November 2, 2026 at 6:00 PM - Omaha Public Schools Board of Education and Educational Service Unit 19 Board Meeting

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 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:  Burke High School's JROTC will present the Colors and lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

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

The Mission:  To prepare all students for success in college, career, and life.

The Moonshot: All students will read on grade level by 2030.

Rationale:  The OPSProud Spotlight recognizes Christina Schik, Bancroft Elementary fourth grade teacher, for earning a 2027 Nebraska Excellence in Teaching Award from the Nebraska Department of Education.

Rationale:  The Treasurer's Report for September 2026 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. 

Rationale:  FUND: 31 Special Building Fund
PROGRAM: 2510 Business Support Services
DEPT ID: 7166600 Schoolhouse Planning
PROJECT: Upgrade Existing Lighting at Field Club
SUPPLIER: JW Services
POLICY: 7000, IV.B.
AMOUNT: $64,512.13

Administration recommends approval of an agreement with JW Services to retrofit interior lighting at Field Club Elementary by replacing existing non-LED lamps with District-supplied ballast-bypass LED lamps. The project includes removal of existing lamps and ballasts, rewiring and modification of fixtures for ballast-bypass operation, and installation of new LED lamps.

A recent lighting assessment determined that several instructional spaces at Field Club Elementary did not consistently achieve the recommended minimum lighting level of 50 foot-candles for reading and learning activities. After evaluating available solutions, this LED lighting upgrade was identified as the most cost-effective option to improve classroom illumination, enhance the learning environment, reduce maintenance requirements, and support the District's Moonshot goals for student achievement and academic success.

The contractor will coordinate with school administration to perform work outside regular school hours whenever possible to minimize disruption to instructional activities, with after-hours work included as necessary for areas that cannot be accessed during the school day.

The total project cost is estimated at $64,512.13 and will be funded through the Special Building Fund, which is restricted to facility improvement and maintenance projects.

Rationale:  FUND: 31 Special Building Fund
PROGRAM: 2510 Business Support Services
DEPT ID: 7166600 Schoolhouse Planning
PROJECT: 320114 Student Transportation South
SUPPLIER:  The Schemmer Associates, Inc.
POLICY: 7000, IV.
AMOUNT: Add $48,000 - updated total $287,900.00

Approval is requested for Amendment No. 4 to the professional services agreement for the OPS Transportation South Office Remodel project. This amendment provides additional architectural and engineering services associated with project refinement and extended construction support. The scope includes revisions to the parapet wall design, additional metal deck design for roof areas B, D, and E, and extended construction administration services through February 2027 to support the revised substantial completion date established by Kingery Construction Company.

The Board approved the original professional services agreement on January 5, 2026, and Amendments No. 2 and 3 on June 1, 2026. Amendment No. 4 increases the agreement by $48,500, bringing the total contract amount to $287,900.

Rationale:  FUND: 1 General Fund and 279 Central Activity
PROGRAM: 2241, Library Services
DEPT: 7193010, Secondary Education Admin.
SUPPLIER: Britannica Education
POLICIES: 7000, V. A.
AMOUNT: $20,000.00
 
Administration recommends approval to award RFP P015-26 and approval of an agreement with Britannica Education for an Emergent Reader Research Database for one calendar year, beginning December 1, 2026, with the option to renew the contract for two additional years at pricing specified in the company’s proposal.   

A comprehensive review process involving multiple departments and evaluation of all submissions determined that Britannica Education’s Early Elementary database is best aligned with the District’s needs. Britannica Education will provide K-2 students with a grade appropriate online encyclopedia in both English and Spanish. In addition, the proposal includes a library of teacher resources and opportunities for professional development.

The District currently subscribes to Britannica Education’s English and Spanish research databases for Elementary, Middle, and High School levels. Adding the Early Elementary databases will provide students with a seamless experience across all grade levels.  If all 3 years are exercised, the total for this agreement will be over $50,000.00. The total amount of this agreement is $20,000.00.

Proposals were received from: 

Product/Services	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3
Britannica Early Elementary, Britannica Escolar Infantil, onsite and virtual professional development	$20,000.00	$19,750.00	$20,537.50
Capstone PebbleGo K-5, PebbleGo Spanish K-5, onsite and virtual professional development	$119,251.60	$119,251.60	$119,251.60
FSH Technologies*	N/A	N/A	N/A

* Proposal determined to be non-responsive. 

