February 12, 2018 at 5:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale:  The Norfolk Public School District's board of education meeting is called to order.  

Rationale:  If any board member is absent, there will need to be a  motion to excuse the absence.

Rationale:  This is a legal meeting of the board of education, as advertised by the means specified in board policy. A complete copy of the Open Meetings Act is posted in the board room for your review. A copy of the agenda is available at the desk of the recording secretary.
 

Rationale:  The Norfolk Public Schools' Instructional Model Preview

Rationale:  Please stand and join us in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Rationale:  Flexible Seating

Rationale: 

This is the time during the meeting when the public may request to address the Board. If you wish to comment, we ask that you identify yourself and the topic that you wish to address. Each individual's comments will be limited to five minutes.

 Please note that  the Board cannot discuss or act upon matters that are not listed on the agenda. Therefore, Board  members will not respond to your comments or questions.  If you wish to request that an item be placed on a future Board agenda, you may contact the Superintendent or her assistant during normal business hours.

Also note that concerns related to school personnel need to be addressed to the Superintendent using the approved district protocol.

Rationale: 

Total amount of claims to be approved in the consent agenda for the month of February, 2018 by specific fund are as follows:

General Fund = $495,395.73

Nutrition Services Fund =$208,116.41

Cooperative Fund = $10,145.62

Depreciation Fund = $35,809.17

Special Building Fund = $1,507.01

QCPUF Fund = $4,280.00

Student Fee Fund = $549.79

The total amount of claims for the month of January, 2018 in the Activities Fund are as follows:
Activity Fund =$118,732.67

All of these claims were reviewed earlier today by the Finance and Facility Committee.  The business office has provided W-2's and 1095 C's to all district employees for the 2017 calendar year.

Rationale:  Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment

• All grade levels and content areas have been working diligently on their 13 step process for target based grading.
• A small group of JH & SH Health and Wellness teachers worked on curriculum. We discovered some updating that needs to take place. Continued work is needed. The Curriculum committee can anticipate a review of the updated curriculum this year.
• In February, I have scheduled dates to work with SH Business, JH & SH Family and Consumer Science and an additional day with SH Science. Progression in other content levels will continue in PLC’s. 
• February begins state testing training. Every teacher or para that administers a statewide test is required to have been trained. This will look different but won’t actually be a big change. The testing engine is the same one that supports the NWEA MAP assessment. Our students are used to this platform so I do not expect any big problems.
• An administrator and teacher leader went with me to Grand Island to observe their implementation of a science program. It is one of several we are investigating for implementation. I was pleasantly encouraged by what I saw. In fact, it revealed how the new Science standards can be infused in classroom learning activities. More information will come as we investigate more programs.  In addition to program research, we have teachers at differing grade levels attending science workshops that are being offered by ESU 8.
• The SH Spanish department has also spent time investigating and researching instructional programs. Their current edition is very dated. We had two companies come and present their products. I’m confident we can move forward to make a decision.

Rationale: 

• Parent/Teacher Conferences were held last week.  I will share an attendance summary of conferences at all Norfolk Public Schools, at next month’s board meeting.   
• ELPA 21 started for our district ELL students on Monday, February 5^th and will continue through March 16^th.
• Kindergarten enrollment has started for the 2018-19 school term. Registration is being held at neighborhood schools. Parents must have a birth certificate and a copy of immunizations to begin the enrollment process. Kindergarten Round Up will be held Wednesday, April 18th at your neighborhood elementary school.

Rationale:  Instructional Model:

• Additional information about our new Instructional Model was shared with board members at our 5:30 p.m. Study Session. More details will be coming out to all certified staff in April and May. Our district will utilize this model to effectively train our new teachers and reinforce essential instructional elements with all of our staff.  Special thanks to members of  the Instructional Model Task Force for their tremendous input and commitment to this project!

Safety Information:

• Student safety remains a top priority and we hope to release an informational video about our district "Standard Response Protocols" sometime later this week. The video is intended to inform our parents and community members about the actions our staff and students should take in the case of an emergency or crisis situation.
• On February 13th and 14th our district Safety and Security Team will be attending training at NECC focused on threat assessment and crisis management. This two day training will help our team continue to further enhance our district safety procedures.

Staff Development Day (ESU # 8 Winter Workshop):

• Due to the recent severe winter weather, the 2018 Winter Workshop was cancelled. This event has been rescheduled for Monday, January 21, 2019 at Norfolk Senior High School.
• Our scheduled keynote speaker for this year (Dr. Adolph Brown) has agreed to move his keynote presentation to next year’s event.
• Special thanks to all of the NPS staff members who were scheduled to appear as session presenters. We greatly appreciate the hard work and commitment that went into preparing for the event and we look forward to having them present next year.  

