June 3, 2013 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 sections B and C 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 May 6, 2013, Board of Education meeting and the May 21, 2013, Board of Education Hearing were sent to all members of the Board of Education for review. 

Rationale:  Acknowledge receipt of the Treasurer's Report for May, 2013.

Rationale:  Approve the payment of claims totaling $1,396,973.73.

Rationale:  Release (1) Marcus Colgrove, (2) Megan Hanson, (3) Jennifer Harms, (4) Jenna Hunter, and (5) Shawna Senff from their contracts effective May 23, 2013.

Rationale:  Elect (1) James Hirz and (2) Kevin Mills to the certified staff for the 2013-2014 school year effective July 1, 2013, subject to their release from any contractual agreements with other school districts, and (3) Marques Eckhoff, (4) Michaella Esters, (5) Cheryl Frederick, (6) Sophia Gutierrez, (7) Maggie Kingsley, (8) Jamie McCaw, (9) Janet McDonald, (10) Amber Nelson, (11) Christine Qualman, (12) Patricia Rowland, (13) Christopher Schuler, (14) Jill Smith, and (15) Katherine Wasser to the certified staff for the 2013-2014 school year effective August 8, 2013, subject to their release from any contractual agreements with other school districts.

Rationale:  School board member vacancy applications were received through May 28, 2013.  The Board will select candidates for interviews or select a new board member to fill the vacancy.

Attached are the Board Vacancy Interest Forms-Individual Responses that were received.

Rationale:  Nebraska law allows public school employees to organize and bargain collectively with school boards on the issue of salaries.  An agreement has been reached and ratified by the Bellevue Education Association, the employee organization representing teachers, nurses, psychologists, and therapists. 

The negotiated agreement with teachers adjusts the 2013-2014 salary for beginning teachers to $32,500 from the current beginning salary of $32,275.  This represents a proposed total package increase of 3.28%.  The increase is to cover:

• Employer paid health insurance  increase of $350 annually per participating employee
• Salary increases for individual employees

Increased costs to the District for all groups listed above is as follows:
Certificated staff (teachers, nurses, psychologists, therapists) $1,557,523

The current and proposed salary programs are attached.  Also attached is the ratification notice from the Bellevue Education Association.

Rationale: 

The Board reviewed revised Board Policy 201.01, Purpose and Role of the Board, at the May 6, 2013, Board meeting. The attached proposed Board policy is presented tonight for final approval.

Rationale: 

As part of the security audit completed by the Bellevue Police Department, two of the areas of concern were outside door access control and security cameras.  In order to be ready to implement increased security measures at the building level, we must first improve some control infrastructure at the Welcome Center.  By starting with the Welcome Center, we will also be able to set up and test equipment as well as develop procedures and training prior to implementing at the school.  This will minimize distractions in buildings as we move through the learning process of a new security system.  We are in the process of reviewing four different proposals and are still waiting on one other.  The dollar amount for the project is not to exceed $40,000.

Rationale:  Bellevue Public Schools entered into a partnership with Metropolitan Community College in 2005.  The proposal is to continue the partnership through May 2014.  The partnership focuses on improving educational opportunities for our students and community by offering dual-credit classes and locating classes in the Bellevue/Offutt Community where Metro's highest student population is located.

Attached is the proposed Partnership for Learning Agreement.

Rationale: 

The Board of Education received a copy of the duties of the Committee on Americanism and a list of textbooks in May.  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 Cindy Copich, 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."

Rationale: 

Mission Middle School competed at the National Science Olympiad Tournament at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, on May 17-18, 2013.  This was Mission Middle School's ninth consecutive state tournament win and appearance at Nationals.

Mission Middle School finished twenty-seventh out of sixty middle school teams in the nation.

The Mission team consisted of five 7th graders, six 8th graders, and five 9th graders (this is to level the playing field since in some states middle school includes 9th grade). All five of this year's 9th graders have earned a National medal - three of them were this year and two of them last year as 8th graders.

Team members are Trevor Fellbaum, Tommy Casart, Krizzel Soratorio, and Michelle Ruzicka, 9th graders at Bellevue East; Andrew Nelson, 9th grade at Bellevue West; Kelly Speltz, Samantha Seaman, Paige Haskins, Alex Molnar, Logan Wood, and Jared Swift, 8th graders at Mission; and Tia Thompson, Holly Schwarting, Hannah Harstad, Phil Crawford, and Phil Varin, 7th graders at Mission.

