April 9, 2013 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

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 Lincoln Board of Education is empowered to act on any item listed on the Agenda at any time during the meeting, irrespective of the time or order listed. Pages listed, or further detail, are available upon request. The Open Meetings Act requires and the intention of the Board is that agenda items be sufficiently descriptive to give the public reasonable notice of the matters to be considered at the meeting. The Lincoln Board of Education releases its agenda well in advance of most meetings and desires that all interested persons are fully informed. Any interested person who has a question or needs clarification about the sufficiency of a descriptive item should contact the Office of the Superintendent of Schools.

Rationale:  The attached minutes are intended to accurately reflect the action of the Board at its previous meetings.

Explanation
The minutes have been prepared for Board approval.

Rationale: 

Mike Swartz has been selected to receive the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award and to attend the 2013 Symposium on Music in Schools.  Swartz is a strings teacher and currently teaches at Lincoln Southeast High School, Meadow Lane Elementary School, Adams Elementary School, and Eastridge Elementary School.

Explanation
Mike Swartz has been selected as the Yale Distinguished Music Educator.  When school is not in session, he works on a summer strings program that he started more than two decades ago, known as S.A.I.L. Camp (Strings Alliance in Lincoln).  The camp holds summer sessions at north and south Lincoln schools, as well as an honors orchestra.  His 29 years of teaching and 19 years conducting the Lincoln Youth Symphony and festival orchestras have spread a love of music to young musicians and inspired many to become professional musicians.

Swartz:  ‘I believe that the experiences shaped my musical and personal life giving me a unique, and practical, perspective of how music can impact education and student learning.  I want to contribute to the discussion and insight, a belief and a vision of how essential music can be as a part of school reform.’

As for his peers, Mike is a facilitator for the strings music itinerant teachers in the school district’s Professional Learning Communities.

LPS Music Curriculum Specialist Ray Lowther noted Swartz’s ability to set the stage for a successful music experience with the youngest of students.

‘I admire Mike’s desire to teach beginning students.  Although he has a teaching assignment both at the elementary and secondary level, his gift for helping young beginners get off to a solid start is where I feel he is most effective.  For 26 years, Mike has spearheaded a summer strings program, S.A.I.L. Camp, where over 300 students grades 4-12 participate.’ 

For this particular honor, Swartz will attend the 2013 Symposium on Music in Schools at Yale.

Proposal
That the Lincoln Board of Education adopt the following resolution:

WHEREAS Lincoln Public Schools music teacher Mike Swartz has been honored with the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award and has been selected to attend the 2013 Symposium on Music in Schools; and

WHEREAS Mike Swartz shares his love and skill in music to teach students of all ages, both in his work at Lincoln Public Schools, and in summer months at the S.A.I.L Camp; and

WHEREAS Mike Swartz has cultivated, inspired, and instructed so many young Lincoln musicians; and

WHEREAS Mike Swartz is recognized by his peers and serves as a leader in increasing student achievement in the music curriculum.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Lincoln Board of Education does hereby congratulate Mike Swartz for receiving the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award and for his years of sharing music with the young people of our community.

Rationale:  In keeping with Policy 8420, a time limit of five minutes will be allotted for any speaker. At the discretion of the Chair, the speaker may be allotted additional time.

Rationale: 

Rationale: 

Rationale:  At each meeting, the Board of Education is asked to approve certain items of routine business of the school district.

Explanation
The items included in routine business for this meeting are:

a.    REGULAR CLAIMS – Claims for the periods ending April 9, 2013, were previously provided.

       Federal Tax ACH Deposit of $4,916,083.39.

       Procurement Card ACH Transfer of $67,822.08.

       Office Depot ACH Transfer of $25,546.05.

       Vendor ACH Transfer of $40,915.94.

b.    PAYROLL FOR RATIFICATION – Payroll for the periods ending March 28, 2013, in the amount of $12,942,250.15.

c.    GIFTS – Approval for the gifts listed on the attached gift report.

d.    BIDS/CONTRACTS/OTHER ROUTINE BUSINESS – Bids/contracts/other routine business will be presented for approval for classroom furniture for the Sherrill Education Center and other new and existing classrooms as needed; and any other bids/contracts/routine business as presented.

Proposal
That the Lincoln Board of Education approve the following items of routine business:*

a.    The regular claims for periods ending April 9, 2013.

b.    Payroll for the periods ending March 28, 2013.

c.    Gifts for Morley, Lincoln High, and North Star.

d.    Bids/contracts/other routine business for classroom furniture for the Sherrill Education Center and other new and existing classrooms as needed; and any other bids/contracts/routine business as presented.