Hiring Season:

• The hiring season is already in full swing for our district and we are busy carefully reviewing applications and selecting the highest quality candidates to fill our most recent and anticipated openings. I am pleased to report that we are getting very skilled and quality applicants who are excited about joining our team.  We will continue to advertise and recruit as needed until all of our spots have been filled.

Career Fairs:

• Over the next two months, we will be visiting several area Career Fairs. The purpose in attending these events is to promote our district and recruit the very best candidates to teach and serve in our schools. We are committed to providing our students the highest quality teachers and support staff possible.

Personnel Update:

• Current Openings:
  • Activity Bus Drivers
  • Bel Air Elementary- School Secretary
  • ELL - Westside Elementary
  • Elementary Teacher - Bel Air
  • Elementary Teacher (Reading / PE)
  • General Maintenance /Transportation
  • General Maintenance/ Electrician
  • Grant Elementary-Classroom Paraprofessional
  • Junior High-Dean of Students/Activities Director
  • Junior High-Assistant Principal
  • Junior High/Middle School-ELL Teacher
  • Junior High- Special Education Paraprofessional
  • Junior High- Resource Paraprofessional/Driver
  • Media Assistant / Technology Support
  • Middle School Teachers (4)
  • Senior High- Drafting Instructor
  • Senior High-Special Education Vocational Programs
  • Senior High- English Teachers (2)
  • Senior High- Math Teacher
  • Special Education Resource Teacher
  • Speech/Language Pathologist (1)
  • Substitute Custodians
  • Westside Elementary- ED Paraprofessional/Driver-F/T
  • Substitute Teachers
  • Substitute Paraprofessionals/Secretary

• Current Coaching Openings:
  • 7th Boys Head Basketball (2018-2019)
  • JV Volleyball (2018-2019)
  • Head Softball (2018-2019)
  • Assistant Varsity Volleyball (2018-2019)
  • Senior High Weight Room Supervisor (2018-2019)
  • IM Head Football (2018-2019)

 

Rationale: 

Strategic Planning:
Norfolk Public Schools will hold our second round of Strategic Planning on February 25th, 26th, and 27th.  We have created a diverse team of students, teachers, parents, community members, board members and administration to examine our strengths and weaknesses and set new goals for our district to be completed over the course of the next 3 to 5 years.  

Career and Technical Education Organization Month:
Earlier this month, Governor Rickett’s signed a proclamation that made February Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) month in Nebraska.  CTSOs are a critical component to career education and economic development in our state.  

They help to develop students’ "soft skills," which are things like leadership, communication, collaboration, and problem solving skills. These skills are critical to students’ success in "the real world," but they cannot be taught via textbooks and worksheets.  They must be taught in real-life situations or simulations...which is exactly what CTSOs offer our students.

Norfolk Public Schools recently expanded our CTSO offerings based on the advise of our Advisory Boards for our Career Academies.  We have always had traditional CTSO’s such as FFA (Future Farmers of America) and FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), but we have now added SkillsUSA, a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student excel by providing educational programs, events and competitions that support career and technical education (CTE).  We have also recently added HOSA, a student organization with a mission to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people. These CTEOs expand the learning opportunities that we provide for students beyond the traditional classroom into real life scenarios.

So, why did the Governor choose to designate February as CTSO Month?  Because he recognizes their value and importance, and because February has been designated as Career and Technical Education Month®  nationwide, to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country.

CTE is education that directly prepares students for high-wage, high-demand careers. CTE covers many different fields, including healthcare, information technology, welding, drafting, construction, business management, agriculture, culinary arts, etc. These are areas where Northeast Nebraska is experiencing a workforce shortage, and they are areas where Norfolk Public Schools has developed Career Academies to help address that workforce shortage.  

Career Academies, Career and Technical Education, and Career and Technical Education Organizations are the key to developing Nebraska’s workforce for the future.  That is why Governor Ricketts has proclaimed February CTSO Month, and it is why Norfolk Public Schools and our community partners have invested so heavily in these programs.  

I appreciate that fact that Governor Ricketts  recognizes the critical role that CTSOs play in the development of our students and our future workforce, and I would like to thank our local community organizations and businesses who are partnering with us to expand CTE opportunities for the students (and future workforce) of Norfolk, NE!

 

Rationale: 

The committee met today at 12:00 p.m.  We reviewed all claims for February, 2018, Activity claims for January, 2018 and current fund balances.  We also discussed the following items:

• Update on the renovation process for the 25th Street property
• Envisions Math curriculum purchase
• Classified and nursing staff compensation for 18-19

Our next meeting will be at 12:00 noon on March 12, 2018 at NPS central office.

Rationale:  The Policy Committee met at 1:00 on January 25, 2018. Revisions were made to Policy 1320 (Memorials) relating to the Foundation's ability to accept memorials and monetary donations.  Our original policy was too restrictive.  This revision allows the Foundation to accept memorials and donations from a wider array of constituents (including current and former students and staff, as well as community members.)