Rationale:  FUND:  5193 ESU19 ERP System Fund    
PROGRAM:  2510 Business Services Support
DEPT ID:  7062100 Accounting & Finance
SUPPLIER: Sierra-Cedar
POLICY:  7000, III.K., 7000, V.D.
AMOUNT:  $119,600.00 (not to exceed)

Administration recommends approval of Change Order No. 1 with Sierra-Cedar, LLC, to provide specialized technical development services supporting the District’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation. This change order will fund a dedicated technical developer to create and maintain data extraction scripts necessary to convert data from Omaha Public Schools’ legacy PeopleSoft system to Oracle Fusion.

The additional services include approximately 650 hours of technical conversion support across the Financials, Procurement, and Human Capital Management (HCM) work streams during Conference Room Pilot (CRP), System Integration Testing (SIT), User Acceptance Testing (UAT), and Production cutover activities. Services will include development and maintenance of extraction scripts, data validation support, and ongoing updates required throughout testing and deployment milestones to help maintain the overall implementation schedule.

Services will be provided remotely on a time-and-materials basis at the contracted rate of $184 per hour, for a total amount not to exceed $119,600.00. Billable services commenced on October 19, 2026. Any services beyond the approved scope or estimated cost will require prior District approval through a separate change order.

On June 15, 2026, the Board approved RFP P009-26 and the associated agreement with Sierra-Cedar, LLC, for ERP implementation and post-go-live support services. Sierra-Cedar is supporting the District’s transition from PeopleSoft to Oracle Fusion, including implementation services, business process optimization, and post-implementation support. The agreement extends through June 30, 2030. Following approval of this change order, the total projected contract value will increase to $9,665,562.
 

Rationale:  The Board of Education is required by State Statute 79-584 to approve all expenditures of District funds.  Expenditures are presented to the Board for approval in the form of a Claims Report.  Claims Report A is a listing of all District expenditures and are organized and presented to the Board by which fund the expenditure is being made from (e.g. General Fund, Bond Fund, etc.).

Rationale:  The Board of Education is required by State Statute 79-584 to approve all expenditures of funds for which the District serves as custodian.  Expenditures are presented to the Board for approval in the form of a Claims Report.  Claims Report B is a listing of expenditures from the various Student Activity Funds for which the Board serves as custodian.

Rationale:  Board Members are prohibited by Nebraska law from voting on items which may personally benefit them.  Expenditures which may personally benefit individual Board Members are presented to the Board for approval in the form of a separate Claims Report in order to permit those Board Members to abstain from voting on items which may personally benefit them.  The Board of Education is required by State Statute 79-584 to approve all expenditures of District funds.  Claims Report C is a listing of expenditures that may relate to individual Board Members or Organizations that employ them.

Rationale:  The Board of Education is required by State Statute 79-584 to approve all expenditures of District funds.  Payroll expenditures are presented to the Board for ratification in the form of a Claims Report.  Claims Report D is a summary of payrolls processed and is presented by payroll and pay date.

Rationale:  The Board of Education is required by State Statute 79-584 to approve all expenditures of District funds.  Payroll expenditures are presented to the Board for ratification in the form of a Claims Report.  Claims Report E is an estimation of payrolls to be processed prior to the next Board meeting and is presented by payroll and pay date.  Board authorization is requested for amounts not to exceed the totals in the Claims Report.

Rationale:  The Board of Education serves as the Board of Educational Service Unit 19.  The Board of Educational Service Unit 19 is required to approve all expenditures of District funds as well as funds for which the District serves as custodian.  Expenditures are presented to the Board for approval in the form of a Claims Report.  Educational Service Unit No. 19 Claims Report is a listing of all expenditures to be paid from the Education Service Unit's funds.

Rationale:  State Statue 79-584 requires the Secretary to the Board of Education to audit all accounts of the Class V school district and to submit that audit to the Board of Education Audit Committee for review and approval.   The objective of the audit is to obtain and review sufficient claim documentation to determine the risk of material misstatement.   The audit methodology is set forth on the Claims Audit Report.