*That the Board is approving routine business and the listed bids and contracts with the information and in the form as presented, and except as to amount bid or total contract price, in such other form as may be approved by the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs, or his designee, and that the Board hereby authorizes the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs, or his designee, 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 the transaction as contemplated, for and on behalf of this school district.

Rationale:  On January 24, 2012, the Board adopted a resolution to accept option students for the 2012-13 school year.  Applications have been received from students requesting that they be accepted as option students for the 2012-13 school year.  Staff recommends that the students referred to in this agenda item be accepted for enrollment as they are in compliance with the Board resolution of January 24, 2012.

Explanation
Staff has examined the application of the students included in this proposal.  The students meet the criteria (currently attending) set forth by the Board in its resolution of January 24, 2012.  Staff recommends approval of these applications.

Proposal
That the Board adopt the following resolution:

WHEREAS the students who have been assigned student numbers 261217 and 247626 (for purposes of confidentiality, assigned numbers are being used) meet one of the criteria (currently attending) of the Board resolution of January 24, 2012, with regard to such option students;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the aforementioned students be accepted as option students on the condition and with the express understanding that all programs, all classes and all buildings of assignment, except as otherwise required by law, shall at all times and from time to time during attendance at Lincoln Public Schools be determined solely by Lincoln Public Schools.

Rationale:  On February 12, 2013, the Board adopted a resolution to accept option students for the 2013-14 school year.  Applications have been received from students requesting that they be accepted as option students for the 2013-14 school year.  Staff recommends that the students referred to in this agenda item be accepted for enrollment as they are in compliance with the Board resolution of February 12, 2013.

Explanation
Staff has examined the application of the students included in this proposal.  The students meet one of the criteria set forth by the Board in its resolution of February 12, 2013.  Staff recommends approval of these applications.

Proposal
That the Board adopt the following resolution:

WHEREAS the students who have been assigned student numbers 262376, 263663, and 218832 (for purposes of confidentiality, assigned numbers are being used) meet one of the criteria of the Board resolution of February 12, 2013, with regard to such option students;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the aforementioned students be accepted as option students on the condition and with the express understanding that all programs, all classes and all buildings of assignment, except as otherwise required by law, shall at all times and from time to time during attendance at Lincoln Public Schools be determined solely by Lincoln Public Schools.

Rationale:  *The Lincoln Board of Education is empowered to act on any item listed on the Agenda at any time during the meeting, irrespective of the time or order listed. Pages listed, or further detail, are available upon request. The Open Meetings Act requires and the intention of the Board is that agenda items be sufficiently descriptive to give the public reasonable notice of the matters to be considered at the meeting. The Lincoln Board of Education  Board releases its agenda well in advance of most meetings and desires that all interested persons are fully informed. Any interested person who has a question or needs clarification about the sufficiency of a descriptive item should contact the Office of the Superintendent of Schools.

Rationale:  Friday, April 12, Educare Lincoln, Grand Opening, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Friday, April 12 - 15 NSBA, Annual Conference

Wednesday, April 17, GNSA, 9:30 a.m.

Wednesday, April 17, Face the Chamber, 12:00 p.m. Lincoln Country Club

Saturday, April 20, 2013 BackPack Walk, 10:00 a.m. East High

Tuesday, April 23, 6:00 p.m. Board Meeting, Co-City Bldg.

Rationale:  In keeping with Policy 8420, a time limit of five minutes will be allotted for any speaker. At the discretion of the Chair, the speaker may be allotted additional time.

Rationale:  The Lincoln Board of Education is authorized by state statute to hold closed sessions.  Closed sessions may be held when clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual.  Reasons that meet this standard include but are not limited to:  (a) strategy sessions with respect to collective bargaining, real estate matters, pending litigation, or litigation which is imminent as evidenced by communication of a claim or threat of litigation to or by the public body; (b) discussion regarding deployment of security personnel or devices; (c) investigative proceedings regarding allegations of criminal misconduct; (d) evaluation of the job performance of a person when necessary to prevent needless injury to the reputation of a person and if such person has not requested a public meeting; and (e) legal advice.

Rationale:  The Lincoln Board of Education is empowered to act on any item listed on the Agenda at any time during the meeting, irrespective of the time or order listed. Pages listed, or further detail, are available upon request. The Open Meetings Act requires and the intention of the Board is that agenda items be sufficiently descriptive to give the public reasonable notice of the matters to be considered at the meeting. The Lincoln Board of Education releases its agenda well in advance of most meetings and desires that all interested persons are fully informed. Any interested person who has a question or needs clarification about the sufficiency of a descriptive item should contact the Office of the Superintendent of Schools.