July 20, 2015 at 6:30 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:   

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.

Rationale:  Congratulations to North and Burke!  Their track teams finished highest overall among OPS schools at the state track meet earlier this summer; Burke finished second in boys Class A competition, while North finished third in girls Class A competition.  We salute the student-athletes and their coaches!

Rationale:  The Treasurer's Report for June 2015 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:  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:  The Committee on Claims met on 07/20/2015 and approved the audit of claims conducted by the Secretary to the Board of Education. 

Rationale:  Settlement of Zina Milloshi’s  Workers' Compensation claims arising out of injuries suffered by Ms. Milloshi while working for OPS, which she and her physicians contend render her permanently and totally disabled and which Ms. Milloshi contends will require her to incur significant future medical care over the course of her life.  The total value of the settlement to Ms. Milloshi is $92,500.

Rationale:  A Head Start agency must develop an annual technical assistance and training plan. This plan should be based on the agency's self-assessment, the community wide strategic planning and needs assessment, and the needs of parents and children to be served. The attached plan includes the three required parts of the framework. Part 1 includes T/TA plans and activities to address individualized training needs that relate to program goals and objectives. Part 2 addresses staff professional development needs. Part 3 includes plan to address mandatory training. This document is part of the Head Start Grant Application.

Rationale:  Applications for federal financial assistance to operate a Head Start/Early Head Start program.  The applications provide a comprehensive description of the organization’s plan to deliver quality services and a budget to support the planned delivery of services.

Rationale:  In May of 2015, Head Start Grantee management staff along with Policy Council representative and delegate staff met for a Strategic Planning session to set program goals and objectives for the 15/16 five year grant. This is a planning session that will be held annually and is a requirement for long range goal planning. The goals will be submitted with the Head Start Grant Application.

Rationale:  Committees of the Board of Education will provide a brief update.

Committees:
Accountability
Budget and Audit
Communications
Policy
Americanism
Student Assignment Plan
Legislative
Construction Manager at Risk (CM@R)
Specialty Schools Review and Recommendations (SSRR)
Citizen Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC)
Priority Based Budget Advisory
Code of Conduct

Rationale:  Staff will provide an update on 2015-16 budget requested from July 6, 2015 budget work session.

Rationale: 

The Student Assignment Plan Committee recommends the new Student Assignment Plan middle school transportation walkzone distances be applied to the 2016-17 school year. The recommendation would change middle school walkzones to a maximum of 1.5 miles from the current maximum of 2.0 miles. 

The recommended change will help facilitate parents making choices that will be supported with transportation, if necessary, by the new student assignment plan. Additionally, this change will help avoid irregularities in walkzones that would be created with the transition of many district middle schools to a 6-8 grade configuration in 2016-17. Specifically, students who are 5^th graders in 2015-16 would currently fall under the elementary walkzone limitation of 1.5 miles. In 2016-17 these students would transition to middle school as 6^th graders and would fall under current middle school walkzone limitations of 2.0 miles. Then, the following year, in 2017-18 these now 7^th graders would go back to a walkzone of 1.5 miles. This variability (i.e., 1.5 miles, to 2.0 miles, back to 1.5 miles) would likely be confusing for families, and could be seen by some as a “penalty” for middle school grade standardization. By accelerating middles school walkzone reductions this same student would experience 1.5 mile walkzones from their 5^th grade to 8^th grade years. This stability would help simplify the student assignment plan for these families. 

This acceleration will come at an additional cost as expansions of walkzones will not initially be balanced by reductions in transportation routes that will come with the full implementation of the revised SAP in 2017-18. Although it is difficult to determine an exact cost, the estimated maximum cost for this change would be $600,000 dollars. The potential benefits of this modification include: supporting parents in making school choice decisions that will be supported by both the current and new SAP (e.g., choosing to attend a Home Attendance school rather than one just far enough away to receive transportation); increased consistency through the implementation of the new SAP; reductions in mobility (e.g., limiting the number of students changing schools due to selecting an unsupported option under the new SAP); the expansion of the availability for a safe ride to school for more students; and a slower rate of disruption to district practices (i.e., projections) used for strategically assigning district resources to schools.   

Rationale:  Central Office recommends changes to Policy 2130.

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.