March 10, 2025 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

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

6.  Payroll Ledger Review

7.  Insurance Billing Review

8.  ACH Payroll Review

9.  2025-26 Property Tax Authority (Attached)

10. General Fund - Cash balance and future tax levy.

11. CD - Review of Investments (Attached)

• May want to move all investments to 9-month flex to provide for liquidity of funds, until the cash reserve is increased during the next budget cycle.

 

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:  The school district should update its policy regarding student contact with law enforcement.  Attached is the current version of the policy and the proposed version of the policy.

The Ravenna Public Schools Policy Committee met on January 29 and discussed this policy at length.  It was also discussed at the February 10th Board of Education Meeting.  While the Policy Committee members want to have school be a safe and welcoming environment for students, they understand that there may be situations where law enforcement's presence on school grounds is necessary, so the Policy Committee and the superintendent are recommending adopting the attached copy of the policy, which allows for law enforcement to question students, only after obtaining parental consent.  

Rationale:  Each year the board of education approves the school calendar for the upcoming school year.  Attached is a copy of the proposed 2025-26 school calendar for the board's review and consideration.

Rationale:  Mr. Huryta periodically (4 to 5 years) refreshes the students' (9-12, middle school, elementary) laptops through a bulk purchase.  He will be in to share information about his proposed purchase for a 9-12 computer refresh and to seek authorization for it. 

The formal recommendation from the tech coordinator and the superintendent is to approve the quote from Pine Cove Consulting, which is the first attachment attached to this agenda item.  The estimated cost of the purchase is $133,969.20.

Funds are budgeted for this annually in the General Fund Budget.  Due to the fact that these computers are only refreshed every 4 to 5 years, when funds for computer purchases in the General Fund Budget are not utilized during an annual budget cycle, the money for that budget cycle is not spent during several years of the budget cycles.  During those years where the funds are not used, the funds are expensed from the General Fund to the Depreciation Fund for future use, so that funds are available in the Depreciation Fund, when such purchases need to be made.  Therefore, there are currently funds in the Depreciation Fund available for this purchase.

Rationale:  The principals have been working with staff and with Marc Doss from NEE to adjust the indicators (or "look fors") on the teaching evaluation instrument and will be in to share their suggested changes to the evaluation instrument.

If the board approves the revisions, the board will be asked to approve the revised copy at the April Board Meeting and then the superintendent will file a copy of the revised evaluation instrument with the Nebraska Department of Education, which is required by NDE Rule 10.

Rationale:  The elementary staff have been reviewing the language arts curriculum and have a recommendation regarding the adoption of a new language arts curriculum.

The bids for the language arts curriculum is attached to this agenda item.

Board Members and members of the public can view the proposed elementary ELA curriculum at: https://view-su2.highspot.com/viewer/646af97682ed63c0c03e14a16790422d#1

During previous budget cycles, money has been expensed from the General Fund to the Depreciation Fund for such a large purchase.  So, there is currently money resting in the Depreciation Fund for this purchase.

 

Rationale:  The board and superintendent review classified staff compensation annually for the purpose of making budget preparations for the next school year.

Attached are the projected costs of wage increases for classified staff for the 2025-26 school year. 

The board will also need to discuss the following items:

• Para Compensation & Work Conditions - The superintendent sat down with the paras on February 28th.  All paras were invited to attend the meeting.  If they could not attend for any reason, they were encouraged to email their concerns to the superintendent.  There were no new additional concerns expressed by the paras.  Some continued to express ideas about increasing pay, insurance benefits, not being paid for unused sick leave, and one para who also has her substitute teaching license has requested to be provided with a pay differential when she substitute teaches.
• Kitchen Staff Compensation Study - Attached is a copy of a wage survey that is a sampling of schools across the state.  The average wage range for various sized schools was $14.81-$17.17 per hour.   The average wage range for schools similar in size (300-500 students) to Ravenna was $14.71-$17.20.  The superintendent would recommend making the starting wage for kitchen staff help $15.00 per hour for new employees, increasing the existing employee who is making $13.49 to $15.00 an hour and increasing the rate of pay for one other long-time staff member from $15.96 to $17.00, and providing the cafeteria manager with a 3% salary ($1,050) increase.  The cost of this pay adjustment for the entire kitchen staff would be $13,854 or a 5.88% overall package increase.  Comparatively, a 4% wage increase for the entire kitchen staff would equal $10,708 or a 4.55% overall package increase.  The superintendent feels the increase is necessary in order to compensate and retain staff and to keep up with the market rate statewide.
• Dave Huryta's Work Agreement with the District - Do you want to negotiate his work agreement separately or simply provide him the same wage percentage increase as is provided to the rest of the classified staff?
• After School & Summer Custodial Student Pay Rate - Currently $9.00 per hour - This rate needs to be adjusted to ensure we can recruit adequate after-school and summer help.  Adjusting it to $15.00 per hour would help keep us competitive with the area job market.