Policy 5205 (Graduation) up for second reading this evening, was also revised to clarify graduation requirements for Physical Education and Computer Technology.  Requirements were NOT changed; wording changes were made to clarify the requirements.

Policies 5401-5412  (up for first reading this evening) were reviewed as part of the yearly policy review cycle. No substantive changes were made to these policies.   
 

Rationale:  The Activities Committee has not met since our last Board Report.

Rationale:  The Government Relations Committee met on January 15, 2018 and January 23, 2018.  Members also attended the Greater Nebraska Schools Association meeting on January 7, 2018 and the Nebraska Association of School Boards; Legislative Issues Workshop on January 21 and 22, 2018 and Legislative Luncheon on February 9, 2018.

We are monitoring a number of bills in the Legislature related to school funding, property tax relief, administrator pay, early childhood education, curriculum and instruction, school choice, and local control. 

Members of this committee have sent written testimony in support and opposition to bills.  They have also contacted individual senators with questions and feedback, and participated in hearings when necessary.

In general, we oppose school funding cuts and property tax relief measures that do not include replacement revenue for schools.  We also oppose bills that would reduce local control of schools.  We support bills that would increase funding for special education and early childhood education.

This committee is scheduled to meet again on February 14, 2018.

Rationale:  Minutes of the Jan. 9, 2018 Student Health Fund Meeting and the Feb. 6, 2018 Nurses' Meeting are attached.

Rationale:  Minutes from the January 8, 2018 and January 25, 2018 meetings are attached for review.

Rationale:  TJ Shiers - Junior High Assistant Principal/Activities Director
Stephanie Shiers- ELL Teacher
Deb Hoemann- Special Education Teacher (retiring after 35 years in education -- 18 with Norfolk Public)

Rationale:  Attached are the claims for the month of February, 2018 

Rationale:  It is recommended to provide the district hourly classified staff at 3.25% increase to their hourly rate for 2018-2019.  This is same percentage as agreed upon for the certified staff that was approved in January.  Also attached is the recommended base hiring rates for the district hourly positions for 2018-2019.

Rationale:  It is recommended that the Executive Director of NPS receive a 3.25% package increase for 2018-2019.  This package increase would be same increase being used with all other employee groups for 2018-2019.

Rationale:  It is recommended that the nurses receive a 3.25% package increase for 2018-2019.  This percent is the same used with all other employee groups for 2018-2019.  Attached is the propose 2018-2019 employment agreement for the nurses.

Rationale:  This calender has been created based upon the K-12 calendar that was approved by the Board last month.  Changes were made where necessary to meet early childhood requirements for home visits and trainings. We will continue to hold classes on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with Wednesdays reserved for teacher plan time, training, and collaboration.

Rationale:  Based on the enrollment projections that I shared with you during a previous Study Session, it is anticipated that all grade levels, programs, and buildings will be at capacity for the 2018-2019  school year -- except grades 1 and 3.  First grade will be able to accept fourteen option enrollment student for the 2018-2019 school year, and third grade will be able to accept nine students. I am recommending that all other grade levels, programs and buildings be closed to Option Enrollment students for the 2018-2019 school year.

Rationale:  The Policy Committee is recommending changes to this policy as it was too restrictive in terms of who could make donations to the Norfolk Public Schools, via the NPS Foundation.  Donations will be accepted from current and past students, staff, and community members.

Rationale:  Only minor, non-substantive changes were recommended by the Policy Committee.

Rationale:  A formatting change was made to Board Policy 5205: Graduation, in order to make it easier to understand. No other changes have been made to these policies since their first reading.

Rationale: 

During the school year of 2016--17, teachers and administrators went through an extensive process to evaluate, review, research and pilot math programs for Kindergarten-8th grade. We purchased grades 3-8 EnVisions last year.  We consciously decided to wait 1 year for the K-2 purchase because of their new implementation of Wonders Reading at that time.

One qualifying bid was submitted to me on Monday, Feb. 5th.

I recommend the purchase of the K-2 EnVisions Math Program at cost of $153,003.34 plus 3% shipping costs (approximately $4,590.10).

Rationale:  The SH Spanish courses have grown significantly in the past 4 years. Some of that is due to the 2 years of foreign language requirement for a 4 year college. The current instructional materials that teachers are using are extremely dated. Updated Spanish instructional materials will assist teachers to better address academic rigor, have access to updated vocabulary and technology for student learning. The technology pieces made available to students with updated materials will them to have access to learning outside of the classroom. We currently serve 467 students in SH Spanish 1-4. 

Rationale:  The 2nd monthly meeting of the  Board of Education has been tentatively scheduled for noon on Thursday, February 22, 2018.  The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Monday, March 12, 2018.  The Study Session will begin at 5:30 and will be followed by the Business Meeting at 6:30.   All components of these meetings will be held at the NPS Central Administration Offices and will be open to the public unless an Executive Session is needed in order to protect the interest of the district or the reputation of an individual.