January 15, 2024 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. General Fund Review

7.  Payroll Ledger Review

8.  Insurance Billing Review

9.  ACH Payroll Review

10.  Community Eligibility Provision for Nutrition Program - Still have not heard back from NDE, but it doesn't look like we are going to be able to make it happen based on our student population.

11.  Consider adding additional pay to the extra duty schedule for concession stand duties.

• Current compensation on the extra duty salary schedule is 4 units or $1460 (4% of the current base of $36,500)
• Teacher also gets a period a day to do the duty ($4055)
• Total Compensation = $5,515 (which would actually equal 15% of the base, a higher percentage than any other extra duty on the salary schedule)

12.  Discuss and consider additional duty days for partial FTE teacher.

13.  Classified pay increase - particular attention to para professionals

• Sped paras - Wage increase
• Use of sick leave for snow days and for non-school days (playoffs, unanticipated school closures)
• Dress
• Insurance
• 2 Position have the potential to be absorbed (pre-school para and the one on one para position that was vacated last month)
• These two positions not being refilled and the additional SPED funding and the additional state aid money, coupled with the fact that the "sped-funded paras" compensation is outside the spending authority and tax levy limitation

 

Rationale: 

As per board policy, the Ravenna School Board reorganizes itself annually at the regular January Board Meeting.

Rationale: 

The Nebraska State Laws regarding conflict of interest and the corresponding forms are available to all board members at: <http://www.nadc.nebraska.gov/e/>.  Any board member with a potential conflict should fill out a conflict of interest form and file it with the superintendent.

A copy of the Conflict of Interest Policy and a copy of the Board Code of Ethics is also attached to this agenda item for review by each board member.

Rationale: 

The school district's attorney recommends that the board review its policy on complaints annually.  Policy 2006 "Complaint Procedure" is attached for review by the Ravenna Board of Education.

Rationale: 

The board needs to appoint an official representative for all of its state and federal programs.  The superintendent requests that he be named as the representative for these programs.

Rationale: 

The board is required to appoint the bus mechanic(s) that do the regular inspections of the fleet vehicles.  The mechanics currently working on the buses and completing the inspections are: Ravenna Coop, Complete Auto, Holiday Express Bus/Nebraska Bus & Coach, MC Auto, & Todd VanWinkle.

Rationale: 

The Ravenna Board of Education needs to decide how they will publicize their meetings and record that method in their minutes.  It is the recommendation of the administration to publicize the meetings in the manner described in Board Policy 2008, which reads, "Notice of regular and special meetings shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation with the district including, but not limited to The Ravenna News, The Kearney Hub, & Omaha World-Herald. Such notice shall contain a statement that the agenda shall be readily available for public inspection at the administration office of the school during the normal business hours. In addition, the superintendent is authorized, but not required, to publish the notice of any meeting on the school district’s website, posting in three prominent places within the school district, or by any other appropriate method designated by the board. "

A copy of Board Policy 2008, which was revised on September 11, 2023, is attached to this agenda item.

Rationale: 

The board needs to appoint standing committee members for the upcoming school year.  The suggested appointments are attached to this agenda item for the board's review and approval.  They may adjust these committee assignments in any manner they see fit.

Rationale:  The meeting notice had to be placed in The Kearney Hub this month due to the fact that the board meeting needed to be rescheduled and The Ravenna News was unable to publish the meeting notice 48 hours before the anticipated meeting.

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:  1.  Consider adding additional pay to the extra duty schedule for concession stand duties.

• Current compensation on the extra duty salary schedule is 4 units or $1460 (4% of the current base of $36,500)
• Teacher also gets a period a day to do the duty ($4055)
• Total Compensation = $5,515 (which would actually equal 15% of the base, a higher percentage than any other extra duty on the salary schedule)

2.  Discuss and consider additional duty days for partial FTE teacher.

3.  Classified pay increase - particular attention to para professionals

• Sped paras - Wage increase
• Use of sick leave for snow days and for non-school days (playoffs, unanticipated school closures)
• Dress
• Insurance
• 2 Position have the potential to be absorbed (pre-school para and the one on one para position that was vacated last month)
• These two positions not being refilled and the additional SPED funding and the additional state aid money, coupled with the fact that the "sped-funded paras" compensation is outside the spending authority and tax levy limitation

Rationale:  Mrs. Maulsby and Mrs. Wick have been researching a reading intervention curriculum for our middle school students.  They would like to present their recommendation to the board regarding the selection of Lexia PowerUp curriculum as a supplemental reading intervention program for use at the middle school.

