December 11, 2023 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

Rationale: 

1. The Board of Education reserves the right to enter into Closed/Executive Session for 1) the protection of public interest or 2) the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual, and the individual has not requested a public meeting. When making a motion to enter into Closed/Executive Session, the member making such a request should be as specific as possible keeping the previously listed stipulation in consideration. 
2. If the Board is in agreement, a motion maybe to enter into Closed/Executive Session to 1) discuss a personnel matter, or 2) for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of the individual, or 3) to discuss litigation and for the protection of the public interest.
3. Action concerning matters discussed in Closed/Executive Session will be acted upon in open session

Rationale: 

Welcome to the Dundy County Stratton Public Schools Board of Education Meeting.  The Board welcomes citizens to attend board meetings to become acquainted with the programs and operations of the district.  Members of the public are also encouraged to share their ideas and opinions with the Board during the agenda item labeled “Public Items”.  Comments or questions from the audience at any other time during the meeting except for the agenda item “Public Items” will out of necessity be declared out of order.

The Nebraska Open Meetings Act prevents the board from speaking to a matter that is not on the agenda.  Please understand that the board may be unable to address your issue during the meeting.  It is not permissible for the board to comment on items not listed for the protection of the public’s right to know and participate in the discussion of items that do come before the board and stated appropriately in the meeting agenda.  

During this agenda item “Public Items” we ask that you abide by the following rules:

Public Comment Protocol and Procedures

1. Anyone wishing to speak to the board on specific agenda items or on other topics relevant to board business must complete a Public Comment Request Card and submit it to the Board President prior to the opening of the meeting.   The public will only be recognized and their comments heard at Item “Public Items” on the board agenda.  The total time allotted for the public comment will not exceed thirty minutes and each member of the public will be allotted not more than five minutes to address the Board.  If a group wishes to speak, please designate one spokesperson for the group.
   
   
2. Please state your name and the topic you are addressing before you begin.  
   
   
3. Speakers are asked to direct their questions and comments to the chair.  A member of the Board of Education or the Superintendent may direct clarifying questions to the chair, but the board will not under any circumstance enter into a debate with any the member of the public.
   
   
4. Speakers may offer objective criticism of district operations and programs, but the Board would encourage members of the public to address complaints concerning individual district personnel through the proper chain of command.  The chair may direct the member of the public to the appropriate means to address concerns brought before the Board; however, the board will not respond with action but will take comments under advisement and direct the comments to the appropriate staff member to address outside of the board meeting.
   
   
5. Please remember that is a public meeting for the conduct of business of the Dundy County Stratton Public School District. Offensive language, personal attacks and hostile conduct will not be tolerated. You should further be advised that there is no legal protection for any comments that are made. 
   
   
6. As stated in NEB. REV. STAT. § 79-570 Class I, II, III, IV, or VI school district; president; meetings; maintenance of order.  

   If any district meeting of a Class I, II, III, IV, or VI school district any person conducts himself or herself in a disorderly manner and persists in such conduct after notice by the president or person presiding, the president or person presiding may order such person to withdraw from the meeting and, if the person refuses, may order any person or persons to take such person into custody until the meeting is adjourned.

7. As stated in NEB. REV. STAT. § 79-571 Class I, II, III, IV, or VI school district; meetings; disorderly conduct; penalty. 

Any person who refuses to withdraw from such meeting on being so ordered as provided in section 79-570 or who willfully disturbs such meeting shall be guilty of a Class V misdemeanor. 

Rationale:  To verify that notice of the meeting was given by publication in the Benkelman Post, a legal newspaper for Dundy County Stratton and by written notice to each member of the board, the designated method of giving notice

Rationale:  Presentation of the financial status of the district, balances in various funds, recent/impending activity therein, anticipated expenses and planning for future considerations.

Rationale:  Mrs. Fox is considering her application for the Early Separation Agreement.  The administration would be pleased to continue her employment as long as she will agree to continue.  The Separation Incentive Program includes a clause stating: " Extension of eligibility:  Upon mutual agreement by the board and an eligible teacher the five (5%) year eligibility window may be extended by up to two years.  This agreement would not exempt the limitation of two recipients in any given year. " 
We would like to make this extension possible.  

Rationale:  Goals identified as a priority by the DCS School Board:  

Continue developing the DCS Mission, Vision, and Goals
Engage the community more effectively 
Improve communication with the board and the district.  

Current salary plus Special Education:

Administrators:	Contract Days		Salary	Additional Stipend	Total Salary/Stipend
Anderson, Jackie	230		$144,900.00	$11,550.00	$156,450.00

.0300 increase =$161,150  

Current cost

Future cost

Percent increase

Cost increase

salary

156450

161150

0.03004155

4,700

Rationale:  There is no cost or obligation to finance any project through NEBA by joining.  
It insures the flexibility of using this funding mechanism as a future building tool to help relieve the property tax burden on local landowners. 

