March 12, 2018 at 8:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

1.  Review monthly bills using the EMeetings Software.

2.  Review all credit card transactions for the month.

3.  Finance Committee Members Sign-off on review of monthly bills, credit card transactions, and district fund balances.

4.  Approve superintendent's expenses (credit card transactions, mileage, cell phone reimbursement).

5.  Lunch Program Monthly Review-Financial Data

6.  PLE Calculation Tool/Lunch Price/Opaa! Fixed Meal Price for 2018-19-The NDE Nutrition Services Office will soon be releasing the PLE Tool we use annually to set meal prices for the upcoming 2018-19 School Year.  This will be an item on the April Finance Agenda and on the Regular Board Meeting Agenda.  The meal price set by the school is NOT governed by Opaa!  The two are independent of one another.  Opaa! charges the school a set price for each meal they sell to the school.  The amount they can increase the contracted fixed meal price by is based on the consumer price index and the increase is regulated by the USDA.  The school will receive and addendum to our current service contract with Opaa! this spring that will indicate what that price increase from Opaa! will be.

7.  Bobcat Lease vs. Purchase-

8.  Mower Lease vs. Purchase-

8.  Depreciation Fund-The current balance is $13,934.  Requested expenditures from this account in the coming months include: new industrial mower ($15,000); high jump pit ($6,000); wrestling practice mat ($10,000); possible textbook purchases (waiting on final pricing). 

Rationale:  Mrs. Chancellor has been weeding out the outdated or damaged books from the high school library's collection.  She would ask that the attached list of books be declared as surplus for immediate sale or disposal.

Rationale: 

Members of the Public, 

This is the portion of the board meeting when we invite anyone in attendance to address the board of education. If you would like to speak to the board regarding any of the items on tonight's agenda or a public concern, now is your opportunity to do so.  Please review the orange sheet (found on the visitors' chairs) of paper that contains the guidelines for public participation.  If you wish to speak to the board at this time, please let me know.  "Would anyone like to address the board at this time?"

 

AFTER THE PERSON(S) INDICATE(S) THEY WISH TO SPEAK

1.  Please stand and state your name?

2.  What topic will you be speaking on?

3.  Are there others in the room who wish to speak to the same topic? (If so, ask that they be recognized so that 30 minutes of time for public comment can be apportioned as per the policy-5 minutes per person).

4.  Optional-"Please understand that public comment is your opportunity to speak to the board and present your concerns, thoughts, feelings, ideas, and observations.  Members of the board are happy to hear from members of the public, but the board will not engage in conversation or dialogue with you during public comment."

4.  "You'll have approximately 5 minutes to address the board, as we allow 5 minutes per person and a total of 30 minutes for public comment.  You may begin when you are ready?"

 

 

 

Rationale: 

Congratulations to Ms. Caley Greer, who was February's ABC Bluejay Staff Member of the Month!

Congratulations to Kyle Moore, who is March's ABC Bluejay Staff Member of the Month!

 

Nominees this month include:

Heath Ahrens-Mr. Ahrens is a kind, considerate teacher and colleague. Mr. Ahrens is flexible and willing to work with his colleagues for the good of the school, including volunteering his classes to help set up for the robotics meet as well as the wrestling meet. Mr. Ahrens works to prepare his students for success after high school, and the real world content in his classes will serve his students well. His FFA program's activities and initiatives throughout the year are varied and MANY; it is by far the most active organization in our school. Mr. Ahrens tells a great story, and his students and colleagues appreciate his sense of humor and work ethic.

Kyle Moore- Mr. Moore is an important part to our school.  He works very well with both students and staff at RHS.   He always greets you with a smile and a contagious personality that all of us appreciate.   The students also interact very well with Mr Moore during his lunch duties. His responsibilities are many and the effort that he puts in is a great asset to the school.   Kyle has served the district for several years as a paraprofessional and has told us this will be his last year.  Kyle has been willing to work one-on-one with several of our high needs students.  We have asked him to change his schedule, roles, and responsibilities over-and-over at the drop of a hat and he has done whatever we asked without complaint.  Kyle will be difficult to replace.

Angie Drahota-Mrs. Drahota is kind, caring, and sympathetic.  She's never to busy to lend a hand, listen, and help you anyway she can.  As the school's sole guidance counselor, she has many responsibilities K-12, but manages them all flawlessly and with a smile.  She has a strong work ethic, great follow through, and a super positive attitude.

