December 14, 2020 at 7:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale:  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 six 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:  Executive Summary:

The statement of "Recommended Applicant" is on the agenda because the position's Interviews will not happen until Friday, December 11, 2020.  The first round of virtual interviews have taken place, and Mr. Schmidt has selected two candidates for a final interview.  He will have his recommendation by the time the board meets for the December meeting.  

I am pleased to announce that we will interview two qualified candidates with teaching degrees in Ag Education.  

Candidates have been informed that the position will open up again at the end of the 2020-2021 spring semester, and they are encouraged to re-apply.  We are doing this because the announcement was quick and the time for application short due to the need to fill the position.  We would like to have the opportunity to open the position up again in the spring to see what the candidate pool looks like.  

Rationale:  Executive Summary:

Consideration of personnel resignation at the end of the contract year.  We have received written notification of a staff member's resignation effective at the end of the 2020-2021 school year.  

I recommend the board to approve the resignation of Hannah Bowman, at the conclusion of the contract year, on or about the 20th of May, 2021 

Rationale:  Executive Summary

Bus drivers in general are difficult to find.  Activities drivers are near impossible.  I have talked with some of our divers, and they are not willing to give up family time for the "little pay" they receive.  I would recommend a 10% increase in the activities pay.

Rationale:  Executive Summary:

The Nebraska State Education Association (NSEA), the union for the teachers in Nebraska, petitioned the Nebraska State Board of Education to require that all Nebraska schools mandate masks (face coverings) at all times by individuals in the school. 

The State Board of Education responded that although they appreciate the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic related to our state's schools, it does not have the authority to enforce a statewide school mandate.  This is a process that is left up to local control. 

My Recommendation is that SEM continues with the same protective practices that we have been doing from the first day of school.  This provides us with the best-recommended protection.  As a district, SEM has had cases of positive COVID exposure, but to date, we have been able to manage the situation with little educational disruptions