July 9, 2012 at 6:30 PM - Board of Education Meeting Agenda

Rationale:  A motion will be necessary if a member of the elected Board is absent.

Rationale:  The Bellevue Board of Education abides by the Nebraska Open Meetings Law.  A copy of the law is posted on the wall of our Board room.

Rationale:  Approve by consent items in section B of the Agenda identified with an asterisk and receive the information and proposals in sections D and E identified with an asterisk.

Rationale:  The Minutes of the June 4, 2012, Board of Education meeting were sent to all members of the Board of Education for review.

Rationale:  Acknowledge receipt of the Treasurer's Report for June, 2012.

Rationale:  Approve the payment of claims totaling $1,275,720.82.

Rationale:  Release (1) Jane Jones and (2) Michael McLaughlin from their contracts effective May 23, 2012.

Rationale:  Elect (1) Alyssa Bolte, (2) Julia Cutter, (3) Brenna Dacey, (4) Jennifer Jaros, (5) Gretchen Oltman, (6) Caroline Santos-DeJesus, (7) Shauna Stephens, (8) Gina Stukenholtz, and (9) Philip Williams to the certified staff for the 2012-13 school year effective August 9, 2012, subject to their release from any contractual agreements with other school districts.

Rationale:  Nebraska Statute 79-2,134 requires the Board of Education to annually hold a public hearing to review the student fees policy.  The statute also requires a review of the amount of money collected from students pursuant to, and the use of waivers provided in, the student fees policy for the prior school year.

In accordance with the statute, the Bellevue Public Schools collected $1,972,887 for the provision of breakfast and  lunch through the school lunch program.  The District also collected $20,530.60 for reimbursement to the school district for property lost or damaged by students, materials used for alternative projects when the completed project became the property of the student, and fees for late library books.

Attached is a copy of the proposed Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 504.19.  There are suggested changes to the policy.  There are no student fees for athletics and activities in the Bellevue Public Schools. 

Rationale:  Public Law 111-296, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, was passed into law addressing the equity in school lunch pricing. While all of the guidelines have not been developed for the program, one guideline went into effect July 1, 2011, regarding the price for school lunches. With the new guidelines, the cost of the elementary and middle school lunch programs needed to be increased.  Bellevue continues to place an emphasis on serving a balanced breakfast and lunch program; with changes to the USDA guidelines we will see an emphasis on more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, sub groups of vegetables, sodium targets, no trans fats served, etc.

During the 2011-2012 school year, Bellevue Public Schools’ food service program served 1,721,906 meals. In addition to the kitchens at our 20 schools, the District serves meals at four satellites: CHAP Center, St. Mary’s, St. Matthews, and Bellevue Christian Center. Food service provides a lunch program at our Title I schools, snacks through Kid’s Time, operates the concession stand programs, and vending machines throughout the District.

The recommended action is to increase the cost for the lunch program by 10 cents:  elementary lunch to $2.20, middle school lunch to $2.60, and high school lunch to $2.75.

Rationale:  Items related to the budget have been presented at each meeting of the Board of Education since September, 2011.  The 2012-2013 proposed budget was developed within the prescribed parameters utilizing the existing District planning models.  The proposed budget recommends no change in the tax levy. Currently, Bellevue School District’s levy is $1.05, the lowest overall tax levy in the metro area. The proposed budget provides for the education of 10,184 students, a decrease of 11 students over last year’s projection.

Attached is the "2012-2013 Proposed Annual Estimate of Receipts and Expenditures," and the "Addendum."

The timeline for the budget includes:

March 5, 2012 -
     Enrollment projections presented to the Board of Education 
     Budget parameters presented to the Board of Education for approval

July 9, 2012 - 
     Budget presentation to the Board of Education

August 6, 2012 -
     Public Hearing on 2012-2013 Proposed Budget

September, 2012 -
     Learning Community approves or denies budget

September 10, 2012 - 
     Public Hearing on Preliminary Tax Request
     Board of Education approves final 2012-2013 budget
     Board of Education sets the tax rate for FY 2012

By September 17, 2012 -
     Adopted budget documents will be filed with the Auditor of Public Accounts and the Nebraska 
     Department of Education 

The recommended action is to file the budget document with the Secretary of the Board of Education and establish the public hearing for the budget on August 6, 2012.

