November 13, 2023 at 7:00 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 & reimbursement).

5.  Lunch Fund Review-Monthly Lunch Fund Balance Worksheet Attached

6.  Payroll Ledger Review

7.  Insurance Billing Review

8.  ACH Payroll Review

9.  Annual Audit 

• Lucky to have Hilary 
• No issues or concerns identified

Rationale:  Mr. Haworth chose to resign from the school district on November 10, 2023.  A copy of his resignation letter is attached.

Rationale:  Mrs. Jessica Treadway chose to resign to take a full-time teaching position with Loup City Public Schools.

Rationale:  Mr. Blauvelt has chosen to resign from Ravenna Public Schools due to the fact that he was unable to attain the educational degree and the corresponding certificate necessary to serve as the secondary principal.

Rationale:  Mr. Bolling is requesting that the old football jerseys be declared as surplus for sale or disposal.  Pictures of the jerseys are attached to this agenda item.

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:  We have a student who wishes to graduate early so that he can be deployed.  He is already a member of the military and through his basic training.  He has followed the procedures outlined in policy #5066 and is requesting permission to graduate.

The acting secondary principal, Dr. Ken Schroeder, would recommend that the student be allowed to graduate at the conclusion of the 1st semester, provided that he has all of his coursework completed and earns a "C" or higher in all of those courses.

Additional Key Points of Understanding Related to the Issue:
*Walking with Class - Yes or No?
*Diploma - When the student will receive it his diploma.
*Senior Picture in Senior Slide Show
*Senior Banner
*Student's Name in the Graduation Roll & Program
*Any other "senior related" item to attend to?

Rationale:  Bid Tabulation for school pasture bids:
$6,030 - Conagher Jonak
$4,500 - Terry Ripp

A copy of the bids are attached to this agenda item.

A copy of the publisher's affidavits for the invitations to bid in the Ravenna News and the Sherman County Times are attached to this agenda item.

Rationale:  The board has agreed to the purchase of a new min-bus.  The bidding specification for the mini-bus are attached.

The publisher's affidavit inviting bids is attached to this agenda item.

There were two bids that were submitted.

The bid tabulation is as follows:
Dakota Bus Sales : $49,999
Nebraska Central Equipment : $103,500

 

Rationale:  Mrs. Treadway resigned to take a position at Loup City Public Schools.  Sherrie Klein has agreed to take over the position for the remainder of the year.

Please remember, this is a grant funded position that will end at the end of this school year.  If the district wants to continue to provide the position for the 2024-25 school year, that financial burden will fall on the General Fund. 

Rationale:  The audit produced no major findings.

A copy of the financial audit is attached for review and consideration by the board of education.

Highlights of the audit include:

* A "clean audit."  There were no major findings by the auditor.

General Fund (Page 29) 

• Total Receipts : $6,981,417
• Total Expenditures : $7,393,625
• Cash Position decreased by $412,208 from $3,885,107 to $2,472899
• There was a shift in the amount of funds being taxed into the General Fund.  The tax levy in the GF was lowered in 2021-22 because more tax dollars were going to be put into the Special Building Fund.  So, with the decreased tax revenue coming into the General Fund and increased operating costs, it is only natural that the cash reserve is doing to be spent down a bit.
• The district maintains a strong cash reserve position.  Total expenditures for last year were $7,393,625.  6 months or half of that amount would be $3,668,125.  The district's cash on hand on August 31st, 2023 was $3,472,899, representing 47% of total 2022-23 expenditures.

Depreciation Fund (Page 30)

• Beginning Balance : $469,112
• Ending Balance : $457,576 or -$11,536 over prior year
• Interest and Transfers : $103,435

Employee Benefit Fund (Page 31)

• Beginning Balance : $115,709
• Ending Balance : $116,868 or +$1,159 over prior year
• Interest and Transfers : $1,159
• No transfers were made into this account.  Interest was the only revenue for this account

School Nutrition Fund (Page 32)

• Beginning Balance : $65,682
• Ending Balance : $111,889, due to large $50,000 transfer from the General Fund
• Note: A large transfer was made to prepare for increased costs of additional staff due to a variety of factors, including the need to hire and train a replacement for the food services director, when she retires in May
• We are still exploring the possibility of a CEP (Community Eligibility Provision) where all students would be able to eat for free.

Special Building Fund (Page 33)

• Beginning Balance : $1,040,951
• Ending Balance : $1,435,628
• Note: The tax request in this fund has been large for last year's budget cycle and for this years (2023-24) budget cycle at $666,792 for both budget cycles, in anticipation of a large building project.

Activity Fund (Page 36)

• Beginning Balance : $180,454
• Ending Balance : $192,446
• Note: The activity fund continues to be heavily subsidized by the General Fund.  The transfer this year was $40,000.  Official costs and other operating costs in the general activity fund continue to increase.

 







 

Rationale:  The Buffalo County Election Commissioner has requested that we notify them of our intentions regarding the 2024 election cycle.

Rationale:  The current activity drug testing policy states that we can test for nicotine, but we currently do not.  The current test we provide is $31.  It is $5 to add nicotine.  However, our sales representative said that schools that test for nicotine see a sharp increase in positive test results over any other chemical tested for, because of its highly addictive nature. 

