October 10, 2022 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 (mileage).

5.  Lunch Fund Review-Monthly Lunch Fund Balance 

6.  Payroll Ledger Review

7.  Insurance Billing Review

8.  ACH Payroll Review

9. Van & HVAC Update:

We didn't receive any responses to the RFP's that I advertised in the Kearney and Grand Island papers for vans or HVAC in the gyms.  Thus, I will reach out to local dealers and contractors directly and ask them to provide us with bids.  

10.  Bus Fleet Update

At this time, our entire bus fleet is back on site.  #15 and #16 are not warranty work but had to be repaired.   

11.  Fund Balance Update

September Fund Balance Comparison
	2021	2022
General Fund Checking	$2,147,646.43	$1,158,573.50
General Fund CD	$2,161,491.61	$2,162,474.84
General Fund Total	$4,309,138.04	$3,321,048.34
Building Fund	$698,149.18	$1,041,115.50
Depreciation Fund	$160,063.98	$469,112.36
Employee Benefit Fund	$115,324.91	$115,709.72
Total Fund Balance	$5,282,676.11	$4,946,985.92

Outstanding Reimbursement Requests
Staff Computers	$23,594.83
ESSERs II	$34,846.00
ESSERs III	$62,374.00
Title I	$57,382.00
Title IIA	$24,399.00
Total	$202,595.83

12.  Audit Update: 

Our yearly audit was completed on Thursday, October 6th, 2022.  It went well.  They had two minor "findings".  

They want the superintendent to sign all building and depreciation fund bills.  That is something that has not been done here in the past. 

We have some outstanding checks that they would like to see us get off the books.  

13.  Field Turf Walkover

Boone Central is selling field turf for $2 per sq. ft.  We are considering purchasing enough to use as a walkover for the track.  We would likely need a roughly 10' x 40' section or two sections that equal that measurement.  In the event we resurface the track, we will need a more suitable walkover during the fall.  The least costly at Menards is over $3 per sq. ft. 

14.  Drone

I have recently been approached by several staff members asking if the district would consider purchasing a drone.  I/we have done little research at this point but wanted to bring it up now to make the board aware that there is interest within the staff and student body.  We have G5 technology funds that must be used between 07/01/2021 to 09/30/2022 in the amount of $35,797.

 

 

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:  Mrs. Kjar is presenting about the success of the online curriculum in her Applied English classes.  

Rationale:  Meeting Pulse Rules

1.  The owner of the goal simply indicates if their goal is "On Track" or "Off Track."

2.  The owner of goal can provide ONE sentence explaining the status of the goal, if they wish.

3.  If a goal is "Off Track" it will be placed on the board agenda as a discussion items for the next month.

4.  The expectation is that if a goal is "Off Track" the owner will work to get it "On Track" by the following month.

Rationale:  In the past, Marilyn Bohn was appointed as the Delegate Assembly Representative for the School.  The board will need to appoint another board member to this post.

Rationale: 

Agenda for Negotiations Between REA & Board of Education:

1.  Review the timeline for the negotiation process.

October 1st:  If the local association has not been certified by the CIR, the board must respond to the association’s request for recognition.

November 1st:  Negotiations must begin.  You must conduct at least 4 negotiation sessions by February 8, unless you settle prior to the need for 4 sessions.

February 8th:  If the board and teachers have not reached agreement, the parties must submit to a resolution officer for fact finding and/or mediation.

March 25th * The fact finding/resolution process must be concluded.

September 15th The Commission must render its decisions. 

* Negotiations, mediation, and fact finding must end on or before March 25th of the year before the contract year in question or within 25 days after the certification of state aid for the contract year in question, whichever occurs later.

2.  Review and discuss ground rules for the negotiation process.

3.  Review the proposed list of schools to be used for array comparability calculation.  Those proposed schools include:

Centura
Wood River
Shelton
St. Paul
Loup City
Amherst
Gibbon
Pleasanton
Ravenna

4.  Provide Board of Education & REA of current "2022-23 Negotiated Agreement" for review.

5.  Discuss items that need to be researched by the Board of Education or by the REA for consideration at future negotiations meetings.