An oral presentation of the proposed budget will be made at the Board meeting.

Rationale:  Last year the school district leased Caterpillar skid loaders with buckets to help with snow removal, grading, dirt removal, loading and unloading pallets, etc.

The cost to lease two skid loaders for a twelve month period is $5,000.  This arrangement proved to be beneficial to district staff and the request is to continue this lease for another year.

The recommended action is to approve the lease of two Caterpillar skid loaders for a twelve month period at a cost of $5,000 and to authorize Frank Harwood, Superintendent, to sign all necessary documents.

Rationale: 

The Board of Education received a copy of the duties of the Committee on Americanism and a list of textbooks in June.  Copies of the American History and civil government textbooks that were selected for implementation in the Bellevue Public Schools beginning in the 2004-05 school year have been made available to members of the Committee on Americanism.  The members of the Americanism Committee are Frank Kumor, Alicia Richards, and Lisa Rybar.

Members of the Committee on Americanism received, in addition to the materials that all Board members received, the following items:

1. "Americanism– Overview Statement."
2. Listing of patriotic songs learned from the Silver Burdett/Ginn elementary vocal music series.
3. Listing of page references in selected textbooks that show compliance with State Statute 79-724.
4. Copy of the “Statement of Assurance” form to be signed by each principal.
5. Sample copy of the Committee on Americanism “Statement of Assurance.”

Attached are signed “Statement of Assurance” forms for each school and the Committee on Americanism "Statement of Assurance."

The recommended action is to accept the Committee on Americanism "Statement of Assurance."

Rationale:  Sterrett Bros submitted the lowest twelve-month bid for refuse removal and recycling services. Their plan is to provide refuse removal services and to team up with Firstar Fiber Recycling Corporation to provide recycling services.  (Firstar is the recycling contractor for both Lincoln and Omaha’s municipal recycling services.)

Attached are the twelve-month costs for refuse removal and recycling services from companies that responded to the RFP.

The recommended action is to approve a twelve-month agreement with Sterrett Bros for refuse removal and recycling services.

Rationale:  Fifty-nine Nebraska business teachers were recognized by the Nebraska Department of Education at the Nebraska Career Education Conference held recently in Kearney.

Teachers whose professional activities influenced business and marketing education in Nebraska during the past year received BEST — Belong, Excel, Study and Travel —Awards for their involvement in professional associations, community and school activities, professional leadership development and service to the business education profession.

BEST awards exemplify superior qualities, including dedication to students, community outreach, and continual classroom improvement efforts.  The following individuals contributed significantly to the quality of education in their community and the state:

First-year award recipient:
Gogi Supenski of Bellevue West High School

Additional award recipient:
Pat Hinkle of Bellevue West High School

Rationale:  Dillon Ruby, a 2012 Adult Education graduate, was recently featured in Good Times – a Goodwill publication.  To read Dillon’s story, click on this link

http://www.goodwillomaha.org/blog/2012/05/31/participant-spotlight-meet-dillon-ruby/

Rationale: 

The Nebraska School Activities Association announced the 2012 spring season Academic All-State awards. The following Bellevue Public Schools’ students received this award:

Bellevue East:

Baseball - Tyler Abbott (12) and Daniel Gleason (11)
Boys Golf - Beau Marth (11)
Journalism - Chayce Kenny (11)
Speech - Christine Blair (12) and Trinity Noble (12)
Music - Brianna Boehne (12) and Jenna Cottrell (11)
Boys Soccer - Anthony Ashbridge (11) and Alexander Ciurej (11)
Girls Soccer - Kaitlyn Boswell (11) and Elise Holdaway (12)
Girls Tennis - Hannah Peck (11) and Ala’a Rayyan (12)
Boys Track & Field - Roosevelt Boyland (12) and Jared Pelzer (12)
Girls Track & Field - Molly Kingsley (12) and Lindsey Pfender (12)