Rationale:  Mr. Schirmer will be at the board meeting to discuss the high school girls wrestling program for the 2025-26 school year.  Items to be discussed will be:

• In-House Program vs. Co-oping with Another School
• Coaching Positions & Placement on the Extra Duty Salary Schedule
• Schedule of Competitions
• Budget

Rationale:  Ravenna:
Head - 5% (which is currently being split between the head and the assistant/technical director) - 2.5%
Assistant - 2.5%

Amherst:
Head - 5% (.25% experience factor per year, to a max of 7.5% of base)
(Head and Assistant not specified, only one rate provided.)

Arcadia: 
Head -  11% - 14%
Assistant - 4.8 - 6.2%

Central City:
Head -  5% - 10%
Assistant - 3% - 5%

Centura:
Head -  8% - 10.7%
Assistant - 4% - 6.7%

Doniphan-Trumbull:
Head -  4.93%
Assistant - (not specified)

Gibbon:
Head - 4% - 6% (Based on experience-max of 6%)
Assistant - 2% - 3.5%

Loup City:
Head - 6%
Assistant - 3%

Ord:
Head - 7.7% - 14%
Assistant - 5% - 8.6%

Pleasanton:
Head - 5%
Assistant - 3%

Shelton:
Head - 6%
Assistant - 3%

St. Paul:
Head - 7%
Assistant - No assistant, head director position only

Wood River:
Head - 2.5% - $2,000 Floor
Assistant - $500 (fixed)
 

Rationale:  Family Book Bingo Night (Jr. Jays PTO)
Tuesday, March 11 from 6-7 pm.

Dr. Seuss Week (March 10-12)
Monday - Crazy Socks
Tuesday - Hat Day
Wednesday - Wacky Wednesday.  The 5/6th grades will host carnival-style games in the gym from 8:45-9:45.

Book Fair
We earned $937.66 from the book fair last month. These funds are used to purchase books for the library.

SAEBRS
Has been completed and verified.

YAB Food Drive
The Youth Advisory Board recently sponsored a food drive.  905 items were collected.  Mrs. Drahota and the YAB members will make up food boxes for local families and get them delivered.  Mrs. Bult's 4th-grade class won the challenge by bringing in the most items.  They will get treats on Wed, March 12.

Rationale: 

Principal Report March Board Meeting

Academic

• We are currently reviewing next year's schedule to reorganize and rename some of our CTE classes. 

  • This is to create more pathways and enhance our work-based learning opportunities.

• The ACT test is scheduled for Tuesday, March 25th.

Student Behavior/Mental Health

• Dating Violence Awareness week was February 17th through the 21st.

  • Ms. Drahota had a table set up during lunch with information on healthy relationships. 

Activities

• The winter sports season has concluded. 

  • Grady Rasmussen, Trenton Wedemeyer, Kason Palser, and Cameron Fisher qualified for the state tournament in Omaha.

  • Grady and Kason placed 3rd.

• The celebration of National FFA week was moved to the week of February 24th through the 28th due to the weather.

• Four robotics teams qualified for state in Omaha on March 14th and 15th. 

Rationale:  1.  Mapping Grant Update - Grant recipients will be named this week, according to NDE.

2.  Light pole at Football Field - The insurance company is sending out a lighting contractor (ProTech Lighting) on Tuesday morning to provide the school district with some options and pricing.  Adam Nelson from Polux Pole Testing is coming out this week to evaluate the existing poles ($30 a pole).  See the system they use at: https://cbs-cbt.com/en/technology/polux-5-113-8 - Note do not simply type in "Polex Pole Testing" into your search browser.  That will end badly for you.

3.  Outdoor Pavilion Color - Galaxy Blue or something different

4.  Legislative Update - (Attached)

• LB 135 would restrict the use of special elections for bond issues, like the one the school district is running right now.
• LB 295 - Retirement implications
• LB140 - Student Cell Phone Policy 

5.  Budgeting for 2025-26 - Once classified salaries and administrative salaries are in place for 2025-26, the superintendent will be able to share a solid draft of the 2025-26 budget with board members.  A brief review of the General Fund and the existing cash balance and future cash balance, in respect to the anticipated 2025-26 tax cycle and increased expenditures for 2025-26 is in order.  We will likely need to utilize an inter-fund loan from the Special Building Fund for the month of April.  I have already verified with the NDE Financial Services Office that this is acceptable, but I will need to put the motion on the April Agenda to make it a matter of record. 

6.  Bond Election Discussion