6.  Discuss meeting times. 

Rationale: 

Renewal of the superintendent's contract is an annual agenda item for the December Board Meeting, as per the language of the superintendent's contract.

The superintendent is also required to be evaluated twice during the first year of employment and then annually thereafter.  The superintendent's evaluation is an annual agenda item for the December Board Meeting.

This agenda item serves as the written notice the superintendent is required to provide regarding his contract and performance evaluation, as per the superintendent's contract.

Rationale:  The attached policies have all been reviewed, updated, and are recommended to be approved by the policy committee.  

Rationale:  The Buffalo County Clerk's office discovered an error in our total valuation calculation.  The error will end up decreasing the total valuation for Buffalo County and decrease the total tax asking by $1,261. 

In visiting with Bryce Wilson, Head of the NDE Office of Finance, he stated that we simply need to make the corrections on the APA Budget Document and then resubmit the documents.  He recommended that for transparency purposes that the board approve the corrected budget.  Thus, the corrected budget is attached for board approval.  

Rationale:  It is the recommendation of the superintendent that RPS plan on having a traditional start to our school year without masks in the green and yellow operational zones.  This is based on the following: 

• The state of Nebraska is no longer in a pandemic emergency and has discontinued use of the "COVID-19" dashboard
• A vaccine is readily available to the public
• This aligns with stakeholder input from our survey which is attached
• Reviewing the plan every 6 months is required in order to receive ESSERs funding

 

Rationale:  Thank you to Ravenna Public Schools Foundation
The Foundation recently purchased seven standing desks for the elementary school.

Stem Materials
 ESUCC had extra funds available and gave schools the opportunity to order stem materials.  We were able to get several items:

• Bee-Bot (PreK-2) - Bee-Bot is a programmable robot that allows students to move 15 cm steps and 90-degree turns.
• Coding Cubes (Grades 3-5) - A beginner-friendly tool that teaches kids the basics of coding.
• Dual-Control Robotics Set (Grades 6-8) - This allows kids to work collaboratively to build and control both remote and autonomous controlled robots.

School Mental Health Grant
We applied for and received a grant through the NDE.  We are using the funds to bring in a nationally known speaker for professional development and to receive further training on eduCLIMBER.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, Sept 21 (4:00-8:00 pm) and Friday, Sept 23 (8:00-11:00 am)
ATTENDANCE: 93%

Elementary Book Fair
September 19-23
We raised over $1700.  These funds are used to purchase books for the elementary library.

Assessments
The window closed on Sept 30. K-2 took the MAP Assessments and grades 3-6 took the Fall NSCAS Assessment. This is new this year.

Elementary Multicultural Report 
See Attached

Rationale:  P/T Conferences September 21st & 23rd
- Secondary had 60% attendance 

Homecoming
- Invited the elementary to the pep-rally
- Parade

Fall MAPS & NSCAS
- Fall testing is completed

MAPS
- 9th - 12th Grade

NSCAS
- 7th & 8th Grade
- Embargoed until later this month
- Will be sending out individual student scores from spring testing to families with report cards. 

Secondary Multicultural Activities 2022-2023
- Attached

 

Rationale:  1.  NPERS Presentation

2.  Artist of the Month:  Talisee Peterson, 11

3.  Board Quicks Link - October 2022 e-update

4.  Jason Fisher is going to place two 1/2 flood lights on the two power poles on the south side of the property and adjust the lights on the east side of the parking lot to project farther into the parking lot.  












 

Rationale:  Thank you to everyone involved in making Homecoming week a tremendous success.  It was fun and entertaining.  The pep rally was awesome!  

The ditch project looks great and appears to be a tremendous upgrade. 

Congratulations to Sarah McKeon for qualifying for state golf! 

Thank you to the RPS Foundation for the generous donation of 7 standing desks to the elementary school.  

Thank you to the RPS Booster Club for purchasing new headsets for the football team.