June 10, 2010 at 6:30 PM - Regular Board Meeting June 10, 2010

Rationale:  It is 6:30 PM and I now call to order the Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education Meeting.  This is the June 10, 2010 meeting.  Notice of this meeting has been advertised in the Grand Island Independent, which is the District's designated method of giving notice of these meetings.

We want those in attendance to know that copies of the Open Meetings Act are available at the entrance to the Board Room.  If anyone in attendance is interested in addressing our Board, you are welcome to do so.  We simply request that you complete the appropriate form and turn it in to us now so that you may be recognized during the Public Forum part of our meeting.  These forms are also located by the entry doors of this room.

Mrs. Wagner, will you please call the roll?

Rationale:  Roll Call.

Rationale: 

The Mission  

Every Student, Every Day, a Success
Within the Grand Island Public Schools,
- every student will be taught to read, write, and communicate effectively; solve problems; acquire and apply knowledge; and demonstrate mastery through performance to the best of the student's abilities;  
- every student will be treated with fairness and dignity;
- every student will experience a sense of belonging, contribution, and success; and
- every student will develop responsibility and show respect for others as well as oneself.  
In educating students, we teach hearts as well as minds.

Rationale:  The first item on the agenda tonight is the Consent Agenda.  The Consent Agenda to be approved is as follows:

(items read.)

This is the Consent Agenda as published.  Would anyone like to remove any items or add any items to the Consent Agenda? 

Rationale:  The NE K-12 Math Standards were approved by the State Board of Education on October 8, 2009.  The standards are organized into four areas:  Number Sense Standards, Geometric/Measurement Standards, Algebraic Standards, and Data Analysis/Probability Standards, all linked together by the process skills of Communication, Multiple Representations, Problem Solving, Connections, and Reasoning.

Rationale:  The services of a probation officer will be secured through a partnership with the Hall County Probation Office. The probation officer will team with our three middle schools and our high school to explicitly work with adjudicated youth. Services include but would not be limited to scheduling frequent visits with students, monitoring each student's academic progress, and serving as a liasion between the schools and the court system.

Rationale:  An update on progress pertaining to the 2009 - 2010 Board Goals.

Rationale:  An overview of the Extra Standard Committee Meeting and recommendations for the 2010-11 positions.

Rationale:  The City of Grand Island Police Department informed Grand Island Public Schools they will no longer be able to fund their half of the cost for crossing guards at any of the District's attendance sites for the 2010-2011 school year and beyond.  Crossing guards were paid 50/50 by the City of Grand Island Police Department and the Grand Island Public Schools via an interlocal cooperative agreement.  Given the District's desire to continue with the program to help ensure student safety while student move to and from attendance sites the administrative team will present a plan to continue the program into the 2010-2011 school year.  Approval of the plan will be sought at the regularly scheduled July Board meeting.

Rationale:  Starting with the 2008 - 2009 school year Grand Island Public Schools entered into a two year transportation contract with a local transportation firm for daily school bus routes to help increase student attendance as a specific measure within our approved poverty plan.  The contract was specifically for a period of two school years and required seeking new request for proposals for transportation services beyond the initial two year period.  Administration will review the current routes and outline the proposed changes and scope of the new contract.  The Facility and Finance committee will review the proposals received and make a recommendation at the regularly scheduled July BOE meeting.  

Rationale:  As the 2009-2010 fiscal years end draws near the need for amending the adopted budget is necessitated by two major factors.  First, in addition to the ARRA-SFSF monies received from the State of Nebraska the District also received ARRA-Title I and ARRA-IDEA monies whose impact was unknown when the original budget was adopted.  Secondly, funds originally budgeted to transfer to help build the central kitchen where unneeded due to favorable pricing obtained in the bidding process.  Those funds have been reallocated to other District priorities including an expanded summer school program.  There will be a hearing just prior to the regularly scheduled July Board meeting and adoption of the amended budget will be an agenda item at the July meeting also.  No additional taxes will be necessary to carry out the proposed budget amendments.

Rationale:  CNSSP contracts with various service providers for professional services in areas where need is greater than zero but less than full time for all CNSSP districts.  Occupational therapy is one of those areas.  In keeping with district practice all contracts are approved by the Board.  Administration will review the proposed contract and this item will be an action item at the regularly scheduled July board meeting.

Rationale: 

The Alternative Task Force is presenting the SANDS Operating Principles and Procedures Handbook. Task force members used the Exemplary Practices in Alternative Education: Indicators of Quality Programming, a framework developed by the National Alternative Education Association, to guide their work. The handbook was presented for discussion at the June 1st Teaching and Learning Board of Education Committee meeting.

Rationale: 

Revisions to the Grand Island Public School Student and Parent Handbook are presented for discussion.

Rationale: 

GIPS currently contracts with Hall County to provide attorney services for truancy hearings. This has been a two year contract and it is now up for renewal. The new contract is for one year with the opportunity to renew annually. This contract is funded through the poverty plan.

Rationale: 

 The Alternative Education Task Force continues to identify the need to provide behavioral health support to students in grades 9-12. Support for older students has become increasingly difficult with the closing of a regional provider and transportation costs to other providers. Through a collaborative partnership with CNSSP, Mid-Plains Center for Behavioral Healthcare Services, Inc. currently provides support to students enrolled in CNSSP districts in the form of interim and day treatment services for students in grades K-8. The Ombudsman Program will now provide services for interim students and this opens up the opportunity to provide services to more CNSSP students needing behavioral health support in grades K-12. This contract is funded by reimbursable SPED funds, CNSSP member district billing, and general fund dollars.

Rationale:  The following are recommended for representation on the naming committee to address the new facility which will house the SANDS program:
 
Board of Education Representatives: Lynn Cronk, Clay Schutz
High School Representatives:  Cindy Wells,  Tamyra Pickering
Middle School Representatives:  Rod Foley, Richard Soto
Student Representatives:  Aaron Holmolka, Andrea Lute
Community Representatives:  Scott Zana, PeteKortum

Rationale:  A monthly report to the Board and community on the major items discussed and under consideration in the Facility and Finance Committee.

Rationale:  A monthly report to the Board and community on the major items discussed and under consideration in the Teaching and Learning Committee.

Rationale:  A monthly report to the Board and community on the major items discussed and under consideration in the Personnel Committee.

Rationale:  A monthly report to the Board and community on the major items discussed and under consideration by the Grand Island Education Foundation.

Rationale:  As a result of negotiations between the Board of Education negotiations committee and the Grand Island Education Association a tentative agreement is being proposed for approval.  The wage increase is a 3.32% increase on the "indexed base salary".  Previously negotiated terms remain intact unless modified as described in the tentative agreement summary.