June 10, 2024 at 12:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

Mission Statement:

Gothenburg Public Schools is the cornerstone of a proud, passionate, and progressive community where students and staff thrive in a positive and innovative environment.  We ensure the growth of all individuals by inspiring them to own and maximize their potential.

A copy of the open meetings law is posted on the wall of the Board Room and is available to the public.

Rationale: 

The Board reserves the right to rearrange the order of items as needed.

Rationale: 

Board Policy 2009 - Opportunity for Public Expression.  
(A copy of the policy is linked here.)

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO SPEAK: This is the portion of the meeting when members of the public may speak to the board about matters of public concern.  

• Getting Started:  When you have been recognized, please stand and state your name.   

• Time Limit:  The board will generally allow a total of 30 minutes for the presentation of all public comments.  Individuals may speak only one time, and must limit comments to around 5 minutes.  If there are more than 6 individuals who wish to address the board, the 30 minutes will be divided equally between the number of speakers.   These time limits may be changed by a majority vote of the board members in attendance to extend the time for a specific item or speaker. 

• Personnel or Student Topic:  If you are planning to speak about a personnel or a student matter involving an individual, please understand that the district has a complaint policy and/or procedures to resolve such complaints and concerns.  The Board requests that you follow the policy and procedures before addressing these matters with the Board.  Board members will generally not respond to any questions you ask or comments about individual staff members or students.  

• General Rules: This is a public meeting for the conduct of business.  Comments from the audience while others are speaking will not be tolerated.  Lewd, obscene, profane, slanderous, threatening and hostile conduct or statements and fighting words (words whose mere utterance entails a call to violence) will not be tolerated. 

• No Action by the Board:  The board will not act on any matter unless it is on the published agenda. 

Rationale: 

Nebraska School Districts are required to have annual hearings for each of the following areas:

Budget (September)

Tax Request (September)

Student Fees Policy (June)

Parental Involvement Policy (June)

 

Other Hearings may be scheduled as needed.

Rationale:  An opportunity for the public to comment on the Student Fees Policy.

Rationale:  The proposed changes include updated lunch prices.  No additional changes are proposed at this time.

Rationale: 

1. Approval of Previous Minutes

2. Approval of the Treasurer's Report

3. Approval of the Warrants / Bills

  a.  Petty Cash

  b.  Student Activity

  c.  Hot Lunch

  d.  Bank Statement

  e.  Summary of Accounts and Receipts

  f.  Monthly Expenditure Report

  g. Check Journal

4. Excuse Absent Board Members

5. Consider Option Enrollment Requests
Option Out 2024-2025
Alvina Roberts 4th Grade to Cozad

 

Rationale: 

• Mrs. Pam Glodowski - Mrs. Glodowski submitted her letter of retirement.  We wish her the best as she navigates her next chapter.  Mrs. Glodowski has served our district since 2008 as our Middle Grades counselor. 

Rationale:  Gothenburg Public Schools has a significant amount of green space (approximately nine city blocks).  When finances allow, we try to refresh our mowers every 14-15 years and they are on a 7 year cycle.  Our oldest Grasshopper is no longer efficient and needed to be replaced.  As an item that falls under depreciation, we will need board action to approve payment from this fund.

Landmark has given us a great trade-in offer on our existing mower and provided a competitive pace for the new model.

Rationale:  We require the use of an Orientation & Mobility expert from ESU 10.  This service is outside existing services we have contracted for.  These services are specified within a student's IEP and billed on an hourly basis.

Rationale:  ESU 5 has agreed to provide us with eight periods of spanish classes ranging from 8th Grade Spanish to Spanish 4.  We have advertised an open Spanish position for the past four years and have yet to receive a single applicant with a teaching degree.  At a cost of $130,000, this is not a cost savings to the district but instead a way for us to offer required courses when we are not able to fill these two positions.  We are incredibly fortunate to have this option available to us as the services we've received for Spanish 3 & 4 have been extremely high quality.

Rationale:  Pay Application 3 covers the purchase of heat pumps for Area B. This expenditure has been approved by Bond Council for use of QCPUF funds as they are addressing air quality and life safety issues within the building.
 

Rationale:  Pay Application 2 covers the remaining ceiling demolistion, which has been approved by Bond Council for use of QCPUF funds to address air quality issues within the building.
 

Rationale:  According to state statute, the district's policy on bullying prevention must be reviewed annually.  There are no changes to this policy at this time.  This is a review only.  No action is required.

Rationale:  A Student Fees Hearing is required each year.  If public input was given, take into consideration that input and consider this as a first reading.  If no public input, consider a motion to approve the updated policy.  School lunch prices were already approved at a prior meeting.  This is an approval of the policy itself.

Rationale:  This designation is done on an annual basis prior to September of each year.

Rationale:  The proposed handbook aligns our updated policies with our student handbook.  We are still working on these but are providing an active link for review prior to the July board meeting.  Timing of approval is important to ensure we can get copies of the handbook to students in August.

Rationale:  Review the amount of money collected from students pursuant to, and the use of waivers provided in, the student fees policy of District #20 for the 2023-2024 school year.

As a procedural item, no motion is required.

Rationale: 

Committee Reports (Chair in bold)

1.  Personnel Committee (Mr. Fornoff, Mrs. Terrell, Mrs. Jobman)
2. Transportation and Facilities (Mr. Wyatt, Mr. Dalrymple, Mrs. Brass)
3. Finance (Mrs. Jobman, Mr. Wyatt, Mrs. Brass)
4. Committee on American Civics (Mrs. Terrell, Mr. Fornoff, Mr. Dalrymple)
5. Policy Review (Mrs. Terrell, Mr. Fornoff, Mrs. Brass)

 

Rationale: 

Rationale:  REMINDER: Our July meeting will take place on the THIRD Monday - July, 15th due to the proximity of the July 4th holiday. 

Looking Ahead: Our August meeting will need to be held at noon due to Open House Night taking place on our board meeting day.  

Swede Activities:
none