August 6, 2018 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

The mission of Gothenburg Public Schools is to prepare all students within a positive and innovative learning environment.

A copy of the open meetings law is posted on the wall of the Board Room and is available to the public.

The Board reserves the right to rearrange the order of items as needed.

Opportunity for Public Expression:

• This item serves as the time entitled for public forum during which patrons may address the Board on matters of general concern per Board Policy 8346, Opportunity for Public Expression.  (A copy of the policy is available.)

• Patrons will be allowed five (5) minutes to express their view.  Board of Education Members will refrain from expressing personal opinions during the Public Forum unless asked a direct question by a patron recognized by the Board President as having the floor.  The board imposed time limit may be extended by a majority vote of the Board.  The board may limit collective comments on a particular topic when necessary. The Board may not take action on matters discussed in the Public Forum unless the item appears on the prepared agenda.

• All concerns and complaints should go through the chain of command beginning with the teacher/sponsor and then to the building administrator/program supervisor and finally to the Superintendent.  If the initiating party is not satisfied with the response of the Superintendent, said party may address a written appeal to the Board of Education through the Secretary of the Board.

As a meeting of the Gothenburg Board of Education is a meeting held in public and not a public meeting, visitors should refrain from comments unless recognized by the chair.

1. Approval of Previous Minutes

2. Approval of the Treasurer's Report

3. Approval of the Warrants / Bills

  a.  Petty Cash

  b.  Student Activity

  c.  Hot Lunch

  d.  Bank Statement

  e.  Summary of Accounts and Receipts

  f.  Monthly Expenditure Report

  g. Check Journal

4. Excuse Absent Board Members

5. Consider Option Enrollment Requests
Option Out:  
Melody Flores - 2nd grade to Lexington
Abel Flores III - 8th grade to Lexington
Amiyah Flores - 7th grade to Lexington
Christopher Flores - 6th grade to Lexington
Option In:
Monique Carlock - 12th grade from North Platte
Elizabeth Carlock - 9th grade from North Platte
Sarah Carlock - 6th grade from North Platte
Ian Tyron - 4th Grade from Eustis-Farnam
Maddeline Tryon - 2nd Grade from Eustis-Farnam
Emma Einspahr - 10th Grade from Eustis-Farnam

This is done on an annual basis.

According to Board Policy 5006, Option Enrollment, the School Board will determine and set, on an annual basis, the maximum number of option enrollment applications the School District will accept in any program, class, grade level or school building or in any special education programs operated by this School District, based upon available staff, facilities, projected enrollment of resident students, projected number of students with which this School District will contract based on existing contractual arrangements, and availability of appropriate special education programs, and may declare a program, class or school unavailable to option students due to lack of capacity.  Such determinations may be made in the form of an Appendix “1” to this Policy.  The determination and declaration made for any school year shall continue in effect for the next and subsequent school years unless otherwise determined and/or declared.

Note that the Swede Academy Preschool has been added to the Option Enrollment Capacity

The building administrators and members of the Executive Council have discussed the proposed Continuous Improvement (professional development) manual including calendar and strategies.

The Assessment Manual has also been updated and will be discussed.

Money was budgeted in the Depreciation Fund and is reserved for eventual capital outlay such as the purchase of vehicles, a roof, or instructional equipment.  The Superintendent recommends a transfer of $50,000 at this time.

Money is budgeted for general operating expenses in the Activities Fund.  The activities director and business manager determine the short-term and long-term needs of the program and determine when and how the funds are to be utilized.  The superintendent recommends a transfer of $25,000 at this time.

Money has been transferred into the lunch fund in previous years due to increased costs and our move to a food court concept. A fairly dramatic reduction in Federal and State Reimbursement, as well as a slight reduction in the sale of meals, will require a second transfer to the lunch fund of $25,000.  We transferred $25,000 in July also.    

The Board approved two years of single insurance as part of a temporary early retirement incentive.  It is recommended that we transfer $25,000 into the fund to handle part of the first year costs.

There are sufficient resources in the budget to allow for transfers at this time.

Dawson County School District #20, Gothenburg Public Schools, participates in a policy update and revision process with the Perry Law Firm through Educational Service Unit #10.  We have received an additional policy for your consideration.
Policy 8310 - Formulation of Policies
Policy 8320 - Adoption, amendment, or suspension of polices
Bylaws of the Board
  Policy 9200 - Formulation, Adoption, Amendment of Policies 

Introduce a revised policy for your consideration.

Annual Policy Update - Third Installment 2018

Proposed Policy Updates

The purchasing thresholds for procurement for purchasing activities that relate to the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs have been increased from $50,000 to $250,000 due to a June 20, 2018 change by the federal government.  The revised policy reflects this change.  As it is in federal law, I believe that this policy may be passed in one reading so that it may be implemented in the upcoming year.

 

Committee Reports (Chair in bold)

1.  Personnel Committee (Mr. Sitorius, Mr. Brundage, Mr. Hudson)
2. Transportation and Facilities (Mr. Fornoff, Mrs. Jobman, Mr. Wyatt)
3. Finance (Mr. Hudson, Mrs. Jobman, Mr. Sitorius)
4. Curriculum & Americanism (Mr. Brundage, Mr. Wyatt, Mr. Fornoff)
5. Policy Review (Mr. Fornoff, Mrs. Jobman)

The Board of Education may hold a closed session by the affirmative vote of a majority of its voting members if a closed session is clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual and if such individual has not requested a public meeting.  Closed sessions may be held for, but shall not be limited to, such reasons as:  (a) strategy sessions with respect to collective bargaining, real estate purchases, or litigation; (b) discussion regarding deployment of security personnel or devices; (c) investigative proceedings regarding allegations or misconduct; or (d) evaluation of the job performance of a person when necessary to prevent needless injury to the reputation of a person.

The vote to hold a closed session shall be taken in open session.  The subject matter and the reason necessitating the closed session shall be identified in the motion to close.  If the motion to close passes, then the presiding officer immediately prior to the closed session shall restate on the record the limitation of the subject matter of the closed session. The Board shall restrict its consideration of matters during the closed portions to only those purposes set forth in the motion to close as the reason for the closed session. The meeting shall be reconvened in open session before any formal action may be taken.