Board Members can find out more about the product by visiting: https://www.lexialearning.com/powerup

or by reviewing the attached brochure.

Rationale:  Each year, Ravenna Public Schools contracts with ESU 10 of Kearney for a variety of special education support services and cooperative services agreements.  Attached are the proposed contracts and agreements for the 2024-25 school year for review and consideration by the Ravenna Board of Education.

The recommendation of the superintendent is to enter into the contracts and cooperative agreements as they have been presented.

Rationale:  As part of our on-going policy review, board members should please review our 1000 & 2000 Series Board Policies in advance of the February Board Meeting.  The superintendent will do the same and provide any suggested revisions to the Board Policy Committee & to the whole board at the February Board Meeting.  It's simply best practice to continually engage in a review of board policies.

These, and all other board policies, are available at: https://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Organization/64

Rationale: 

The Ravenna Board of Education is supposed to appoint members to the Board of Directors for the Ravenna Public School's Foundation at its February Board Meeting.  Each year, we review this information together, so that the board is in a good position in February to make any needed appointments.

Superintendent  (Lifetime Ex-Officio Non-Voting Member)

The"By-Laws of Ravenna Public School Foundation" (see attached) call for the Ravenna Board of Education to appoint the board members.  The purpose of this agenda item is to review the current board appointments, to track the length of the board members' appointments on an annual basis, and to establish a plan to revisit these appointments for review by the board on an annual basis. 

Board Members may serve no more than four consecutive terms:

Board members=2 year term x 4 terms max=8 years

Other appointed members=3 year term x 4 terms max=12 years


Current Board Membership and year of last appointment by member is as follows:

Misti Fiddelke - 2022 - 2 - year term ends.
Ryan Osten - 2022 - 2 - year term ends.
Mike Voelker - 2022 - 2 - year term ends.
Cassie Giffin - 2024 - Just added in 2024 (actually started in September of 2023 - but technically a 2024 appointment)
Cindi Coulter - 2021 - Wishes to continue.
Dan Schmidt - 2017 - Wishes to continue.
Tanner Ellis - 2021 - Wishes to resign.
Kinsley Musil - 2021 - Wishes to resign.
Caley Mingus - 2022

 

 

 

 

Rationale:  The pavement between the north side of the high school and the north building is failing and needs to be replaced.  It is difficult for students and staff to use to transit between buildings, particularly in the winter months.  Budget pricing was secured by a civil engineering firm out of Kearney, Nebraska, Oak Creek Engineering.  The proposed drawings for the replacement and the concrete and the budget pricing is attached for review and consideration by the RPS Board of Education.

There was dialogue between the civil engineer, the administration, and the architectural firm, Wilkins Architecture, currently being utilized for master facility planning to ensure that the concrete replacement could be done whether or not the proposed additions and renovations to the school are completed in the future.

Other summer projects to consider

1.  Budget Pricing for Concrete Replacement North of the High School - Attached
Notes: The pavement between the north side of the high school and the north building is failing and needs to be replaced.  It is difficult for students and staff to use to transit between buildings, particularly in the winter months.  Budget pricing was secured by a civil engineering firm out of Kearney, Nebraska, Oak Creek Engineering.  The proposed drawings for the replacement and the concrete and the budget pricing is attached for review and consideration by the RPS Board of Education.

There was dialogue between the civil engineer, the administration, and the architectural firm, Wilkins Architecture, currently being utilized for master facility planning to ensure that the concrete replacement could be done whether or not the proposed additions and renovations to the school are completed in the future.