Rationale:  Per Board Policy 7000, Section IV.D., V.J., Administration recommends approval of the attached Construction Management Agreement with Meyers-Carlisle-Leapley Construction Company, Inc., doing business as MCL Construction, for the OPS North High Science Renovation Project.

The project will renovate and modernize eight science classrooms and adjacent instructional spaces at North High School, including chemistry, physics, and medical/life science labs. These improvements will support current curriculum requirements and enhance STEM learning opportunities for students.

Under the funding agreement approved by the Board on June 15, 2026, all project costs will be funded by the Omaha Public Schools Foundation (OPSF), resulting in no financial impact to the District. BCDM Architects was designated by OPSF as the project architect, and MCL Construction was selected by OPSF as the construction manager. Pursuant to Board Policy 7000, Section V.J. (Privately Funded Purchases), the project is exempt from the District's competitive bidding requirements.

Construction is anticipated to be substantially complete by August 2027. The project will modernize aging science facilities and support the District's commitment to providing high-quality learning environments that advance STEM education and prepare students for future academic and career success.

Rationale:  Funds: 1 General Fund
Department: 7194010   Special Education Administration
Programs: 1222, 1250 Transition Services, Secondary Special Education 
Project: 
Policy: 7000 
Amount:  $1,025,640

Administration recommends approval of the attached annual Special Education Services contracts.  Every year, the Special Education Division, within Curriculum and Instruction Support, negotiates and renews contracts with outside agencies for special education services that are required under Rule 51 and Rule 52.  This is the eighth set of agency contracts going to the Board of Education for approval for the 2026-2027 school year and is part of the District's annual practice.  In keeping with the provisions in Policy 7000, contracts that may exceed $50,000 are being placed on the agenda for Board of Education approval. Attached you will find a service provider rate sheet, contracts, and a contract cost sheet for your review for contracts that exceed or may exceed $50,000. The contract rate sheet includes NDE approved rates for services that need to be purchased by Omaha Public Schools from outside agencies that will provide special education services to students ages birth-21. The contract cost sheet includes the agency, address, type of service the agency provides, the estimated number of students that receive services from that agency and 2026-2027 contract rate. The sheet includes an estimate of the total cost for special education services provided by contract agencies. The rates and contracts are budgeted for within the 2026-2027 school year. Per their agreement with Omaha Public Schools, all providers must receive NDE approval to provide special education and related services. The total cost to the District for this group is estimated to be $1,025,640 and these expenditures are allowable for the reimbursement by federal and state special education reimbursement programs. 
 

Rationale:  Fund: 1 - General Fund
Program:  2510 - Business Services
Dept:  7043200 - Payroll Administration
Supplier:  ADP
Policy:  7000
Amount:  $45,000.00

Administration recommends approval of a three-year extension of the current agreement with ADP for the processing and distribution of IRS Form W-2 for all district employees.  The amount of this extension is estimated to be approximately $45,000.00 for the three-year period based on the number of IRS Form W-2s processed for Calendar Year 2025, 10,731 individual forms, and the updated pricing structure.

Rationale:  Fund: 1 - General Fund
Program:  2510 - Business Support Services
Dept:  7062100 - Accounting & Finance Office
Supplier:  Eide Bailly
Policy:  7000(V)(D)
Amount:  $270,795.00

Administration recommends approval of a one-year agreement with Eide Bailly, LLP for audit services for Fiscal Year 2025-2026.  The proposed audit fees are $230,895.00 for the District audit and $39,900.00 for the ESU 19 audit. This is an exception to the bidding requirements of Policy 7000, Section V(D). These services were previously solicited through the request for proposal process for fiscal years 2019-2025. Administration plans to solicit requests for proposals for these services for the coming year.

Rationale:  Pursuant to Board Policy 7000, Section IX.A.2, Administration recommends approval of the attached Lease Agreement with Omaha Cellular Telephone Company (Doing Business As Verizon Wireless) for the installation, operation, and maintenance of a cellular communications facility at Bryan High School Stadium, 8210 S. 42nd Street, Bellevue, Nebraska 68157.

The agreement grants Verizon Wireless access to the site for the installation and ongoing operation of cellular communications equipment. The initial lease term is five (5) years, commencing April 1, 2027, with annual lease payments of $26,400, payable in monthly installments. The agreement includes up to four (4) additional five-year automatic renewal terms. Each renewal term provides for a 15% increase in annual lease payments over the preceding term.

