October 12, 2020 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

• Meeting called to order by Board of Education President Maahs 

• No further discussion took place on this action item.

• No further discussion took place on this action item.

• Teachers Truax and Lemmer shared information about their classes and activities through a PowerPoint presentation and handout.
• Discussion centered around the various opportunities available to our students within the district. The class curriculums are diverse. Many of the concepts focus on employability skills like time management, leadership, and work ethic.  
• Questions centered around reflection on teaching in a pandemic, the number of classes each teacher instructs each day, and the increase of student participation with various clubs like FFCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America) and FFA.

• No further discussion on the consent agenda. 

Official Board of Education minutes are available on the district web site at www.districtor1.org

Administrative reports are available in their entirety at: https://meeting.sparqdata.com/Public/Organization/174

• Discussion centered around the Olson Complex Dedication Event and the tremendous amount of hard work and collaboration by all involved to bring the project together. 
• Discussion also centered around the various supplemental funding activities being pursued to help supplement district costs in many areas. These areas include food service, technology, and the Olson Complex (recycled tire grant). 
• Additional discussion centered on the upcoming COVID Response Day (Wednesday, October 14th) which facilitates deep cleaning of buildings, increased staff collaboration on curriculum and assessment, and enhancing remote learning opportunities through Canvas and other digital platforms.  

• Mr. Johnson delivered the report for the high school.
• Discussion on the report centered around parent-teacher conferences, report cards, and Homecoming activities. Feedback from teachers and parents on the format for parent-teacher conferences was positive. A recommendation for keeping some of the digital format of the conferences could be helpful in the future, regardless of whether we are still in the middle of a pandemic or not.
• Report cards will be sent home the week of October 19th and the end of first quarter is Friday, October 16th.
• Homecoming was also discussed along with an appreciation for the work of our coaches and the athletic director using flexibility in scheduling, rescheduling, and accommodating numerous changes to activity events. 

• Ms. Walter delivered the elementary building report.
• Discussion centered around parent teacher conferences, the end of first quarter and report cards, National Bullying Prevention month, and the various activities going on in the building. 
• Ms. Walter thanked staff and students for their adherence to building safety protocols. 

• Mr. Johnson delivered the activities report on behalf of Mr. Hoeft. 
• Discussion centered around school activities, adjustments to activity schedules, and upcoming events.
• Mr. Johnson listed the names of students who were candidates for Homecoming royalty. 

• Jay Spearman from Piper Sandler talked with the board about a resolution for refinancing bonds.
• Mr. Spearman stated that the interest rates have moved in a positive direction and the time for refinancing is good.
• Discussion centered around two basic options for refinancing (please see the attached document for more information). 
• The board decided to table a decision and a committee will present a recommendation to the entire board at a future meeting. 
• The committee will schedule a meeting prior to the next regular board meeting.  

• The annual auditor visit began on October 5th and 6th.
• The audit is being completed remotely and our office staff has done a tremendous job of providing requested information in an efficient and organized manner. 
• The audit should be finalized in the next couple of weeks. 
• The Annual Financial Report (AFR) will be uploaded at the beginning of next month. 
• No further discussion was presented on this topic. 

• Brandon Desh updated the board on the progress report meeting from Friday, October 2nd, and thanked local businesses and Nemaha Construction for a well-planned and managed project. 
• The discussion centered around the following topics:
  • Budget summary 
  • Closeout pay app and remaining contingencies
  • Parking lot lights (dimmers, sensors, safety lights)
  • Water bill
  • South parking lot concrete issues and drainage
  • Street repair 
  • Baseball dugout canopies, bat racks, and helmet storage
  • Trees and seeding
  • Adjacent lots planning

• Discussion also centered on future facility usage of the complex. 

• Transportation Committee:
  • Upcoming Meeting Dates
    • Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at noon at the high school 

• Americanism Committee:
  • Upcoming Meeting Dates:
    • Thursday, October 15th, 2020, at noon at the high school
    • Thursday, February 18, 2021, at noon at the high school

• No further discussion on this item. 
• Summaries from the committee meetings will be presented at the November regular board meeting. 

• A plan was finalized at Bennet Elementary school that will begin bus pickup on the south side of the school building this week.
• Parents and staff will have this information communicated to them by the building principal in the next couple of days.
• No further action was taken on this item. 

• No further discussion on this item.

• No further discussion on this topic. 

• Superintendent Hart discussed a variety of topics relating to possible updates to the "Return to School" plan and the continued effectiveness of school operations during a pandemic. 
• Discussion included current COVID case numbers (staff and students) and increased community communication.
• Discussion centered around concern for students and the increased academic learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic and how to best address these gaps.
• Discussion also centered around providing data to support student learning and other strategies for sharing concerns to state and local leaders related to the virus. 
• Discussion also centered around finding a balance of protecting our vulnerable populations and problem-solving ways to continue to engage in daily life activities. 

• Discussion centered around selecting a board member as the voting delegate for the group. The board decided on Brandon Desh as its representative and he will participate in the delegate assembly on November 13th.

• Superintendent Evaluation Update
• Strategic Planning 
• Student Membership Count
• Facility Audit Review 

• The facility audit originally scheduled for October 7th was postponed due to illness. 
• The facility audit was rescheduled for Thursday, October 22nd at 2:30 p.m. at Bennet Elementary. 

• The date and time of the next board meeting will be Monday, November 9th at 7:00 p.m. 
• The meeting was adjourned at 8:43 p.m. by board president Maahs.