June 11, 2015 at 6:30 PM - GIPS BOE Regular Meeting

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 11, 2015 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: 

84-713. Settled claims; record required; contents; public record; certain settlement agreements; public agency; agenda item; applicability of section.

(1) A public entity or public agency providing coverage to a public entity, public official, or public employee shall maintain a public written or electronic record of all settled claims. The record for all such claims settled in the amount of fifty thousand dollars or more, or one percent of the total annual budget of the public entity, whichever is less, shall include a written executed settlement agreement. The settlement agreement shall contain a brief description of the claim, the party or parties released under the settlement, and the amount of the financial compensation, if any, paid by or to the public entity or on its behalf.

(2) Any claim or settlement agreement involving a public entity shall be a public record but, to the extent permitted by sections 84-712.04 and 84-712.05 and as otherwise provided by statute, specific portions of the claim or settlement agreement may be withheld from the public. A private insurance company or public agency providing coverage to the public entity shall, without delay, provide to the public entity a copy of any claim or settlement agreement to be maintained as a public record.

(3) Except for settlement agreements involving the state, any state agency, or any employee of the state or pursuant to claims filed under the State Tort Claims Act, any settlement agreement with an amount of financial consideration of fifty thousand dollars or more, or one percent of the total annual budget of the public entity, whichever is less, shall be included as an agenda item at the next meeting of a public agency providing coverage to a public entity and as an agenda item on the next regularly scheduled public meeting of the public body for informational purposes or for approval if required.

(4) For purposes of this section, a confidentiality or nondisclosure clause or provision contained in or relating to a settlement agreement shall neither cause nor permit a settlement agreement or the claim or any other public record to be withheld from the public. Nothing in this section shall require a public official or public employee or any party to the settlement agreement to comment on the settlement agreement.

(5) For purposes of this section:

(a) Confidentiality or nondisclosure clause or provision means any covenant or stipulation adopted by parties to a settlement agreement that designates the settlement agreement, the claim, or any other public record as confidential, or in any other way restricts public access to information concerning the settlement agreement or claim;

(b) Public body means public body as defined in subdivision (1) of section 84-1409;

(c) Public entity means a public entity listed in subdivision (1) of section 84-712.01; and

(d) Settlement agreement means any contractual agreement to settle or resolve a claim involving a public entity or on behalf of the public entity, a public official, or a public employee by (i) the public entity, (ii) a private insurance company, or (iii) a public agency providing coverage.

(6) This section does not apply to claims made in connection with insured or self-insured health insurance contracts.

Source:Laws 2010, LB742, § 1.

Effective Date: July 15, 2010

 

Cross References

State Tort Claims Act, see section 81-8,235.

Rationale: 

84-713. Settled claims; record required; contents; public record; certain settlement agreements; public agency; agenda item; applicability of section.

(1) A public entity or public agency providing coverage to a public entity, public official, or public employee shall maintain a public written or electronic record of all settled claims. The record for all such claims settled in the amount of fifty thousand dollars or more, or one percent of the total annual budget of the public entity, whichever is less, shall include a written executed settlement agreement. The settlement agreement shall contain a brief description of the claim, the party or parties released under the settlement, and the amount of the financial compensation, if any, paid by or to the public entity or on its behalf.

(2) Any claim or settlement agreement involving a public entity shall be a public record but, to the extent permitted by sections 84-712.04 and 84-712.05 and as otherwise provided by statute, specific portions of the claim or settlement agreement may be withheld from the public. A private insurance company or public agency providing coverage to the public entity shall, without delay, provide to the public entity a copy of any claim or settlement agreement to be maintained as a public record.

(3) Except for settlement agreements involving the state, any state agency, or any employee of the state or pursuant to claims filed under the State Tort Claims Act, any settlement agreement with an amount of financial consideration of fifty thousand dollars or more, or one percent of the total annual budget of the public entity, whichever is less, shall be included as an agenda item at the next meeting of a public agency providing coverage to a public entity and as an agenda item on the next regularly scheduled public meeting of the public body for informational purposes or for approval if required.

(4) For purposes of this section, a confidentiality or nondisclosure clause or provision contained in or relating to a settlement agreement shall neither cause nor permit a settlement agreement or the claim or any other public record to be withheld from the public. Nothing in this section shall require a public official or public employee or any party to the settlement agreement to comment on the settlement agreement.

(5) For purposes of this section:

(a) Confidentiality or nondisclosure clause or provision means any covenant or stipulation adopted by parties to a settlement agreement that designates the settlement agreement, the claim, or any other public record as confidential, or in any other way restricts public access to information concerning the settlement agreement or claim;

(b) Public body means public body as defined in subdivision (1) of section 84-1409;

(c) Public entity means a public entity listed in subdivision (1) of section 84-712.01; and

(d) Settlement agreement means any contractual agreement to settle or resolve a claim involving a public entity or on behalf of the public entity, a public official, or a public employee by (i) the public entity, (ii) a private insurance company, or (iii) a public agency providing coverage.

(6) This section does not apply to claims made in connection with insured or self-insured health insurance contracts.

Source:Laws 2010, LB742, § 1.

Effective Date: July 15, 2010

 

Cross References

State Tort Claims Act, see section 81-8,235.