Noah Maulsby-Mr. Maulsby is an outstanding classroom teacher and coach.  In addition to being an excellent teacher and coach, he is an active member of the MTSS Team.  He is positive, upbeat, and possesses a "can do attitude".  Students are lucky to have such a competent teacher and coach as Coach Maulsby.

Rationale:  Each year, the school provides an appreciation and recognition meal for the staff.  This year's recognition meal will be held at Zoerb's Barn on Friday, May 18th at 6:00 PM.

We need volunteers to help with the grilling.

The menu will be brats, hamburgers, water, tea, lemonade, and staff will be asked to bring a side dish to share with others.

Board Members and staff will be included in the meal count and paid for by the district.  Spouses and guests attending will be paid for by an anonymous donor, whose donation for their expenses will be recorded with the bookkeeper.

The average cost for staff members and board members will likely be less than $7.50 per person.

Rationale:  After the 2018-19 School Calendar was approved at the February 12th Board Meeting, the district was made aware of the fact it will be our responsibility to hold an FFA district contest during the 2018-19 School Year.  Originally, another school had volunteered to do this, and we didn't expect to have the responsibility to do so.  The date of the contest will be December 12th.  This will be a non-student day with teachers reporting.  So, there will be one less student day and the same number of teacher days, as teachers will report for in-service training on this day.

Rationale:  The Ravenna Board of Education and Administrative Team has discussed implementing a random drug testing policy for extra curricular and co-curricular activity participants.  The Policy Committee and the Administrative Team have created a final draft of the policy for review and 1st reading approval by the board.

If the 1st reading is approved, a parent and student informational and public comment meeting will be held to solicit input from the public.  The second and final reading of the policy will be an action item on the April 9th Board Agenda.

If approved on 2nd reading, the policy will be added to the Student Handbook & Activities Handbook and begin to be enforced during the 2018-19 school year.

A copy of the policy is attached to this agenda for review by the board members.
 

Rationale:  The school district is adding a PE teacher for the 2018-19 school year to provide more PE instruction for elementary students and more PE options for 7-12 students.  Mr. Brett Mauler will be hired as a high school social studies teacher to replace Mr. Maulsby, who is the new PE teacher being added to the staff, but currently serves in the role of high school social studies teacher.

Rationale:  The school district is adding a .5 Music Teach for the 2018-19 School Year in order to provide elementary students with more music instruction.

Rationale:  The board approved the replacement of the existing playground equipment.  The bids solicited for the equipment replacement by Mr. Anderson are attached to this agenda item.  Mr. Anderson will formally make his request and recommendation for bid approval at the March 12th Board Meeting.

Rationale:  Each year, the board considers the compensation offered to the elementary principal for the upcoming school year. 

Rationale:  Each year, the Ravenna Board of Education considers the compensation offered to the secondary principal for the upcoming school year. 

At the February 12th meeting, when this was discussed, the recommendation was to increase Mr. Kjar's salary in the amount of $9,250 in order to increase his standing in the principal's compensation array.

Rationale:  The Ravenna Board of Educaiton reviews the compensation for the superintendent for the next contract term annually.  Attached to this agenda item is a salary array comparison for the superintendent of school included in the schools comparability array.
 

Rationale: 

•  New Assessment this year (use to be NeSA) - The Nebraska Student-Centered Assessment System (NSCAS)  pronounced "en-skass,  Testing window is March 19-April 27
• Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for March 15.
• Last Wednesday was the end of the 3^rd quarter.

• Reading Fun Night - April 15.
• Family Game night - TBD. 

Rationale: 

1.  The "Mid-Session Legislative Update" which highlights the bills that could have an impact on education in the state of Nebraska is attached to this agenda item. 

2.  Scoreboard Fundraising-The approximate cost of a new football scoreboard is $25,000.  The football coach and AD are poised to engage in fundraising for the scoreboard.  A couple of questions for the board to consider:
A)  Do we need a new scoreboard?
B)  How much will the school be willing to contribute to a new scoreboard (10%; 25%; 50%)?
C)  When should the scoreboard be replaced? (2017-18; 2018-19; 2019-20; or beyond)

Answers to these questions will help to guide the fundraising efforts, as we begin to correspond and solicit donations from potential sponsors.