September 13, 2016 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Notice of the time and place of the Lincoln Board of Education meeting was e-mailed to an extensive list of local and regional news media.  A mailing list is maintained at the Lincoln Public Schools District Office.  A public notice was published in the LINCOLN JOURNAL STAR.

The Board of Education of Lancaster County School District One, also known as Lincoln Public Schools, is conducting this hearing pursuant to Sections 77-1601.02 and other Nebraska laws.  These laws provide that the 2016-2017 property tax request for the School District shall be the property tax request from the prior year, unless the School District holds a hearing and modifies the property tax request.  The prior year’s property tax request would not correctly fund the 2016-2017 budget which has already been formally adopted by the Board of Education. The testimony received in this hearing will be taken into consideration by the Board when we take action to approve or modify the preliminary property tax request prior to October 14, 2016.       

In keeping with Board Policy 8420:

• A time limit of five minutes will be allotted for any speaker.
• Members of the Board of Education will not respond or engage with speakers.
• Persons speaking to the Board during public comment may hand out printed materials to the Board but may not use any other form of media.
• The Board Chair may make adjustments to the public comment guidelines, according to Policy 8420.
• If at any time persons appearing before the Board exceed the time limitations or become abusive in language or behavior, the Chair may declare that person out of order and to refuse permission to continue to address the Board.
• Anyone refusing to be identified will be prohibited from speaking.

The Human Resources Division also includes the Office of Risk Management.  As such, in addition to the Lincoln Board of Education approving all contractual agreements with employees, all employee benefit issues, all personnel actions, and all other matters within the scope of the Human Resources Division, as part of the Human Resources Matters agenda; the Lincoln Board of Education also must approve the settlement of Workers’ Compensation claims, take action on tort claims filed against the district, and take action on all other matters within the scope of the Office of Risk Management.

Explanation

This report includes routine Hurman Resources changes:

   a.  Administrator Employees:

             Elections – 1

   b.  Certificated Employees:

             Elections – 11

             Re-Elections Same Assignment – 2

             Changes of Status – 11

             Leaves of Absence – 21

             Separations – 3

   c.  Substitute Certificated Employees:

             Elections – 15

             Changes of Status – 3

             Separations – 177

   d.  Classified Employees:

             Elections – 184

             Changes of Status – 16

             Leaves of Absence – 1

             Separations – 77

Proposal

That the Board approve the Human Resources items presented in the attachment(s).*

*The information in the attachment(s) may be protected by privacy legislation until the Board of Education takes action on the staff recommendations.  Therefore, this attachment(s) is not included in agenda materials provided the public and the news media.  Any information in the attachment(s) that is not protected by privacy legislation, however, is available for public inspection from the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources upon request.

That the Board is approving the Human Resources items attached with the information as presented or as on file with official district records and documents relating to each such item, or in such other form as may be approved by the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources, or the Associate Superintendent’s designee, and that the Board hereby authorizes the Associate Superintendent for Human Resources, or the Associate Superintendent’s designee, to transact and complete each such item approved hereby, and to sign, execute, and deliver necessary documents or contracts, and to take or cause to be taken any and all other action as may be necessary to complete each such item of transaction as contemplated, for and on behalf of this school district.

March 15, 2016, was the deadline for enrollment option applications to be completed for students wishing to attend school in a district other than the one in which they reside for the 2016-17 school year.  The Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education has authority to waive the deadline for late enrollment option requests (NDE Rule 7, Section 004.05).      

Explanation 
Requests from students who reside in the district of Lincoln Public Schools and wish to attend school outside of Lincoln Public Schools have been received after the March 15, 2016, deadline.  The Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education may deny or approve these requests.  If these requests are approved by the Board of Education, they will be forwarded to the option school districts for their approval.    

Student Number            Option District
404509                                 Ashland-Greenwood                                  
210526                                 Norris 
400631                                 Malcolm                                   
415388                                 Raymond Central                                   

Proposal 
That the Board approves the requests for option out for the 2016-17 school year.

A hearing was held earlier this evening on whether the Board of Education should approve or modify the preliminary property tax request for Lancaster County School District 001 – Lincoln Public Schools (Attachment One).

Explanation
The 2016-17 budget of Lincoln Public Schools has already been adopted.  According to state law Section 77-1601.02, the preliminary tax request for the district shall be the property tax request from the prior year, unless the school district holds a hearing and sets the property tax request at a different amount.  The prior year’s property tax request would not correctly fund the 2016-17 budget which has already been formally adopted by the Board of Education.  Attachment Two reflects last year’s property tax rates, this year’s initial estimate, and the final property tax rates for 2016-17.

Staff recommends that the following resolution be adopted so that the 2016-17 budget may be funded as adopted.  A simple majority vote is required.

