August 12, 2024 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

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.  End of Year Transfers Estimates
       A.  Activities Fund - $40,000
       B.  Lunch Fund - $25,000
       C.  Depreciation Fund - 
       E.  Employee Benefit Fund - 

11.  ESSERs III Funds Update 
       A. Dust Collection System in Shop (Waiting on Bid from HVAC Contractors) and waiting for final reimbursement request (summer school and full-time substitute) to be processed.  Estimating there is still about $3500 to be spent, which must be spent by September 30th.

12.  Special Session Financial Repercussions - Financial Modeling based on LB9 (as amended) is attached to this agenda item.

13.  Budget Development - The draft of the budget was adjusted so as not to exceed the allowable tax authority and so that the district wouldn't have to take part in the pink postcard bills, just as we discussed last month at the July Board Meeting.  Budget development will be discussed with the whole board as "Item 13.6."

 

Rationale:  Due to the movement of the Life Skills Room to the old Youth Center, there is an upright chest freezer that the school has no use for.  The superintendent would recommend that it 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:  Each year, the board is required to appoint a Committee on American Civics and to perform certain tasks throughout the school year.  These appointments are required by statute.

Rationale:  NDE likes to see districts who utilize "local substitutes" have the board be aware of that through making a motion to that effect.  We have done this in the past, but since we have two local substitutes carrying out our full-time substitutes this year, the superintendent advises that we make a motion to that effect as a matter of record.

Rationale:  At the time of our annual policy review, NDE did not have their standards revsion, adoption, and implementation schedule finalized.  They have finalized the schedule and it is included in the attached, proposed 6004 - Curriculum Development Policy

Rationale:  The superintendent, head of maintenance, and IT teacher consulted with Matheson to determine that the duct work and the "barrel catch system" in the high school wood shop needs to be replaced in order to make the system work properly.  A request for proposals was placed in the Kearney Hub.  Rutt's Heating and Air and Jerry's Sheet Metal submitted proposals.  

The superintendent put in a construction request with NDE to allow ESSERs III Funds to be spent on the project, as all ESSERs funds need to be expensed before September 30th.  However, this would be a relatively small portion of the project.  The board may want to simply use the Special Buidling Fund to pay for the expenditure.

The bid tabulation for the proposals is as follows:
Jerry's Sheet Metal: $15,200
Rutt's Heating & Air: $20,200

 

Rationale:  Mark Lewis and Tobin Buchanan will be meeting with the board regarding community engagement for future building needs, during a special meeting on August 13, 2024.  The superintendent would like to touch base with the board members before the board meeting on August 13th.

Rationale:  The board of education needs to decide on a date for their second August board meeting to facilitate end of the year transfers and final payments and to have their budget workshop.  Possible dates are August 27, 28, or 29 at 12:00 (noon).

Rationale:  A budget hearing is held to offer the public opportunity to provide the board of education with support, opposition, criticism, suggestions or observation of taxpayers relating to the proposed 2024-25 Ravenna Public School District Budget.

That budget hearing can be held immediately before the September 9th Regular Board Meeting, if the board wishes, or it can be held on any other date prior to September 29th, as the budget is due on September 30th.

Rationale:  A property tax request hearing is required to be held to offer the public an opportunity to provide the board of education with support, opposition, criticism, suggestions or observation of taxpayers relating to the proposed 2024 Ravenna Public School District Property Tax Request.

That property tax request hearing can be held immediately after the budget hearing and before the September 9th Regular Board Meeting, if the board wishes, or it can be held on any other date prior to September 29th.  Technically, it can be held as late as the Regular October 9th Board Meeting, if the board so desires.

Rationale:  NDE certified the school district's base property tax request authority at $5,898,293.  Through a 70% (5 out of 6 members) vote of the board that property tax request authority can increase to $6,416,561 or $518,268.

It is important to maximize the property tax budget authority in case we need to access it in future years.  The legislature has also discussed modifying any "carryover budget authority," so it is important to have our budget authority as high as possible, prior to them modifying it.

A board resolution can be prepared and put on the September 9th board agenda to approve accessing the additional property tax authority, after the budget hearing and after the property tax resolution has been approved.  If this is what the board wishes to do, it would be part of the regular board meeting held on September 9th.

Rationale:  Copies of the drafts of the budget are attached to this agenda item.  There is the "line item budget" for the General Fund and the APA Budget Document, which is submitted to NDE for approval and used to make the actual tax request.

The total tax request for all taxing funds (General Fund, Special Building Fund, & QCPUF) is slightly less than the Total Allowable Growth Limitation of $5,831,634.  The total tax request is $5,831,187.



