November 13, 2017 at 7:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Public Comment will be limited to a total of thirty minutes, with each speaker limited to 5 minutes of speaking.  The board president will notify the speaker with 30 seconds remaining in their time.  The public is invited to offer objective criticism of the district operations and programs, but any complaints or concerns involving personnel needs to follow proper complaint protocols.  

Executive Summary

The ACLU of Nebraska has received several reports of racist taunts and incidents occurring at school-sponsored events, in particular athletic events.  In response to that, they (ACLU) has reminded school boards and administration to review their bullying policy, and ensure that it is in compliance with federal and state law, and that district policies are being followed up.

In Policy 504.20 the following are identified

• Recognition of negative impact of bullying
• Definition of bullying
• What are school grounds
• Consequences
• Need for education

Currently in the 2017 school year, students and staff have been presented with two different educational opportunities discussing bullying.

• Digital Citizenship and use of technology, focus on cyber bulling.
• Todd Becker Foundation presentation, focus on relationships, drugs and alcohol and bullying.

My recommendation would be to continue to use policy 504.20 as written, and identify it as reviewed as of 11/13/17.

Executive Summary:

Currently there is in policy item, 0504.12 Regulated Electronic Devices (attached as 0504.12 regulated electronic devices) which after review and consideration of issues facing school districts today, I believe is vague and does not address current issues.  My recommendation would be for the board to revise the policy and adopt the language of Use of Electronic Communication and Recording Devices (ECRD) (attached as Policy 0504.12).

Justification in policy change:

     1)  Policy addresses, students & staff begin electronically recorded, either visually or verbally without their consent.

     2)  Policy addresses personal rights of privacy.

     3)  Policy addresses issues of inappropriate recording of instructional, or evaluative materials.

     4)  Policy involves all types of recording devices

     5)  Policy differentiates between activities that can and can't be recorded.

     6)  Policy still provides teacher discretion for use of various electronic adds, and does not limit a student educational rights.

Executive Summary

The Superintendents evaluation was distributed during the October 11th BOE meeting.  President Berg asked members to review the evaluation and be ready for discussion during the November meeting.

Executive Summary:

The 2017 football season just recently came to a close.  The season was trying, and tested the talents of our coaches.  With less than 16 players out at any point in the season, the team was never able to conduct a full scrimmage during practice.  The projected numbers of boys in the high school will begin to increase, but we will still have very limited numbers of players.

Playing at the 6 man level provides several positive advantages.

• Decreased numbers of players needed to participate
• Decreased numbers of players needed to practice live 
• Decreased need to play inexperienced players
• Decreased possibilities of forfeiting a game due to numbers
• Increase possibility of playing schools with similar enrollment 

Potential disadvantages

• Stigma of playing 6 man football
• Travel
• State Championship recognition
• Student/athletes leave the district

Advice from experience:

     I do not know if any of the board members, athletic directors, or coaches have experienced 6-man football.  I have had the opportunity to be around 6-man football and both a coach and an administrator.  One significant misconception of the game is that it is easier.  It is not, there are some outstanding athletes that play 6 man football.  The one fact that I would like to share is that it does allow teams to participate with other schools with similar enrollments.  Instead of schools like Arapahoe, Shelton and Twin Loup, we would have the potential of schools closer to our size like Maywood, Elwood and Wilcox-Hildreth.

Executive Summary

During the October 2017 board of education meeting, the board requested information about having a professional cleaning service clean the carpets on a regular schedule at SEM.  ServiceMaster was contacted and provided the school with the attached packages.

ServiceMaster provided four (4) packages; package 1 and 2 would include annual deep cleaning and monthly regular cleaning; packages 3 and 4 would include only annual cleaning.

Each package has different features which the board can determine that fit the districts needs.

Executive Summary

The 2017 State Education Conference is again this year in Omaha, and will be located at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in LaVista.  I have attached an agenda for you to look at.

SEM was assigned to the Comfort Suites, located at 8121 Eastport Parkway, La Vista.  Not on site, but reasonably close.  Check in for board members is Wednesday the 15th with check out on Friday the 17th.