Rationale:  Senator Walz
? Goal is to recenter the goals on the legislative committee and focus on students and schools
? Goals for 2024
? Changes to TEOSA - addressing poverty allowance and raising the cap for schools to receive
additional funding. Early childhood student would be counted as a full student instead of 60%.
? Bill on Professional Development for teachers on computer science and technology. Would set
up a fund that would be matched by the business community to help funding for trainings,
workshops, and possible continuing education.
? School construction. Two bills. One that would provide state funding, while still allowing local
control. Utilizing left over 1107 dollars being put into the future fund.
? Teacher shortage. Attracting teachers and retaining good teachers. Looking at bonus program.
School safety and mental health (looking at bringing more funding for safety and mental health.)
Possible reimbursement through DHHS for school psychs the medicaid in schools.
? Interim hearings.
? Unfunded mandates
? Special education shortage
? Parental engagement / family engagement
? Speaker is going to maybe do things differently this year. Lessons learned from last year. May want to
see the numbers of support for the issue being discussed. If the support isn’t there, then they move on.
Bill could come forward about fire arms being allowed on school grounds by school employees. It would be left
up to the school board on what they want to do with it. Gave an example from a school out west.
LB 243. There could be a hard cap put in place with no exclusions accepted.
Something will happen with parental involvement. May not be either of these.
LB 71 - good reform
LB374 - terrible and could drive more teachers out of the profession.
Rebecca Firestone, OpenSky Policy Institute
? Below average (projected revenue growth: 4.8% vs 5.3%
? Below average spending growth: 2.1% vs 3.4%
? $860 million in cash reserve
? $380 million "available for the floor in 2024
? Reluctance to spend; needed to pay for future tax cuts
? Structural deficits projected in FY26 & FY27
? Reductions are being phased in, which is why revenue is less.
? $2.4 billion to the future fund to reduce property tax
? 2026-2027 is concerning as the state is agreeing to pay for more things, but their revenue sources are
less. Okay for now.
? LB 583 estimate $28 million below actual for FY 24
? General fund increase: $15 million
? Education Future Fund increase: $13 million
? TEEOSA
? State general funds are decreasing over the next few years.
? Valuation increased in 2023 by 11.4%
? Consumption Tax
? Two petitions circulating now with paid and volunteer circulators
? Easy sell: "Don't like paying property taxes? Sign here."
? Potentially significant consequences to Nebraska and our economy
¦ Revenue shortfalls without high rate
¦ Major shift from current system and any other state
¦ How are local governments funded?
? Initiative doesn’t specify rate
? 2023 legislation: 7.5% rate
? OpenSky estimated rate to replace all state & local revenue: 22.1%
¦ Analysis of proposal and Nebraska specific consumption data
? At 7.5% rate, we estimate a $7.4 billion shortfall.
? EPIC generous with tax bse estimates
? OpenSky accounts for good and services not taxable
¦ Includes those not feasibly taxable, preempted by federal law and exempted for
business to avoid double taxation.
? Dynamic modeling not advantageous’ too many assumptions and inappropriate for forecasting
and budgeting
¦ Doesn’t drive substantive differences; base assumptions do
? Theoretically excludes business to business transactions
¦ Considered good policy, eliminates pyramiding
¦ However, petition lacks detail; troubling uncertainty
? Businesses rely on a strong economy to operate successfully
¦ Good schools, state investments in workforce, strong infrastructure.
? Low and middle income Nebraskans already pay higher percentage of household income to
sales taxes
? Would make state tax code more regressive
? Health care costs not subject to insurance would be taxable
? Proposal seeks simplification; so many unknowns makes this unclear.
? Petitions lack detail as to how local governments funded
? Previous bills give some indication of blueprint
? Process such that legislature would decide these important issues with no guarantee that
desired outcomes would occur.
? Would go on the ballot on 2024. All old tax revenue would go into affect January 1, 2026.
? If this would actually pass, this would lead to massive school consolidation, and massive county
seat consolidation. Western Nebraska senators wouldn’t be able to do anything about it
because they wouldn’t get the votes because of the many senator representation from the metro
and lincoln area.
Senator Jacbson
? Believes the $12billion budget for the state should be split into thirds. That would mean upping the
sales tax and/or eliminate some exclusions.
? IF the EPIC tax passes, there is no going back. Compared the change in senate/House.
? Gave the example on buying a house. 10% down, 10% in consumption tax.
? As things move forward, asks schools to help find ways to reduce costs (non-teaching overhead costs),
will help with lowering property taxes.
? Very few out 244 lowered their total mill levy and Governor was disappointed.
? Number they wrestle with, 80-85% is salary and benefits. 60-65% are teachers and paras. Its the
additional 30ish%
Senator Dungan
? Need to continue to support our public schools
? LB 753
? Governor Pillen stated in his introduction of this bill, this is the first step. Concerned that there
will be more conversations on charter schools and such.
? Needs to pump the brakes on funding items so that the new changes can play out with the
projected shortfalls in revenue.
? Unfunded mandates could be a way to help districts make their budgets work better by
eliminating things.
? Primary focus on getting additional special education teachers into schools.
Senator Hughes
? No more big packages approved. 35 bills last year, but you had 200+ pieces of legislation within those
bills.
? Vape Bill - only could be sold if FDA approved.
LB 198
? NCSA bill
? Addresses those that leave the profession can come back and doesn’t have to wait 180 days like you
do for retirement.
Mandates
? Three ideas have gotten the blessing of the governor, however, they have to keep things quiet until
things are drafted. Will share when they are done.
Hard Cap
? Fear there will be hard cap on spending, growth, and no exclusions.
? Could possibly go after the base limitations. 77-44.36
LB 575 - Transgender Bill will be brought up again and will come early.
LB 800 - Superintendent Pay Bill. On general file.