To view the individual student results, go to: 

The Academic coaches are Melody Kjerstad, Brent Myers, and Norma Thompson. Melody Kjerstad is the Head Coach and this is the ninth consecutive state championship for Mission Middle School and Coach Kjerstad (longest record in state history of science olympiad). Norma Thompson stated, "the entire Mission Middle School staff plays a role in the success of our students in and out of the classroom, changing the course of our students' education!"

Susan and Kirk Hester volunteer an extensive number of hours helping the kids prepare. Susan is retired from BPS; she was previously the Secondary HAL Facilitator.

Rationale: 

The BPS middle schools and high schools competed in the Nebraska Science Olympiad Tournament in April at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.  Congratulations to Mission Middle School as they compete at Nationals in Dayton, Ohio, May 17-18, 2013.

Middle School Division
Mission Middle School was the winner over thirty-two other middle school teams from around Nebraska. This is their ninth consecutive tournament win. They won first place in Boomilever, Dynamic Planet, Experimental Design, Helicopter, Meteorology, Mission Possible, Rocks & Minerals, and Technical Writing out of twenty-three events. The team won second place in Crime Busters, Disease Detectives, Food Science, Forestry, Keep the Heat, Reach for the Stars, and Water Quality. The team advanced to the national tournament at Wright State University in Dayton, OH.

Lewis and Clark Middle School won third place in the tournament. They won first place in Crime Busters, Heredity, and Water Quality. They won second place in Dynamic Planet, Experimental Design, Helicopter, Mission Possible, Rocks and Minerals, and Sounds of Music.

Logan Fontenelle Middle School won fourth place in the tournament. They won first place in Forestry, Keep the Heat, Mousetrap Vehicle, and Road Scholar. They won second place in Boomilever.

High School Division
Bellevue East won second place in the high school division out of twenty-nine teams and twenty-three events. They won first place in Boomilever, Experimental Design, Technical Problem Solving, and Technical Writing. They won second place in Anatomy and Physiology and Robot Arm.

Bellevue West won third place in the high school division. They won first place in Forestry, Remote Sensing, and Rocks & Minerals. They won second place in Gravity Vehicle and Materials Science.

Rationale: 

Bellevue Public Schools competed in the National History Day Tournament in April at Wesleyan University in Lincoln.  All competitors finished in the top three of their regional competition.

Kelly Speltz, Mission 8th grader, won first place in the individual website category and Sydney Enokawa, Mission 8th grader, won second place in the individual website category. 

Aurora Kenworthy, Bellevue West, won second place in the individual website category for the senior division.

These students will advance to the Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest which will be held from June 9-13, 2013, at the University of Maryland.

Rationale: 

Winners of the Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society’s “What Does Wildlife Conservation Mean to You?” essay contest have been announced and include one student from Bellevue Public Schools.

Gabrielle Swing, a fifth-grader at Avery Elementary School, is one of this year’s winners.

Each of the winners received a VIP invitation to attend the falcon banding of the newest Tower-top residents on the 28th floor of the Woodmen Tower.  Additionally, Raptor Recovery Nebraska will visit both of the winner’s classrooms with their educational falcon. The goal for the essay contest was to help students gain a new appreciation for local wildlife and habitats.

To read Gabrielle’s essay, visit the Woodmen of the World’s Falcon Watch blog at woodmen.typepad.com/falconwatch.

Rationale: 

Each year, fourth, eighth and eleventh grade students take the NeSA Writing test. The writing test is given early in second semester and results are returned to the District in late spring. Tonight, the Board will be presented with an overview of this year's performance.

Rationale: 

Attached are Board Policies 202.02, Conflict of Interest; 203.01, Officers; and 203.02, Duties of the President of the Board. These policies are for review tonight and any changes will be brought back to the July Board of Education meeting.

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

Rationale:  None

Rationale:  June 11, Board of Education Meeting to consider candidates for vacant school board position, Welcome Center, 6:30 pm (if needed)
July 8, 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 an individual.