Rationale: 

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 your 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: 

Congratulations to Bryan High School teacher Bidong Tot! He was recently the subject of an Omaha World Herald story which highlighted his path to becoming a teacher with OPS. Tot is the first Sudanese-born teacher in the history of the district. He is currently in his first year in the classroom after spending time at TAC as a translator. Tot is also a graduate of South High Magnet School.

Omaha World Herald

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. 

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 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

Rationale: 

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:  GRANT FUND BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS

 
REIMBURSABLE GRANT FUND BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS

It is recommended that the receipts and expenditures of the detailed grant fund budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year be amended to include the following reimbursable programs:

1.   EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION BIRTH TO AGE 3 ENDOWMENT GRANT(SIXPENCE), NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - PROJECT 463315 AND 463415.

Central administrative staff request approval to accept the Early Childhood Education Birth to Age 3 Endowment Grant budget.

This budget amendment, in the amount of $605,000.00, is for the period beginning September 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015.  The total budget is written for the period beginning July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015.  This amendment represents only that part of the budget that will be expended during the 2014-2015 school year. It represents the continued participation in a program conducted during the 2013-2014 school year for the purpose of providing the highest quality early childhood experiences to the youngest children in the community.

This program is 50% reimbursable.

The Sherwood Foundation Grants and Grants less than $10,000.00 to be amended into the 2014-2015 budgets are available for review in the Board Workroom.

2.   SHERWOOD FOUNDATION GRANTS

These budget amendments in the amount of $288,960.00 are for the period beginning September 1, 2014, and ending August 31, 2015.  These amendments represent only that part of the budget that will be expended during the 2014-2015 school year for new programs from the Sherwood Foundation.

 
     This program is 100% reimbursable.

 

 

Rationale: 

INVESTMENTS – OMAHA SCHOOL EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM

It is recommended that the following report submitted by the Board of Trustees of the Omaha School Employees’ Retirement System concerning investment of retirement funds during the month of August 2014, be adopted.

Rationale: 

OMAHA SCHOOL EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM – BUY-IN INTEREST RATE – 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR

The Board of Trustees of the Omaha School Employees’ Retirement System, with the concurrence of staff, recommends the buy-in interest rate on service purchases made by an employee, and other statutory uses of the rate, be set at 8.0% for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

Rationale: 

OMAHA SCHOOL EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM – REGULAR INTEREST RATE – 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR

The Board of Trustees of the Omaha School Employees’ Retirement System, with the concurrence of staff, recommends the regular interest rate on the accumulated contributions of an employee, and other statutory uses of the rate, be set at 5.1% for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

Rationale: 

Staff recommends approval of a one year temporary construction easement in favor of the City of Omaha on the following described property for work in connection with the City's sanitary sewer lift station.

Rationale:  The Title I Budget is allocated to eligible schools based on 70% area poverty for elementary schools and 75% area poverty per the United States Department of Education (USDE) requirement for secondary schools.  All Title I eligible schools must participate in at least one or more State Audit Reviews pending their rotation year.  Title I schools must also submit a Schoolwide Plan that is aligned with the District’s Academic Action Plan and their School Improvement Plan to the state.  All Title I Schools’ Schoolwide Plans must be approved by the state and in compliance in order to expend funds.  In addition, Title I schools in year three “Needs Improvement” and beyond must keep documentation of the School Improvement Plan implementation for corrective action and for the restructuring plan requirements.  The Title I Office must also submit a grant application to the state for approval and compliance purposes.  Central administrative staff request approval to receive the 2014-2015 Title I Allocation in the amount of $26,132,736.00.

Rationale:  MCDC Compliance – Outside legal counsel, Baird Holm LLP, will present the Board with an overview of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Municipal Continuing Disclosure Cooperation (MCDC) Initiative.  Ameritas Investment Corp., the District's financial advisor (and underwriter with respect to certain prior series bonds) will also be available for questions.

Rationale: 

A presentation will be provided on both current and future plans in career education for the Omaha Public Schools. The following areas will be covered:

1. OPS career education five-year strategic plan

2. Industrial Technology materials, equipment, and curriculum adoption

3. Career education curriculum enhancements

4. OPS High School career academies

5. Exploration of career education programs

6. Business and industry partnerships

7. Benson High Magnet School future options

School staff and community members that have participated in career education site visits and/or curriculum development will be available to answer questions.

Rationale:  An update will be provided regarding the work of the Student Assignment Plan Committee.

Rationale:  APPROVAL OF DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 0001 2014-2015 BUDGETS WHICH DO NOT REQUIRE A TAX LEVY 

The Board will consider attached resolution to approve the 2014-2015 non-levy budgets for 
Douglas County School District 0001, which includes the following: 

School Lunch                                    $ 45,473,223
School Activities                               $  6,500,000 
Central Stores                                  $  6,500,000 
Depreciation                                    $  5,000,000
Employee Benefit                                $ 10,500,000 
Student Fees                                    $    800,000 
Contingency                                     $ 10,100,000 
Cooperative                                     $ 54,687,505 
Prior Service Retirement                        $    151,256 

Rationale:  APPROVAL OF DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 0001 2014-2015 BUDGETS WHICH REQUIRE A LEVY – EXCLUDING GENERAL FUND

The Board will consider attached resolution to approve the 2014-2015 Douglas County School District 0001 budgets, which require a tax levy, excluding the General Fund as follows:

Bond Fund                                                  $ 61,035,775

Special Building Fund                                   $ 22,500,000

Qualified Capital Purpose Undertaking Fund    $  6,079,440

 

Rationale:  APPROVAL OF 2014-2015 GENERAL FUND BUDGET – DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 0001

The board will consider attached resolution to approve a 2014-2015 General Fund local budget in the amount of $536,187,024, and a reimbursable grant budget in the amount of $82,869,103 , for a total General Fund Budget of $619,056,127.

Rationale:  APPROVAL OF 2014-2015 BUDGET – EDUCATIONAL SERVICE UNIT No. 19

The Board will consider attached resolution to approve the 2014-2015 ESU No. 19 budget of $20,115,765.

Rationale:  APPROVAL OF 2014-2015 PROPERTY TAX REQUEST – DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 0001

The Board will consider a resolution to set the 2014-2015 DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 
0001 property tax requests as follows:

General Fund                                    $ 23,407,848.07 

Special Building Fund                           $          0

Qualified Capital Purpose Undertaking Fund      $  4,641,782.27 

Bond Fund                                       $ 20,051,072.51 

TOTAL PROPERTY TAX REQUIREMENT                  $ 48,100,702.85 

Rationale:  APPROVAL OF 2014-2015 PROPERTY TAX REQUEST – EDUCATIONAL SERVICE UNIT No. 19

The Board will consider attached resolution to set the 2014-2015 ESU No.19 property tax request at $2,904,205.65.

Rationale:  The district recommends the following offer to accept the purchase of real estate at 307 North 33rd Street, Omaha, NE.

Rationale:  LEARNING COMMUNITY

Douglas/Sarpy County Learning Community Coordinating Council minutes of the August 14, 2014 regular meeting.

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.