Bellevue West

Baseball - Brad Brazeal (10) and Zach Dibble (12)
Boys Golf - Garrett Morehead (10) and Andy Peterson (12)
Journalism - Lauren Garcia (12)
Music - Katherine Nolin (12) and Kyra Valentine (12)
Boys Soccer - Connor Beyersdorf (10)
Girls Soccer - Aubriana Batchelor (12) and Jamie Waddington (11)
Girls Tennis -Sam Hidalgo (11) and Tess Munoz (12)
Boys Track & Field -Bo Liekhus (12) and Justin Thorstad (11)
Girls Track & Field -Taryn Derickson (12) and Haelee Kowalski (11)

Rationale: 

Nebraska Department of Education Rule 10 requires that the District Multicultural Education Program include arrangements to “Provide an annual status report of multicultural education to the local Board of Education” and “By November 1, 1995, and annually thereafter, each school district shall present evidence, in a form prescribed by the Department, that multicultural education is being taught to students in accordance with the multicultural program approved in 004.01G.”

Curriculum:  The District curriculum guides incorporate multicultural education. To ensure that the multicultural curriculum was implemented, teaching staff signed a "Verification of Completion" form on which the teachers indicated that they taught the appropriate multicultural concept activities in the curriculum. Those forms were then submitted to the building principals.

Attached is a copy of the "Verification of Completion" form that teachers sign and copies of "Statement of Assurance" forms signed by each principal.  This form is an assurance that the required multicultural education curriculum activities, or approved alternatives, were conducted in the principals’ buildings.

Professional Development:  Providing professional development opportunities for staff members is also required by Rule 10.  Nebraska teacher certification requires a human relations course. In addition, the District has a process for provision of professional development in multicultural education including professional development for administrators, teachers, and support staff which is congruent with the District and program goals.  Classes and workshops related to multicultural education were available for staff through the ESU, as well as area colleges and universities.  The Curriculum Development Model and New Teacher Induction Program both address concepts and the importance of multicultural education.

Rationale:  A school district is the nucleus of a community.  Schools in Bellevue are open throughout the year to meet the needs of our students and the community.  The District works with many of our partners, including Offutt Air Force Base, the City of Bellevue, Bellevue Senior Citizens Center, Bellevue Ministerial Association, Metropolitan Community College, service organizations, families within the school district, and businesses in their request to utilize our facilities.  Requests for usage vary from classrooms, swimming pools, gymnasiums, baseball, softball, football, and soccer fields, etc.

In addition to the regular day-to-day operations of the District, during the 2011-2012 school year, our facilities were used by 378,798 people on 10,818 occasions.  Our facility usage continues to be in high demand and we are always improving our wellness programs and youth developmental sports programs. These quality programs for our students and community members remain strong and we will continue to expand and improve on all of our programming throughout the District.

Attached is a report summarizing the Community Use of School Facilities.

Rationale:  Attached are new Board Policy 403.01, Release of Employee Information; revised Board Policies 503.01, Compulsory Attendance, 503.04, Excessive Absenteeism, and 504.19, Student Fees. Recommended for deletion are Board Policy 502.03, Age of Entrance, Administrative Regulation 502.03, Age of Entrance, Board Policy 503.03, Student Absences-Excused, and Administrative Regulation 503.01, Student Attendance. These policies and regulations are submitted for review at tonight's meeting with approval/deletion of the policies scheduled for the August Board of Education meeting.

Rationale:  An oral report will be provided on the recent meetings of the Learning Community.

Rationale:  Christina Drezelo - School Preference

Rationale:  July 28, Board of Education Work Session, Location TBD, 8:00 am
August 6, Board of Education Meeting, Welcome Center, 6:30 pm

Rationale:  Adjourn to executive session to consider matters relating to strategy sessions with respect to collective bargaining and personnel which are necessary to be considered in closed session for the protection of the public interest and for the needless injury to the reputation of individuals.