July 18, 2022 at 5:30 PM - GIPS BOE Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

It is 5:____PM and I now call to order the Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education Meeting.  This is the July 18, 2022 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 so that you may be recognized during the Requests to Address the Board part of our meeting.  If you have not already completed the form, please see the staff person outside the entrance to this room.  Public comment is welcome. We do ask that no signs be brought into the boardroom.

Mrs. Dibbert, will you please call the roll?

Rationale:  Roll Call.

Rationale: 

The Mission  

Every Student, Every Day, a Success!  In educating students, we teach hearts as well as minds. 

Student Commitments  

Within the school district of Grand Island:

• Every student has access to high-quality, culturally responsive, and engaging learning environments.  
• Every student will develop literacy skills across disciplines.  
• Every student is socially and emotionally equipped to thrive in school and in life. 
• Every student will graduate as a college, career, and community-ready citizen.  

 

 

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? (pause)

Does anyone have a potential conflict of interest on agenda item 4.3? If so, please state the check number that you will be abstaining from voting on.

Rationale:  Standing Committees
 A monthly agenda presented to the board and community on the major items discussed and under consideration in the standing committees.  
 

• Finance and Facilities Committee
• Leading for Learning Committee
• Personnel Committee
• Policy Committee
• Public Relations and Partnership Development Committee
• Governance Committee (no meeting)
• GNSA/Legislative Committee

Rationale:  GIPS is contracting with Amie Gamboian, The Table Group for $26,225.00. Ms. Gamboian will work with the Executive Cabinet and LEAD GIPS (73 top district leaders) using Pat Lecioni's book The Advantage in one full day session and one half-day session. This work will further the district's emphasis on continually building our leader's skills and on organizational health. 

Rationale:  Recognition - NE Secondary Principal of the Year
Dr. Palmer will recognize Mr. Jeff Gilbertson, Executive Principal for the Academies of Grand Island Senior High School.  The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals has selected Jeff Gilbertson as the 2022 High School Principal of the Year. This award is presented annually to a principal who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in their school, region, and at the state level. 

Rationale: 

• Each person addressing the board will be allowed 5 minutes. The Board of Education has the prerogative to limit speaking to 3 minutes when there are three or more patrons to allow speakers an opportunity to address the Board in a timely manner.
• We allocate up to 30 minutes for addressing the board at each regular board meeting.
• Please face the Board,  not the audience when you speak
• We want to hear what is being said so we ask the audience to refrain from making comments or sounds that make it hard to hear the speaker. 
• No signs are allowed in the boardroom.
• We will not engage in dialogue with patrons presenting to the Board, the purpose of the requests to address the board is to listen to patrons.
• The Board president and superintendent will identify staff to follow-up on information requested from patrons when necessary.
• At regular business meetings any school district-related matter can be presented to the Board, but only agenda items can be acted upon during a given meeting. At special meetings, comments will be limited to the subject of action items of the meeting's agenda. 
• Speakers will not be permitted to make defamatory comments, or use abusive or vulgar language. 
• Expressions of personal complaints about staff or students are discouraged at public meetings. Concerns about individuals should be brought to the attention of the appropriate administrative authority. Specific building or program concerns should be brought to the attention of the building principal or program supervisor.

Rationale:  Short recess to transition into the information portion of the current agenda.  Members of the public are welcome to stay for the remainder of the board meeting.  

Rationale:  Reconvene from short recess before transitioning into the information items of the current agenda. 

Rationale:  Working through the MTSS process, students with Tier 2 or 3 behavior needs are lacking additional support, which often creates situations where students are in Tier 1 environments that do not have the support that some of these students require.  Secondary Admin identified the need for a transition program for students experiencing dysregulated behavior on a continual basis in classrooms, activities, and before/after school interactions. These students do not qualify for Success, OMB, or Skills programs and may have the need for special education and English Learner support.

The proposed action is to implement a Secondary School Transition Program (PASS - Positive Alternative to Suspension Support) at each of the three middle schools and GISH. Students would be served at their neighborhood school with room for 15+ students at each school. The transition program would be the first placement in a Tier 2 or short term Tier 3 Support Program with entry and exit plans developed by the MTSS team.

Rationale:  Fuel costs have soared to exorbitant levels, since the time that the school district entered into a transportation service contract with Holiday Express.  As a result, the Facilities & Finance Committee discussed providing a one-time credit to Holiday Express to help subsidize the increased fuel costs for school year 2022-23 for regular student transportation routes.

The Facilities & Finance Committee Members would like to offer a credit back to Holiday Express in the amount of $46,945.  In June of next year, the Facilities & Finance Committee will review fuel prices and the service contract with Holiday Express to see if any additional revisions to the service contract regarding a fuel price escalator and offer this information to the board of education for consideration.

The total credit being proposed is based on the following calculations:
Diesel - $6,640 (Based on 4,000 Gallons) - Above $3.00 to current market
Unl Gas - $21,155 (Based on 12,444 gallons) - Above $2.85 to current market
Propane - $18,750  (Based on 15,000 Gallons) - Above $1.25 to current market
 

Rationale:  Over the past year, the district has twice not had a full-time payroll administrator, due to a maternity leave and then due to a resignation. This has a crippling effect on the Business Office Staff, as the Business Office has to shuffle personnel and responsibilities when the Payroll Administrator position is not filled.  This situation also presents the opportunity for significant errors in the payroll process and in the potential for errors in other Business Office functions.  The district should develop a contingency plan for this position and should have a staff member who can step in and assume the payroll administrator’s responsibilities.