Rationale:  Policy 4001 and 4035 require that the election of employees shall be by action of the Board of Education upon recommendation of the Superintendent or designee.  Additionally, Policy 4008 requires that the Chief Human Resources Officer process all retirements, resignations, cancellations, contract amendments and terminations of employment making a recommendation for appropriate action to the Superintendent and Board of Education.  Therefore, the District recommends the approval of the attached Staffing Adjustments. 

Rationale:  FUND: 4070 Depreciation Reserve Fund
DEPT: 7062560 District-wide Technology
PROGRAM: 2510 Business Support Services
SUPPLIER: Apple, Inc.
AMOUNT: $1,000,524.80
POLICIES: 7000, III. K.,7000, V. G.
 
Administration recommends approval of the purchase of 430 MacBook Airs and 424 iPad Pros with cases for principals, assistant principals, program directors, and other school administrative staff.  Teacher devices were updated during the 2025-26 school year.
 
This purchase is part of the IMS Technology Purchase Plan and ensures that all staff have a device that is no older than 4 years. This purchase also ensures that all staff have a device that can be updated to MacOS 26 and beyond. Previously, these purchases have been left up to schools and programs to manage and maintain. They are now being brought into the IMS budget to allow for streamlined purchases and maintenance of integral operating systems.
 
This purchase takes advantage of bulk purchasing while adhering to a District standard that allows support to be optimized. In keeping with the provision of policy 7000, V.G., no bid was required for these purchases because Apple is the sole source provider.

Rationale:  FUND: 1 General
PROGRAM: 2620 Maintenance School/ District Building 
DEPARTMENT: 7043400 District Risk Management 
SUPPLIER: First Insurance Group LLC
POLICY: 7000, VII., A
AMOUNT: $170,000.00

Administration recommends approval of the Agreement with First Insurance Group, LLC (formerly known as Harry A. Koch Co.) beginning January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028. First Insurance Group LLC utilizes a risk management approach in providing the District consulting and insurance brokerage services in the areas of liability insurance and workers' compensation. The District has contracted with First Insurance Group LLC since 2019. This is an exception to the bidding requirements of Policy 7000, Section V(D). The agreement costs $85,000.00 per year, for a total expense of $170,000.00, and provides for two two-year renewal options. 

Rationale:  FUND: 5190 ESU19 Information and Management Services
PROGRAM: 2252 Technology Support
DEPT ID: 7062560 Districtwide Technology
VENDOR: CDW-G LLC
POLICIES: 7000, III.K; 7000, V.L.
AMOUNT: $125,100.00 total - $41,700.00 paid annually

Administration recommends approval of a three-year renewal agreement for Akkadian Provisioning Manager (APM) and Akkadian Contact Manager (ACM) at a total cost of $125,100, with annual payments of $41,700 from November 11, 2026, through November 10, 2029. 

These software tools support the District’s existing telephone system and help staff manage phone services and employee contact information more efficiently. Automation reduces manual work, helps prevent configuration errors, and supports consistent phone service. It also allows designated support staff to complete certain tasks without requiring a system administrator to handle each request. Akkadian Contact Manager (ACM) maintains a centralized, searchable staff directory, making employee contact information accessible through web browsers, mobile devices, and Cisco phones. This helps staff find accurate contact information quickly.
 
Together, these tools improve efficiency, reduce repetitive administrative tasks, and support reliable communication across the District.

Rationale:  It is recommended that the grant fund budget be amended to include the receipts and expenditures of the attached grant awards.

Rationale:  The Nebraska Legislature created the School Finance Review Commission during the last legislative session. The Commission, which includes a representative from the District, met for its initial meeting on Tuesday, August 12, 2025.  Dr. Holman, who was appointed by the Governor to represent the District, will give an update to the Board regarding the commission meetings on Monday, October 5, 2026, and Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

Rationale:  This document provides the Board of Education with monthly Head Start information regarding attendance and enrollment, meal counts, in-kind amounts, health requirements, policy council minutes, delegate reports, and program information summaries to maintain a communication structure to support oversight responsibilities as stated in Head Start Performance Standard 1301.2.

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.