Proposal
That the Board of Education discuss the following proposed resolution:

THEREFORE Be it resolved that the Board of Education of Lancaster County School District 001 hereby sets the district’s 2016-17 property tax request at a different amount from that of the 2015-16 fiscal year and that, pursuant to State Law Sections 77-1601.02, and other Nebraska laws, does hereby set the 2016-17 Lincoln Public Schools property tax request, including the county’s collection fee and any delinquent tax allowances, as follows:

and THEREFORE BE IT further resolved that if updated valuation, budget, or other pertinent information is subsequently received by Lincoln Public Schools or by Lancaster County, Lincoln Public Schools, its administration, and the County shall adjust the property tax request to reflect the updated information pursuant to State Law Sections 77-1601 and other Nebraska laws.

Southwest High School’s auditorium is about to enter its fifteenth year, and is in need of some upgrades and some replacement lights and light bulbs.

Explanation
Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc., headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin, sponsors a corporate giving office which awards philanthropic equipment grants each year. Southwest High School would like to submit a proposal for $10,000 in product donation, including fixtures and accessories. The updates will contribute to a greener and more energy efficient building as well as improve Southwest’s auditorium.

Proposal
That the Board approves the submission of a grant application by Southwest High School to Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. for $10,000 in lighting equipment and bulbs for its auditorium.  No matching funds are required by Lincoln Public Schools.

The application due date is September 30, 2016.

LPS certificated staff use Macbook Air computers to create lesson plans to assist with the education of their students.  These computers are replacing certificated staff computers that are in the replacement point of their lifecycles.

Explanation
It is recommended that the Board award Apple, Inc. $2,940,000.00 for the purchase of 3,500 Macbook Air computers (1.6Ghz Intel Dual-Core i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB Solid-State Drive).  Intel-based Apple computers support both the Macintosh and Windows operating systems, allowing the district to maintain a single hardware platform while also providing teachers the opportunity to select the platform that best meets their productivity and instructional needs.

Cost summary:

The CLASS Technology Plan articulates a 6-year lifecycle for the proposed computers wherein certificated staff use the computers for the first three years.  They are then used for an additional three years in middle and elementary school computer labs.  The proposed computers will replace computers purchased for certificated staff three years ago, allowing those 3-year-old computers to be placed in elementary and middle school computer labs.  Thus, this purchase begins the 6-year lifecycle for the proposed computers and continues the 6-year lifecycle of those that are now three years old.  The lab computers being replaced through this process are, in most cases, eight years old.

The 6-year lifecycle of the proposed computers, as well as those they are replacing, is a documented expenditure in the CLASS Technology Plan aligned with Objectives 2, 4, and 5 of the Student Learning goal, and Objectives 1, 2, and 4 of the Resources for Teaching and Learning goal. This will be an expenditure of $2,940,000.00 from the General Fund in 2016-17.

Proposal
The Board, by approving this purchase, hereby designates the Chief Technology Officer or another person as selected by the Superintendent, or a designee from time to time, as its program administrator under this Agreement.

The Lincoln Board of Education has prioritized recruitment and retention of employees in hard to fill positions.  The district has identified that health technician positions are currently hard to fill based on recruiting and hiring data collected.  As a result, the district is recommending that recruitment and retention funds be allocated to enhance the previously approved salary increase for health technicians.

Explanation

The proposed additional compensation for health technicians is as follows:

• To increase all health technician compensation by $2.00 per hour.

Proposal

That the Board of Education ratify the proposed additional compensation for health technicians.

The Lincoln Board of Education has prioritized recruitment and retention of employees in hard to fill positions.  The district has identified that paraprofessional positions are currently hard to fill based on recruiting and hiring data collected.  As a result, the district is recommending that recruitment and retention funds be allocated to enhance the previously negotiated salary agreement with the paraprofessional employee group.

Explanation

The proposed memo of understanding with the Lincoln Paraeducator Association is as follows:

• To increase all paraeducator compensation by $0.16 per hour.

Proposal

That the Board of Education ratify entering into a proposed memo of understanding with the Lincoln Paraeducator Association.

September 14 - State of the City Address, 7:15 am, Holiday Inn

September 18 - Wysong Elementary Dedication, 2:00 pm, Wysong Elementary

                         FLPS  Benefit Concert w/Hannah Huston, 7:00 pm, Lied Center

September 20 - Chamber Celebrate Business Awards Luncheon, 11:30 am, Cornhusker Hotel

September 22 - District-Wide PTO Meeting, 7:00 pm, LPSDO Board Room

September 27 - Board Meeting, 6:00 pm, LPSDO Board Room

In keeping with Board Policy 8420:

• A time limit of five minutes will be allotted for any speaker.
• Members of the Board of Education will not respond or engage with speakers.
• Persons speaking to the Board during public comment may hand out printed materials to the Board but may not use any other form of media.
• The Board Chair may make adjustments to the public comment guidelines, according to Policy 8420.
• If at any time persons appearing before the Board exceed the time limitations or become abusive in language or behavior, the Chair may declare that person out of order and to refuse permission to continue to address the Board.
• Anyone refusing to be identified will be prohibited from speaking.

Explanation
At this point, it is appropriate for the Board to meet in closed session for one of the stated matters and/or any other permissible closed session matters in compliance with the law.