  
 

Rationale:  Elementary Open House - Parent Meeting
Tomorrow the elementary is hosting a back to school open house from 5:30-7:00 pm.  Parent meeting at 6:00 pm in the elementary gym.

In Schools Savings Program
Ravenna Elementary is partnering with Town and Country Bank to open a "branch" at school.  Starting on Oct 30, students will have the opportunity to deposit actual money and earn small rewards that incentivize them to save in much the way that accruing interest does. At the end of their elementary school years, students close their accounts and walk away with their savings.  JH students will be trained to act as tellers and take deposits each week.  Ryan and Liz from Town and Country are organizing the program.
More Information to come

Tutoring Program
I was contacted by a gentleman that asked if we’d be interested in starting a tutoring program.  He stated that he would be willing to fund the project.  He funds a program in North Platte so I reached out and spoke with the NPPS Foundation and we are going to model their program.  We will offer homework assistance two days a week for one hour after school.  I put together a simple budget and asked for $2500, he is giving us $10,000 to use for future years or to expand the program.  He asked to remain anonymous. 

Marzano Priority Elements and NEE Evaluation
Tomorrow we will be working with the staff to identify priority Marzano Elements.  These elements will then be paired to a NEE indicator for use in our evaluation model.  The new evaluation model will begin during the 2025-26 school year.
 

Rationale: 

Principal Report August Board Meeting

Academic

• We are starting the process of updating our NEE Teacher Evaluation indicators. 

  • The plan is to begin using the updated indicators for the 2025-2026 school year.

  • We will review the Marzano elements as a district with ESU 10 and collaborate with the staff to come up with a list of priority elements.

• Orientation for the 7-12 students went very well. Thank you to everyone that puts in all the time and effort to make it a smooth process.

• New Staff Orientation was Thursday August 8th, and we welcomed the four new members to the district today. 

• The high school is implementing a new electronic pass system called Securly Pass. 

  • This will help us track the amount of time students are missing class and will allow teachers to know when students have been out of class throughout the day. 

Student Behavior/Mental Health

• Parents were given access to resources for substance abuse and suicide prevention during orientation through QR codes.

  • The link with the presentation and codes was sent through messenger as well.

Activities

• Fall sports teams started practice on August 12th and the drink scrimmages will be August 23rd. 

• Booster pictures were taken on Thursday, August 8th and went well. 

• The process of baseline testing students for concussions for the upcoming year has started and many of the high school students have finished their baseline test. 

Rationale: 

• West Ditch by Football Field - Worked with Tom and Todd to generate a solution.  No additional expenditures at this time.  We'll give it a year and see how it goes.
• Bleacher Project - Done.  We ordered some end caps for safety purposes.
• Dust Collection System - In progress.  Should be done by September 30th.
• Door Locks - Has started and is being completed.  It will likely be 100% complete by late this fall.
• Head Start Modular - Has been removed from the property.  The Head Start is willing to move in more dirt as the existing dirt settles.  We'll probably need to put some rock down in the spring so that we can start parking vehicles over there.
• Track Re-Surface - Completed and paid for.
• Concrete on North Side of Building - Done.
• New Countertops in Elementary - Done.
• Re-heat valves in the high school - Replace existing  - Completed.
• Blacktop Playground Elementary - Done. 
• Blacktop Reseal on the other two areas - Done.
• Repurposing of Youth Center for SPED Life Skills - Mostly done. 
• Hail Damage from Roof (ALICAP Came out to visit but has never been responsive in addressing the damage).  Mr. Schroeder has followed up with ALICAP to see when they will be out.  They have been non-responsive.
• Low Spot on Elementary Lawn - Waiting on budget pricing from Mr. Shiloh Rager.
• Removal of rose bushes/installation of rock (front of elementary) - Done.
• Removal of bike rack (front of elementary) and replace with more appropriately sized rack - Done.
• Clean up of junk north of Todd’s Shop (oil, tires, pallets, junk) - In Progress
• Sprinklers West of Elementary - Ran out of time.  Not happening this year.

2. Projected Enrollment for SY2024-25 - Attached

3.  Special Legislative Session Update - A copy of the Amendments to LB 9 and financial modeling from NDE that reflects the impact of LB 9 are attached to this agenda item for review by the board of education.

4.  NASB Area Membership Meeting will be held in Kearney on Tuesday, August 27th @ 4:30 PM.  If board members want to attend, please let the superintendent know, as registration is due by August 22nd.








 

Rationale:  The "NASB Area Membership Meeting" is happening on Tuesday, August 27th, @ 4:30 PM.  Board Members need to register by August 22nd if they wish to attend.  The superintendent will register anyone who wants to attend.