January 13, 2014 at 7:00 PM - Regular January 2014 Meeting

Rationale: 

Public Participation at Board of Education Meetings:

BOE Policy/Regulation 8346 outlines the parameters of public participation at Board meetings concerning items on the agenda as well as those not on the agenda.  A copy of this policy is available in the Superintendent’s office and at each monthly Board meeting.

Rationale:  Each year at the January meeting, new officers are elected by the board members.  This can be done by either voting verbally or secret ballot.  The first position elected is the position of president.  The president immediately assumes the position upon his or her election to the post.

Rationale:  Each year board of education committee appointments are made by the superintendent.  Those appointments appear in the attached document.

Rationale:  This agenda item is to make board members aware of the conflict of interest statutes in the State of Nebraska.  All information relevant to the conflict of interest statutes, including the downloadable forms board members MAY be required to fill out are available for review and completion by board members at the following url: http://nadc.nol.org/e/index.html.

Rationale:  During our audit, the auditors pointed out a finding by the state auditor that suggested the board president and the board treasurer should sign each check the school district issues.  This resolution by the board will give them the authority to do that.

Rationale:  The Board of Education's Negotiations Subcommittee continues to negotiated with the Franklin Teachers Association (FTA).  Currently, the Board and the FTA have agreed to maintaining the $750 health/dental insurance deductible, a $600 increase on the base pay, and changing the language of several items in the Negotiated Agreement.  They are still negotiating changing the language regarding outdated statutes pertaining to teacher tenure and language related to duty hours of teachers.

The $600 increase in base pay and the increased insurance costs will constitute a 3.8% increase in total compensation for the teaching staff.  The total staff cost will increase from $2,437170 to $2,530,172 for the 2014-15 academic year if the $600 increase in base is approved as part of the Negotiated Agreement.

The Proposed 2014-15 Negotiated Agreement is attached to this agenda item.  Items that have been changed or are proposed to be changed are highlighted.

Rationale:  Dave Platt from the Franklin Fire Department will be over to discuss an option for providing access to the school for Franklin's Emergency Responders.

Rationale:  Board Members, staff members, and administrators were asked to review the existing 8000 & 9000 series of policy in advance of the January Board Meeting and contact Mr. Schroeder with any concerns, comments, or questions.  Are there any policies the board would like to bring to the policy committees attention for review or revision at this time?

Rationale:  In advance of the February Board Meeting Board Members and the administration are asked to review the 7000 Series Policy and contact Mr. Schroeder with any questions, concerns, or suggested revisions.  The staff will also be asked to look at these series of policies and make suggestions regarding their content.

Rationale: 

Elementary Principal’s Report

January 2014

 

Trauma-Informed Schools

In the last  few years we have trained our staff and community on the 40 Developmental Assets. We have implemented a Positive Behavior Support plan, the “Flyer ACE” model as well.   Both of these programs are designed to promote the positive development of our students by providing an opportunity for children to engage in positive behaviors and interactions supporting a healthy learning environment.  

On January 3rd, teachers and staff attended an inservice  introducing them to “Trauma-Informed Schools”. Often student achievement and negative behaviors are linked to underlying trauma that a child may have endured or has witnessed.  Some examples of trauma that a child may experience are child abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, witnessing domestic violence, death of a parent, or divorce.  Children who experience trauma are more likely to fail in school, score lower on standardized tests, and have discipline issues in school. These children often have the inability to form healthy relationships without support from a trusted, caring adult in their lives .  A “Trauma-Informed School” has adults that are sensitive to these students and their experiences and create support plans that promote a safe environment where children are understood and heard.

“Trauma-Informed Schools” was presented by Kay Glidden and Jenny Brown from Region 3 Behavioral Health Services.  

Rationale: 

High School Principal’s Report – January 2014

Board of Education

1. Academic Information

• Book Study Update – How to Grade for Learning – We are now through Chapter 6.If you are following along, we plan to be through Chapter 10 by February’s Board Meeting.
• Access Period Update and PLATO Learning

2. Activity Information

• Football Schedule – 11-Man/8-Man and where we are.
• Our Football District for 14-15 – Arapahoe, Axtell, Blue Hill, Elm Creek, and Shelton.We put Heartland Lutheran (Grand Island), Red Cloud, and Alma on our “wish list” for non-district games.

