December 7, 2015 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.

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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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Congratulations to Burke High School's Nia Station!  Recently, she finished first in the Nebraska Girls Class A State Golf Championship.  This victory marks her second consecutive state golf championship.  Nia is the daughter of Central High School football legend Larry Station.  We salute her for her outstanding accomplishments. 

 

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 12/7/15 and approved the audit of claims conducted by the Secretary to the Board of Education. 

Rationale:  The monthly Douglas County School District 0001 Head Start Governing Body Report for October 2015 is provided as an attachment in accordance with the 2007 Head Start Act.

Rationale:  The Head Start Program Information Report (PIR) provides comprehensive data on the services, staff, children, and families served by our Head Start program.   The attached report was submitted on August 31, 2015 for the 2014-2015 school year.  This report is a required informational report to be shared with the governing body annually. 

Rationale:  Staff is requesting to complete last year's approved social studies textbook adoption for 6th grade.  The cost to purchase the remaining textbooks for 6th grade is $260,747.55.  The textbooks approved are from the company TCI (History Alive!).  Materials include:  student editions, professional development and online resources (see attached).  The Board of Education reviewed and approved these materials last May. Please refer to the May 18, 2015 Board of Education report for the specifics on the field testing, teacher selection process of social studies materials and criteria used for the curriculum development cycle in social studies.

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VISION INSURANCE 

Staff recommends VSP Vision Insurance an employee-paid coverage to be offered to all full time employees.  This voluntary plan is designed to offer employees a new benefit for eye exams and lenses. 

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SUPPLEMENTAL LIFE INSURANCE

Staff recommends Group Supplemental Life Insurance an employee-paid coverage be restructured to offer employees more flexibility in the coverage and making this plan portable.  This voluntary plan is designed to offer employees more flexibility in the coverage, including extending coverage to spouses and dependent children.

Rationale:  Patrice A. Beckham, Principal and Consulting Actuary, from Cavanaugh Macdonald Consulting, LLC will be providing information regarding the Annual Actuarial Report for the Omaha School Employees' Retirement System. 

Rationale:  Staff will present the proposed 2016-17 Calendar for discussion. The calendar was created with significant input from community members, district staff, members of the OPS Board of Education, teachers, and leadership from all unions. Further input will be accepted until the calendar is approved by a vote of the OPS Board of Education.

Rationale:  Rob Dickson, as well as a representative of CIA, will demo the new coaching tool that has been implemented district wide this school year.  The tool was built customized from the ground up aligned to the Best Practices Handbook and developed in partnership with Microsoft.

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

Committees:
Accountability (November 30)
Budget and Audit
Communications (Will meet on December 14)
Policy (Will meet on December 8)
Americanism
Student Assignment Plan (November 24) (Will meet on December 22)
Legislative (December 4)
Construction Manager at Risk (CM@R)
Specialty Schools Review and Recommendations (SSRR) (Will meet on December 8)
Citizen Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC)
Code of Conduct  (Will meet December 10)

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Presentation of 2014-2015 Audits

Staff and representatives from Seim Johnson L.L.P. will present for review and acceptance the 2014-2015 Annual Audits Reports of the Omaha Public School District, Educational Service Unit No. 19, KIOS-FM Radio Station, and Omaha, School Employees Retirement System.

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 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.   REFUGEE SCHOOL IMPACT GRANT, NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - PROJECT 471116. 

Central administrative staff request approval to accept the Refugee School Impact budget. 

This budget amendment, in the amount of $116,894.00, is for the period beginning September 1, 2015, and ending August 14, 2016.  The total budget is written for the period beginning August 15, 2015, and ending August 14, 2016.  This amendment represents only that part of the budget that will be expended during the 2015-2016 school year. It represents the continued participation in a program conducted during the 2014-2015 school year at Omaha Public Schools for the purpose of handling increasing numbers of refugees that need additional instructional programming for students and their parents.  The funding supports the Saturday and July programming for students and the Parental Involvement Program at Yates ECP. 

             This program is 100% reimbursable.

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    

These budget amendments in the amount of $402,000.00 are for the period beginning September 1, 2015, and ending August 31, 2016.  These amendments represent only that part of the budget that will be expended during the 2015-2016 school year for new Foundation Grants. 

     This program is 100% reimbursable. 

2.   GRANTS LESS THAN $10,000

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

ND BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS

 

Rationale:  The Board of Education of the Omaha Public Schools hereby reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the long term stability of the Omaha School Employees’ Retirement System (OSERS).  We support the efforts of the Nebraska Legislature to harmonize OSERS with the Nebraska School Employees’ Retirement System.  To that end, we generally support the provisions of LB 448 as bracketed by the legislature.  We support modification of the provision regarding the application of the Actuarially Required Contribution to OSERS on a phased in approach, a clarification on the liability for actions of OPS employees acting at the direction of OSERS, and a limitation on the ability of OSERS to initiate litigation against the Board of Education.

Rationale:  The Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council (ESUCC) meets monthly to support the statewide coordinated provision of the most cost-effective services for students, teachers, and school district in each educational service unit.  Following approval of the meeting minutes by the full Council, these minutes are provided to the Board of Education as an update. ESU Coordinating Council Meeting minutes for October 2015 are provided as an attachment.

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.