Rationale:  Each year, the Facilities & Finance Committee and the superintendent of schools review and adjust compensation for the administration of Grand Island Public Schools in advance of the upcoming contract term.  The proposed total compensation increase for both the GICSA and Central Office Staff Administration is 3%.

Rationale:  Each year, the Facilities & Finance Committee and the superintendent of schools review and adjust compensation for the classified staff of Grand Island Public Schools in advance of the upcoming contract term.  The proposed total compensation increase for the classified staff is 3.2%.

Rationale:  GIPS was approached by a local realtor about a partnership that would result in the seller's commission from the Senior Construction House being donated back to the GIPS Education Foundation to start a scholarship for students pursuing construction related postsecondary programs. This RFQ allows all realtors in Grand Island to submit a proposal to be the qualified realtor for the sale of the Senior Construction Home for a five-year period.

Rationale:  GIPS is proposing a partnership with Tango Flight to incorporate their Aviation Maintenance curriculum in our Aviation - Technician pathway. This partnership would also transfer ownership of our RV-12 is plane kit and provide annual training on the plane build. Upon completion of the plane build, Tango Flight would provide us a brand new kit to build, and they would then be responsible for selling the completed plane.

Rationale: 

Dr. Grover will present the superintendent report. 

Rationale:  The Extra Standard Salary Schedule is estabilshed annually by the Board of Education.

Rationale:  Working through the MTSS process, students with Tier 2 or 3 behavior needs are lacking additional support, which often creates situations where students are in Tier 1 environments that do not have the support that some of these students require.  Secondary Admin identified the need for a transition program for students experiencing dysregulated behavior on a continual basis in classrooms, activities, and before/after school interactions. These students do not qualify for Success, OMB, or Skills programs and may have the need for special education and English Learner support.

The proposed action is to implement a Secondary School Transition Program (PASS - Positive Alternative to Suspension Support) at each of the three middle schools and GISH. Students would be served at their neighborhood school with room for 15+ students at each school. The transition program would be the first placement in a Tier 2 or short term Tier 3 Support Program with entry and exit plans developed by the MTSS team.

Rationale:  Holiday Express is the student transportation contracted provider for Grand Island Public Schools.  A 5-year contract for services was entered between Grand Island Public Schools and Holiday Express on June 10, 2021.  A copy of that service contract is attached for review by the board.

The proposed transportation routes for the 2022-23 school year and the corresponding fees for providing those routes are attached to this agenda item for review and consideration by the board of education. 

Please note: The current schedule provides for 165 days of student transportation.  Should the number of days transportation service is provided to Grand Island Public Schools students be adjusted upward or downward from 165 days, the service agreement payment will be adjusted accordingly, based on the daily rate for each route.  

 

Rationale:  GIPS is proposing a partnership with Tango Flight to incorporate their Aviation Maintenance curriculum in our Aviation - Technician pathway. This partnership would also transfer ownership of our RV-12 is plane kit and provide annual training on the plane build. Upon completion of the plane build, Tango Flight would provide us a brand new kit to build, and they would then be responsible for selling the completed plane.

Rationale:  Over the past year, the district has twice not had a full-time payroll administrator, due to a maternity leave and then due to a resignation. This has a crippling effect on the Business Office Staff, as the Business Office has to shuffle personnel and responsibilities when the Payroll Administrator position is not filled.  This situation also presents the opportunity for significant errors in the payroll process and in the potential for errors in other Business Office functions.  The district should develop a contingency plan for this position and should have a staff member who can step in and assume the payroll administrator’s responsibilities.

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

Rationale:  A monthly update from the Nebraska Association of School Boards.  

Rationale: 

The Board will convene into executive session for the purpose of discussing Administrative Compensation increase for 2022-2023 FY, Classified Compensation increase for 2022-2023 FY, and Legal Counsel Consultation.

Rationale:  Each year, the Facilities & Finance Committee and the superintendent of schools review and adjust compensation for the administration of Grand Island Public Schools in advance of the upcoming contract term.  The proposed total compensation increase for both the GICSA and Central Office Staff Administration is 3%.

Rationale:  Each year, the Facilities & Finance Committee and the superintendent of schools review and adjust compensation for the classified staff of Grand Island Public Schools in advance of the upcoming contract term.  The proposed total compensation increase for both the classified staff is 3.2%.

Rationale:  Regular Board of Education Meeting, Thursday, August 11, 2022 at 5:30 PM

Rationale: 

Grand Island Police Department has become short staff with the retirement of several officers and an untimely death of another officer.  This has caused a strain on their ability to operate at full capacity while maintaining a secondary School Resource Officer position at the High School. The need for a position that will assist the current School Resource Officer with the high number of calls requires the position to be staffed with someone that is qualified to deal with incidents that may go beyond behavioral restorative response.  The staff member must be qualified to handle not only the culturally diverse student population but also be able to recognize when a matter goes beyond those restorative responsibilities. Former law enforcement have training in these matters and are also able to respond to those situations that activate Standard Response Protocol responses. The budgeted cost for the vacant School Resource Officer could be applied to this position along with the allowance of additional duties and responsibilities that the SRO cannot perform should be considered in the decision of creating this position.