May 11, 2026 at 5:00 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.

This meeting was legally advertised in the Gothenburg Leader on May 7, in accordance with state requirements.  A copy of the Request for Publication and Proof of Publication will be linked in the electronic minutes once the Proof of Publication is available.

Rationale: 

• Swede Speech - Miss Clark
• A Culture of Excellence - Mr. Mroczek

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: Before the meeting begins, anyone wishing to address the board must sign in with their name, address, and any organizations they are representing. When 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 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: 

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

 

Rationale:  The district establishes a March 15th contract deadline to ensure appropriate staffing and continuity for students in the upcoming school year. When resignations are submitted after that deadline, they can create challenges in recruiting and maintaining stable programming. While the board may consider late requests, it must weigh the impact on staffing and operations and apply policy consistently across all situations.

In this case, denying the request supports the district’s responsibility to maintain continuity for students and ensure fairness in how policies are applied. While we understand that circumstances can change, decisions like this are based on the needs of the district and its students, not on individual circumstances.

With that in mind, the following letter(s) of resignation have been submitted for consideration:

• Mr. Nolan Sughroue - 7-12 Business Education

Rationale:  School districts periodically identify equipment, furniture, and materials that are no longer functional, safe, cost-effective to repair, or aligned with current instructional or operational needs. Surplussing such items allows the district to responsibly dispose of or repurpose outdated or unneeded property, maintain an efficient use of storage space, and ensure that district resources are directed toward items that support student learning and district operations.

The board is asked to consider the following item(s) as surplus:

• ELA Surplus Materials
• Garage Sale Items - June 20th

Rationale:  The USDA (Federal) lunch program requires districts to eventually raise the price of their meals to an amount equivalent to a reimbursable meal.  For 26-27, the reimbursable meal price is $5.0881.  

A comparison of where our prices are within our array is listed below.  For brunch, our prices are right in the middle of our array and for lunch, we are tied with Cozad for the lowest price.





It is recommended that we increase our prices as follows:

Rationale: 

As you know, KSO CPAs, which has provided our audit services for the past several years, has exited the school audit field. In response, the Finance Committee issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) this winter and received two strong submissions.

After a thorough review of services, cost, and client satisfaction, the committee chose to engage with Forward CPA, LLC. The formal engagement letter is attached for your consideration.

Rationale:  Strategy 1: We will foster social and emotional well-being of our staff and students.

As we complete our five-year Strategic Plan, it is important we reflect on our successes and the work still to come. Mrs. Tomye McKenna & Mrs. Josie Floyd will provide an update.

Rationale:  State Statute 79-724 requires an annual update on American Civics. 

In accordance with Nebraska Revised Statute 79-724, which requires public schools to provide instruction in American civics, social studies, and government, we are providing this annual update to the Board of Education. This report outlines how Gothenburg Public Schools is meeting the statutory requirements. This ensures our continued compliance with state law and our commitment to preparing students to be informed, active participants in our democracy.

Our building principals will provide an overview.

As an informational item, there is no action required.
 

Rationale:  State Statute 79-760.01 requires Computer Science Standards as part of our graduation requirements.  Our secondary principal will provide an overview.

As an informational item, there is no action required.
 

Rationale:  State Statute 79-304 requires an annual update on how we address Financial Literacy.  Our building principals will provide an overview.

Personal Finance Essential Learnings 
 

Rationale:  In accordance with Nebraska Revised Statute § 79-729, which requires school districts to provide information on financial aid opportunities and encourage FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) completion, this update provides the Board with current data on our senior class FAFSA completion rates. Ensuring students complete the FAFSA is an essential step in promoting postsecondary access and affordability. This update reflects our efforts to inform students and families, track completion rates, and support all graduates in pursuing education or training beyond high school.

56 Students were provided instructions for filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in accordance with SS-79-729.

• 18 students competed the FAFSA opt-out form
• 38 students completed the FAFSA

 
As an informational item, there is no action required.

Rationale: 

We began advertising open extra-duty positions to all current staff members in February. As part of our hiring process, we ask potential new teachers during their interviews about any extra-duty assignments they are interested in. Once new teachers are hired, Mr. Mroczek follows up with them to share which extra-duty positions are available. Based on their experience and qualifications, they are offered opportunities that align with their interests and Mr. Mroczek keeps them informed about any future openings. After assigning roles to new hires, we continue promoting any remaining opportunities internally and encourage current staff to apply. Occasionally, we receive applications from community members.

We continue to be committed to ensuring that we identify the best individuals to support our student-athletes and uphold the standards of our athletic program.  Their knowledge and fit for the position is very important for our programs and we work hard to ensure our student athletes can have the best possible experience.

This is an informational item. No action is required.

Rationale: 

Committee Reports (Chair in bold)

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

 

Rationale: 

Rationale:  Monday, June 8th

Swede Activities:

• I am part of a regional board working on strengthening literacy across the state. If at all possible, could we have a noon meeting to allow me the opportunity to join our group of professionals that evening in Omaha?