So, I think we would have some more policy work to complete if the school changes what it does now.  Also, some interesting additional information.  We test 9 students 3 times a year.  For a total of 27 tests out of 163 students in grades 7-12th. 

Ord is testing 20 students, twice a month, or 40 students a month, for 9 months out of the year, with a student body of 248 students.  I'm not proposing that we immediately move forward with more testing, adding nicotine to the test, or change the testing timing, but it certainly is worth discussing those options to increase the effectiveness of the program.

Current cost = 27 test x $31 = $837
Cost of Testing 20 students Monthly (9 Months August - April)  = $5,580
Cost Increase = $4,743
Current ms/hs enrollment is 171

Rationale:  At the October Board Meeting, the board reviewed the master facility plan.  The superintendent was asked to have the architect make some changes on the drawings, find out the cost of breaking the plan up into reasonably sized phases, determine the corresponding costs of those reasonably sized phases, and to determine the financing options available.

A copy of the updated plans is attached.  A copy of some financing options based on the budget pricing is also attached for review and consideration by the board.

There are several finance options:
1) Bond
2) Lease Purchase using Special Building Fund and/or QCPUF
3) Special Building Fund - "Pay cash as you go"
4) General Fund - Cash available, but this is your cash reserve and expenditures will be limited by annual certified budget authority.




Information from Tobin regarding financing options:

Dr. Schroeder,
 
We are sending over some initial information for discussion purposes built around the information sent over by Jacob.  Due to the potential equity contribution and project size we did not run a small bond issue scenario.  If we still want to see what that would look like we can discuss what maturity length and bond amount it would make sense to review (possibly a 10 yr voted bond of $5million).
 
Initial thoughts are the district could either finance the entire project with a lease purchase or do a combination of a lease purchase and QCPUF bond issue.
 
If we are wanting to show the difference between financing vs. paying cash, then we should consider the total cost (total P&I) of doing the project now vs. the total amount of the project with inflation. According to Jacob’s email, that cost would be approximately $6,966,321 (less $1.75MM cash contribution = $5,216,321) compared to financing total P&I $4,597,250 for doing it all as a lease purchase.
 
We used 5% for the LP rate.
 

1. $3.8MM lease purchase

1. Use $1.75MM to pay down the project
2. Annual debt service: $656,750
3. Total P&I: $4,597,250
4. Building Fund levy impact: 8.86 cents

 
If the district decided to use a hybrid approach between a lease purchase and QCPUF bond then the information below is a summary of that approach.  It appears this approach would result in a preliminary levy total of 8.27 cents with 1.74 cents being outside the revenue and levy limitations of LB 243.  It would have a slightly higher total P&I of $4,675,750 due to the additional 3 years of debt service in the QCPUF. 
 

2. $2.8MM LP & $1MM QCPUF

2. Lease purchase

                                                    i.     Use $1.75MM to pay down the project
                                                   ii.     Annual payment: $483,860
                                                  iii.     Total P&I: $3,387,000
                                                  iv.     Building Fund levy impact: 6.53 cents
 

2. QCPUF

                                                    i.     Annual payment: $128,875
                                                   ii.     Total P&I: $1,288,750
                                                  iii.     QCPUF levy impact: 1.74 cents
 
We have attached the supporting preliminary quotes for the summary information.  Please review and let us know what additional or different information we can provide.
 
Thank,
 
Tobin
 

Rationale:  The superintendent is to be evaluated twice during his first contract year.  This agenda item is to provide the board of education notice of this need to evaluate the superintendent at the December Board Meeting.

Also, as per the language of the superintendent's contract below.  The superintendent is to remind the board of the terms of his contract renewal in writing at the November Board Meeting.  That informational reminder appears below:

Section 2. Renewal of Contract.  If a Board representative does not inform the Superintendent in writing on or before the seventh day after the regular December 2024 board meeting (and each December thereafter) of the Board’s intention to consider the nonrenewal or amendment of this contract, the contract will automatically renew for a period of one year from and after the expiration date provided in Section 1 of this contract.  The Superintendent shall remind the Board in writing of this provision no later than its regular November meeting of each applicable year in which this contract may renew, starting in November 2024, and shall make the renewal of the Superintendent’s employment contract an agenda item for the regular December board meeting during each applicable contract year.  At the time of each contract renewal and/or amendment, the Superintendent shall be responsible for taking all necessary steps to insure that the School District has complied with the Superintendent Pay Transparency Act.
 

Rationale: 

1.  The REA will make the first negotiations offer to the board of education.

2.  The board will review the 2023-24 midpoint analysis.

3.  The board may choose to make a counter offer, or to take the offer of the REA under advisement and respond at a future negotiation meeting. 

Rationale: 

• First day of the Winter Sports Season.
  • Basketball Jamboree Games  - Nov 20 
• Veterans Day Program
  • The program was very well received.  I'd like to thank the following people:
    • Mrs. Ellis and Mrs. ZInnell
    • Dan, Todd and Dave
    • Dr. Schroder and Ken Yount
    • VFW Auxiliary
    • Annevar Quilt Guild
    • Grand Island Elks Club
• Winter MAP Assessments
  • Begin December 5

Rationale: 

Rationale:  Monthly NASB Video Update for Board Members: https://nasb.enviseams.com/docs/default-source/board-notes/board-notes---october-2023.pdf?sfvrsn=e75458f1_4