4. Other Information

• Wellness Committee Meeting Information – See Attachments
  • Letter that went to Parents on a healthier school environment – See attachments

Rationale:  The USDA has officially retracted their restrictions on grain and protein amounts for school meals through the attached memo.

Rationale:  There will be a rate increase for our electric utilities after the beginning of the year, as noted in the attached letter the school received from our electric utilities provider.

Rationale:  Attached is an article pertaining to an amendment to LB 438.  The amendment addresses an accountability system.  The accountability system with be a "growth model".  Our staff has done well in preparing for such a model through their work in implementing use of the NWEA MAPS Assessment Too a Response to Intervention (RTI) Model, and through their work towards a standard-based curriculum.

LB 725 proposes adjusting the local effort rate downward, from the current $1.03 to $1.00.

LB 670, which would propose lowering the property tax valuation of agricultural land from its current 75% of actual taxable valuation to 72% during the 2015 tax year; 69% during the 2016 tax year; and 65% during the 2017 tax year.

LB 470(AM4440:  Superintendent Contract Transparency:  The amended version, attached, does allow for closed session negotiations on the superintendent contract, an improvement from the original LB 470.  However it still uses a "withholding of state funds" penalty for delay or non-compliance for posting the contract locally.  There are a several questions to consider: 1)  Is this level of transparency necessary, or an example of transparency not needed, given that the superintendent contract is voted on in open session with salary/benefit details available to the media? 2) If the transparency is reasonable, should it be limited to salary and benefits rather than posting the entire contract? 3) Is the withholding of state funds a penalty that is different for each district, even though the infraction may be the same, or is the type of penalty that is used for any delay in data reporting overkill, inconsistent, and/or should be replaced with something else? and, 4) If required, would it be better to have this type of transparency requirement to be posted locally or on an NDE site?

LB 682:  Allied Systems for all districts under 650 students for the purpose of expanding curriculum opportunities:  Senator Scheer introduced this bill to put the lack of curriculum, compared to larger districts, in a different discussion.  The bill requires the creation of "allied systems" for every district under 650 (two sections of 25 schools and smaller) to allow for the opportunity to share existing and new curriculum within the allied system.The districts may take action to do so, or simply create the allied system (four partners minimum) and take no action.  Senator Scheer says this bill is in no way an attempt to set the stage for required reorganization, and keeps all decisions about curriculum and funding local, and eliminates geographic location of partners from the discussion by allowing partners to be from anywhere in the state.  Larger districts may choose to participate, but are not required to do so.  He sees this as putting the issue of curriculum opportunity in the smaller schools lap, rather than as an issue of comparison with larger districts.  He perceives smaller districts as lacking in student opportunity and having not done much to address the issue and that current and future technology to correct the problem.  Questions to consider:  1)  What are you doing currently that brings curriculum opportunity from other sources than your own teachers?  2)  Do you feel you need to do more for your students?  3)  Is this allied system requirement (with same/similar time schedules for class periods and days) a solution to more opportunity?  and, 4) Is the senator understating what is happening in schools?

LB 726:  Local control of the number of board members, can have from 5 to 9, in Class II and III districts:  Senator Scheer feels that any/all frustrations about the number of members on a local board are answered by making it a local decision.  The bill gives the path to decide whether or not to make a change and how to go about it.  There doesn't appear to be any limit to the number of times a change can be made, nor any caveat about making changes for political reasons.  He says he has heard complaints from members of nine-member boards about being too unwieldy, from six-member boards about needing an odd number of board members, from rural boards about having difficulty finding qualified people to run for open positions, and so on.  Questions to consider:  1)  Does this solution remedy any particular problem or set of problems that your district has dealt with?  2)  Do you see potential for abuse without any limitation on how often this could be done?  3)  Would your district board consider making a change? and, 4)  Is this an option you would like to see be available?

Rationale:  The article from the "School Law Reporter" discusses how our state auditor is taking issue with activity fund expenditures.  I want to bring this article to your attention to make you aware of the concern and discuss how we might address it as a board and administrative team.