGION TEAM GRANT, NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION – PROJECT 477916.

 

     Central administrative staff request approval to accept the Planning Region Team Grant budget.

 

     This budget amendment, in the amount of $50,000.00, is for the period beginning September 1, 2015, and ending August 31, 2016.  It represents the continued participation in a program conducted during the 2014-2015 school year for the purpose of providing public awareness and outreach, training and skill building, services coordinator support and improved learning for children with disabilities.

 

     This program is 100% reimbursable.

 

 

 

The Sherwood Foundation Grants and Grants less than $10,000.00 to be amended into the 2015-2016 budgets are available for review in the Board Workroom.

 

1.   FOUNDATION GRANTS

    

No Foundation Grants have been submitted for Board Action.

 

 

2.   GRANTS LESS THAN $10,000

    

No Grants less than $10,000 have been submitted for Board Action.

 

 

 

 

 

Rationale: 

Staff will provide information about the future purchase of curricular materials for K-5 Writing/Grammar/Language Arts.

Identified Need:

Omaha Public Schools teachers and students will be provided:

·         A consistent, district-adopted resource to support writing and grammar instruction for students in grades K-5,

·         A teacher’s manual and student workbooks to provide explicit grammar instruction,

·         A district-wide keyboarding program to provide interactive lessons that reinforce touch-typing.

Proposed Action and Next Steps: 

The Department of Curriculum Instruction and Assessment is requesting approval at the May 2^nd Board of Education meeting to purchase curriculum material.  Pending Board approval of action, District Operational Services will work with publishers to arrange the purchase and distribution of the materials.  This recommendation aligns with principle 2.2 of the Strategic Plan.

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Staff will provide an update on the work of Human Growth & Development. This will include a review of: family/community curriculum input nights, teacher/nurse curriculum input results, textbooks and materials selected for field testing, training for teachers and nurses on field test materials, schools participating in field testing and future steps for the final selection of the Human Growth and Development curriculum materials. The Board of Education will receive on May 2nd, our teachers/nurses' choice based on the results of the field test and on May 16th, our Board of Education will receive a request for approval of those materials.

Rationale:  The Board may vote on any items presented by the District Lobbyist, John Lindsay, and any bill currently in front of the Nebraska Legislature.

Rationale:  Staff, Jacobs, and BCDM Architects will present the Schematic Design Documents for approval for the J.P. Lord Replacement School as part of the 2014 Bond Program.  The Schematic Design for J.P. Lord Replacement School pdf booklet package has been provided to members of the Board of Education for consideration. Approval of the Schematic Design is needed in order to proceed to the next phase of the design process, which is Design Development.    

Rationale:  The Policy Committee of the Board of Education recommends the approval of the attached policy changes. 

Rationale:  The Omaha Board of Education is authorized by state statute to hold closed sessions.  Closed sessions may be held when clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual.  Reasons that meet this standard include but are not limited to:  (a) strategy sessions with respect to collective bargaining, real estate matters, pending litigation, or litigation which is imminent as evidenced by communication of a claim or threat of litigation to or by the public body; (b) discussion regarding deployment of security personnel or devices; (c) investigative proceedings regarding allegations of criminal misconduct; (d) evaluation of the job performance of a person when necessary to prevent needless injury to the reputation of a person and if such person has not requested a public meeting; and (e) legal advice.