August 24, 2021 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education ESU 18 Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

Notice of the time and place of the Educational Service Unit 18 Board 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 Educational Service Unit 18 Board 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 Educational Service Unit 18 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. The Educational Service Unit 18 Board shall also make available for examination and copying as requested by members of the public, at least one copy of all reproducible written materials to be discussed at the meeting.

Rationale: 

In the interest of maintaining the orderly decorum of the Lincoln School Board's meetings, the following rules are established for the conduct of all person attending a meeting of the Lincoln Board of Education and for those participating in public comment:

No signs, posters, placards, etc. shall be affixed to the walls, doors, etc. of the Lincoln Public Schools District Office or any room therein, except by LPS staff in connection with District business and then only with permission of the Superintendent or designee.

No sign, placard, or poster which is carried by hand shall be permitted in the Lincoln Public Schools District Office building or any of its rooms.

In keeping with Board Policy 8420:

1. Persons speaking during Public Comment will be called forward individually by the Board Chair to the location identified for such purpose. 
2. 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. Board members may share, address or consider comments from the public during public comment, at the end of public comment or when related business is on the agenda.
3. Each individual speaking to the Board will be required to identify himself or herself prior to giving public comment. A "Record of Appearance" card is provided for this purpose.
4. Persons wishing to appear will be heard in the order in which the Chair of the meeting determines appropriate.
5. In cases where more than one person wishes to speak on the same topic, their presentations to the Board may, at the discretion of the chair, be grouped together by topic.
6. If the number of people wishing to speak under the public participation portions of the agenda is large, the chair may rule that a public hearing be scheduled or the discussion be limited on the issue in question.
7. Persons speaking to the Board during public comment may make printed materials available to the Board but may not use any other form of media.

If at any time persons appearing before the Board exceed the time limitations set forth in this policy or on the agenda or if persons appearing before the Board or who are present at the Board meeting or public hearing become abusive in language or behavior, it shall be the responsibility of the chair to declare that person or persons out of order and to refuse permission to continue to address the Board, require a change in behavior and may require the person or persons to leave the premises of the Board meeting.

Rationale: 

1. That $4,076,997 is the Board’s estimate of the total amount under its adopted budget statement to be received from taxation of the taxable property within the Educational Service Unit for the fiscal year beginning September 1, 2021, and ending August 31, 2022.

2. That the County Commissioners of Lancaster County be requested and directed to levy and collect for said mentioned purposes the tax rate necessary to produce $4,076,997, after the county’s tax collection fee has been deducted, the same as other property taxes are levied and collected. 

3. That the officers of the Board be directed to report the action of the Board of Educational Service Unit 18 to the County Commissioners of Lancaster County (in their capacity as the levying board) and to the Auditor of Public Accounts not later than September 20, 2021, in accordance with State Law Section 13-508 and other Nebraska laws.

4. That the 2021-22 budget as presented and all supporting documents (copies of which are on file with official Unit records and which are hereby incorporated herein by this reference as though set forth in full) as developed by the administration be hereby approved and adopted.

5. That the administration is hereby authorized to take all action necessary to implement the adopted budget herein, and to make any necessary changes or adjustments as required by Nebraska laws to properly reflect such adopted budget statement hereby approved, due to new requirements, assessed valuation certifications or re-certifications or such other matters which require necessary fiscal adjustments to complete the budgeting process for the 2021-22 fiscal year adopted budget and budget statement hereby approved.

6. That in accordance with Section 003.04C of Title 92, Nebraska Administrative Code, Chapter 2, Section 79-1070 R.R.S. Neb., and Section 79-1244 R.R.S. Neb., and other Nebraska laws and regulations, the Board authorizes that at any time during the 2021-22 school fiscal year there is temporarily insufficient money in any of the Educational Services Unit’s funds, or in any of the funds of any entity of which the Educational Service Unit is a "blended component unit" as such term is defined in the Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement 14, the Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs or a designee may transfer money from other funds to such fund, such transfer to be considered a loan subject to repayment as soon as funds are available to do so.

Rationale: 

In the interest of maintaining the orderly decorum of the Lincoln School Board's meetings, the following rules are established for the conduct of all person attending a meeting of the Lincoln Board of Education and for those participating in public comment:

No signs, posters, placards, etc. shall be affixed to the walls, doors, etc. of the Lincoln Public Schools District Office or any room therein, except by LPS staff in connection with District business and then only with permission of the Superintendent or designee.

No sign, placard, or poster which is carried by hand shall be permitted in the Lincoln Public Schools District Office building or any of its rooms.

In keeping with Board Policy 8420:

1. Persons speaking during Public Comment will be called forward individually by the Board Chair to the location identified for such purpose. 
2. 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. Board members may share, address or consider comments from the public during public comment, at the end of public comment or when related business is on the agenda.
3. Each individual speaking to the Board will be required to identify himself or herself prior to giving public comment. A "Record of Appearance" card is provided for this purpose.
4. Persons wishing to appear will be heard in the order in which the Chair of the meeting determines appropriate.
5. In cases where more than one person wishes to speak on the same topic, their presentations to the Board may, at the discretion of the chair, be grouped together by topic.
6. If the number of people wishing to speak under the public participation portions of the agenda is large, the chair may rule that a public hearing be scheduled or the discussion be limited on the issue in question.
7. Persons speaking to the Board during public comment may make printed materials available to the Board but may not use any other form of media.

If at any time persons appearing before the Board exceed the time limitations set forth in this policy or on the agenda or if persons appearing before the Board or who are present at the Board meeting or public hearing become abusive in language or behavior, it shall be the responsibility of the chair to declare that person or persons out of order and to refuse permission to continue to address the Board, require a change in behavior and may require the person or persons to leave the premises of the Board meeting.

Rationale: 

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.

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.