November 9, 2026 at 6:00 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 [insert date], 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:  Mrs. Tiller & Mrs. Eshleman, Mrs. Ostendorf, and Mrs. Burkink will provide an update on our math material implementation. (K-2, 3-4, 5-6)

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:  An electronic copy of the district audit and findings are available.

2025-2026 Audit Results

Our completed audit has been received from Forward CPA, LLC. 

Highlights from the Audit:

• General Fund: Cash reserves have increased to three months of operating expenses — the required benchmark.

• Revenue Balance: Local receipts made up 51.4% of the overall revenue with state receipts coming in at 44.4%. Federal receipts made up just 3% of overall general fund revenue. State receipts include the fairly recent legislative changes, including tax credits, increased special education reimbursement (to 80%), and foundation aid.

• Audit Finding: Only one finding was noted — the standard, recurring item regarding segregation of duties, which is common for districts of our size.

Rationale: 

In 2024, the Facilities and Transportation Committee reviewed several options for replacing our aging activity bus fleet. The first phase of the plan was to replace the older yellow activity bus. The second phase is to replace the 1996 MCI coach bus known as The Patriot.

The Patriot has served the district well, accumulating approximately 1.4 million miles. Given its age and mileage, increased maintenance costs and ongoing maintenance challenges are not unexpected. The district began discussing replacement options two years ago, and after a 21-month wait, a suitable replacement has finally become available.

These buses are in high demand among school districts because they offer a cost-effective alternative to luxury coaches while providing the passenger capacity and underbody storage needed for student activities. The selected model was chosen primarily for its cost-effectiveness, passenger capacity, and storage capabilities.

This purchase is the second phase of a two-phase fleet replacement plan recommended by the Facilities and Transportation Committee and incorporated into long-range financial planning by the Finance Committee. The district has been planning for this purchase for more than two years.

Our long-term goal is to return to a three-bus activity fleet once continued use of the 1994 MCI coach, known as The Challenger, is no longer cost-effective. At that point, the district's activity fleet will consist of two yellow (white) school bus-style vehicles and one coach bus.

Bus Cost: $232,365

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. Surplusing 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:

• 1996 Motor Coach Industries Bus - 1.4 Million Miles

Rationale:  Mrs. Josie Floyd is serving on the board of the Impact Center and will provide an update.

November marks our fourth of five capital contributions to the Impact Center in the amount of $300,000 which comes from the Special Building Fund and was budgeted in the 2025-2026 budget.

November also marks our third operations contribution to the Impact Center in the amount of $175,000 which has been planned for in the Cooperative Fund and was budgeted in the 2025-2026 budget.  The receipt/reimbursement in the amount of $75,000 from The Impact Center will be paid to the facilities agency and deposited into the cooperative fund once received.

Informational item only.  No action 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, December 14th

Swede Activities:

• JH Wrestling in Broken Bow @ 2PM
• Reserve Girls & Boys Basketball in North Platte @ 5:30
• 3rd & 4th Grade Choir Concert @ 6:30