2. Budget Pricing for Blacktop Base for Track Repair & Replacement - Attached

3.  Budget Pricing for Blacktop Repair & Sealing of Blacktop - Attached 

4.  Budget Pricing for Elementary Countertops, Sinks, and Faucets - Attached

5.  Budget Pricing for Ceiling Tile & Grid Re-Fresh or Replacement - Contacted contractor and waiting for pricing

6.  Budget Pricing for Replacement of "footboards" on the stadium bleachers - Contacted contractor and waiting for pricing

7.  Budget Pricing for Re-Heat Valves - Contacted contractor and waiting for pricing

8.  Budget Pricing for Low Spot on Elementary Lawn - Contacted contractor and waiting for pricing


Summary of Summer Projects to Move Forward with securing final bids for or entering into a contract with a vendor or contractor for:

• High School Gym HVAC Project: $204,000 (ESSERs will cover $182,800.  The district will have to pay the remaining $21,200 + the remaining $17,500 worth of "retainage" for the project or a total of $38,700 from the Special Building Fund)
• Concrete Replacement North of High School: $264,361
• Track Re-Surfacing: $57,000 (top coat only) or $407,000 (base and top coat)
• Blacktop Repair: $8,897
• Elementary Countertop, Sink, & Faucet Replacement (7 Units or Half of Them - With the other 7 to be done during the summer of 2025) - Dan & Todd will do the work: $5,087
• LED Light Replacements ($140 per unit - total cost of units to not exceed $5,000) - Dan & Todd will do the work : $5,000

Rationale:  MAP and FastBridge:
We have completed all the winter assessments.

SAEBRS
SEL screener - will be completed on or before February 12.

PTO Reading Challenge
Grand Prize Winner- Javanaa Rivas

First High Five Friday of the new year!   
Thank you to the Girls and Boys basketball teams, the Color Guard, and the Cheerleaders

Rationale: 

Principal Report January Board Meeting

 

Academic

• MAP Data Review

  • Teachers looked at MAP data by grade level to look for trends in each area. 

  • Teachers identified strength areas and growth areas within each of the four test areas of Math, Reading, Language Usage, and Science.

• Middle School Reading Intervention  

  • Lexia was chosen as the curriculum to be implemented.

• Welcomed Back Students - January 4th

  • 5 Behavior Expectations

  • Digital Citizenship - No use of phones in the restroom or locker room

  • Contraband Reminder - School / Parking Lot

  • Informed students of changes to drug testing and upcoming SOS training

• Secondary Problems Solving Team Meeting - January 3rd

  • Analyzed and adjusted how we are tracking and documenting interventions with students to determine their effectiveness.

  • Clarified the role of the student representative for our watch list students. 

 

Student Behavior/Mental Health

• SOS Training - Suicide Prevention Training - Moved to January 19th

• Increased Drug Testing Frequency

  • Informed students of increased monthly testing. 

  • Informed students of nicotine testing beginning in the fall.

  • Students were offered support and resources if needed. 

  • Working on putting together a sample policy for the board to review at the February Board Meeting.

• MYSABERS and SABERS will be completed between January 15th and February 9th.
   

Activities

• MTSS Assembly - December 21st

  • Celebrated the One Act State Championship

  • Thank you to Mrs. Yendra and the Student Council

  • 8th Grade won the Clash of the Classes 1st Semester

    • Least number of students on the downs list

    • Attendance

    • Tardies

    • Participation in ExtraCurricular Activities

    • Participations in Sports

Rationale: 
1.  CTE Grant - LB814 - $7,500 to use to improve our CTE Programs - Award Notification and Details from NDE - Attached

2.  CDL Course for High School Students - UNK Safety Center is pursuing working with high schools to offer a CDL certification for high school students.  This is in the early stages, but I thought I would mention it as an interesting possibility for our students.

3. Staffing - We'll be advertising for 4 positions beginning on Tuesday, January 9th: Principal, 7-12 PE Teacher, Media Specialist & School Improvement Specialist, & Language Arts Teacher (Anticipated Opening)

4. Legislative Bill Summaries (Attached) - Pay special attention to LB1063, which requires a board to take any expenditure from the Special Building Fund to a vote of the people if that proposed expenditure is $250,000 or greater.

5.  January 21st-28th - Nebraska School Board Member Appreciation Week