Rationale:  No Report

Rationale:  Amy Wieczorek completed a study of the GIPS Wellness Policy and analyzed possible assessments for GIPS to monitor implementation of the Wellness Policy. Amy will present her findings.

Rationale:  Students in grades 3-12 and all certified staff completed the Clarity / BrightBytes Technology Survey in March of 2015.  Having been our second year we will examine areas in which progress was made as well as areas for growth.

Rationale:  Jennifer Badura will be presenting first year MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) Data.  The report will feature this year's district average RIT scores and disaggregated RIT scores across grade levels for each testing season. The presentation will also include the percentage of GIPS students at each grade level who reached Reading Lexile proficiency levels as measured by the College and Career Readiness Standards.

Rationale:  In an effort to put GIPS in the best position possible going forward with regards to digital books and other multimedia resources, a team of integration specialists and technology support staff participated in demonstrations from our current vendor Alexandria and an alternate vendor Follett.  The consensus among the team was that Follett Destiny library manager is going to provide the features necessary to more easily support the continued transition from the paper to digital world.  This software change will allow us to consolidate 19 physical servers into Folletts datacenter without compromising the integrity of each of the schools individual collections.  It will integrate with our authentication and student information system and provide that single point of access for our libraries digital media resources.

Rationale:  Grand Island Public Schools currently utilizes Vanco on-line payment services for the processing of on-line lunch fund Visa, Master Card, and Debit Card transactions. Due to increasing patron demand and modern business practices a more robust third party solution is needed. Both on-line and point of sale (POS) are needed to provide the service necessary in today's non-check world. Over the course of the 2014-2015 school year several vendors have been reviewed by both the IT and Business Office and a third party vendor called RevTrak is being recommended. This proposal was reviewed during the monthly Facility and Finance committee meeting and is being brought forward for full Board as an informational item this month and is intended to move on to action next month. If approved by the Board implementation (conversion to RevTrak) would being immediately thereafter.

Rationale:  The Extra Standard Committee has met and recommends changes to the Extra Standard Schedule for the 2015-2016 school year.  The total recommended is $32,641.  A detailed summary of those changes is attached.

Rationale:  Administration recently became aware of an effort to create a student art gallery called UNDRground in downtown Grand Island (3rd and Pine Street) in the basement of the Azteca Market building. Mr. Dubas, Art Instructor at Grand Island Senior High School will lead a discussion to request support of Mr. Dubas and his art students opening a student run art gallery.

Rationale:   Mr. McDowell will present information on the upcoming Tech Camp -and information on how to register.

Rationale:  Grand Island Public Schools in cooperation with CHI-Saint Francis Medical Center and The Physician Network operates a Student Wellness Center on the campus of Grand Island Senior High School.  As part of the cooperating activities both parties enter into a formal lease agreement for the space used by the Student Wellness Center.  The lease needs renewed due to the current lease expiring. Therefore, an amendment to the current lease agreement is attached for the Board of Education's consideration. The amendment is simply to extend the lease period for three years from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018. Additionally, the current agreement and associated amendments are also attached for reference.

Rationale: 

The district handbook team has met several times starting in January to revise and update the GIPS Handbook. This team includes Andrew Rinaldi, DW Holley, Deb harder, Jack Sheard, Jeff Gilbertson, Ken DeFrank, Tim Hekrdle, Joe Kutlas, and John Hauser. Revisions and updates to the 2015-2016 Grand Island Public Schools Handbook were presented for review and discussion at the May Board meeting. The handbook is being presented again for approval.

Rationale:  Due to a change in operating system licensing by Microsoft, it has become financially advantageous for GIPS to upgrade it's district wide licensing agreement to include the client operating systems (Windows 7, 8.1, 10 etc.).  This increase of $21,318.15 would bring the total annual Microsoft EES licensing cost to  $49,461.90.

Rationale:  In an effort to put GIPS in the best position possible going forward with regards to digital books and other multimedia resources, a team of integration specialists and technology support staff participated in demonstrations from our current vendor Alexandria and an alternate vendor Follett.  The consensus among the team was that Follett Destiny library manager is going to provide the features necessary to more easily support the continued transition from the paper to digital world.  This software change will allow us to consolidate 19 physical servers into Folletts data center without compromising the integrity of each of the schools individual collections.  It will integrate with our authentication and student information system and provide that single point of access for our libraries digital media resources.

Rationale:  The Board of Education has the statutory duty to hire a Superintendent. After completing an annual review and evaluation of the Superintendent the Board of Education recommends modifying the employment contract between themselves and Dr. Rob Winter, Ed.D. by increasing the compensation amount by $2,500 (approximately 1%) and verifying the contract runs through the 2015-2016 school year.

Rationale:  A monthly report to the Board and community on the major items discussed and under consideration in the Facility and Finance Committee.  From this committee, there is also a possibility of a presentation and recommendation for action on any item which might have recently arisen requiring a short turn around time frame.

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

Rationale:  A quarterly report to the Board and community on the major items discussed and under consideration by the NASB Board of Directors.

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

Rationale:  A monthly report to the Board and community on the major items discussed and under consideration by The Greater Nebraska Schools Association.