March 8, 2021 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

• Meeting will be called to order by Board of Education President Desh.
• The meeting was called to order by Board President Desh at 7:00 p.m.

• The meeting link was made available to the public at 7:00 p.m. as advertised. 

• The staff presentation this month will be focused on the school improvement goals at both the high school and the elementary school. 
• Mr. Johnson (High School Principal) will present information about the school improvement goals for the high school.
• Ms. Walter (Elementary Principal) will present information about the school improvement goals for the elementary school. 
• Special thanks to our building principals and our staff for their work on these continuous improvement goals.  

• Grade level goals were discussed and developed at the elementary school. 
• Teachers created pre-test and post-test assessments given to students in August and May. 
• The assessments used were MAPS and NSCAS. 
• Data is analyzed to determine transition goals. There will also be a "data retreat" this summer to refine school improvement goals. 
• The high school is currently working with ESU #4 to examine MAP data. 
• The new goal for the elementary will focus on number sense.
• The HS SI committee is looking at a reading comprehension goal. 
• These new goals will be ready for implementation at the beginning of the next school year. 

• No further discussion of the consent agenda.

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

• Dominique Dowding: Elementary Teacher: Mrs. Dowding will be replacing Mrs. Ourada in 4th grade at Bennet Elementary
• Sean Mulholland: High School Science: Sean will be replacing Mrs. Church at Palmyra High School. 
• Kade Reiman: Elementary Teacher: Mr. Reiman will be replacing Mrs. Hall in first grade at Bennet Elementary. Please note: Mr. Reiman's specific grade level assignment may be subject to change based upon additional staff changes.  

• Jackie Thomson-Bremer provided Public Comment.

• This webinar starts at 7:30 p.m. 
• In case of technical difficulties or board preference, there is also a prerecorded message option to view the webinar. 

• The board viewed a 12-minute pre-recorded message from NASB on Rule 10 and Rule 12 revisions from NDE. 

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

• COVID Update
• Building and Facility Repairs
• Safety and Security Audit Update
• Legislative Update

• Highlights of the administrative report centered around the following topics:
  • School Safety and Security Audit Feedback
  • Prom and Activities Update
  • Fundraiser success for The Otoe County Food Bank
  • Upcoming staff development training and topics for Wednesday, March 17th staff in service.

• The discussion revolved around various "draft" options to address district growth presented at the March 3rd Special Board Meeting.
• Another meeting to discuss the Facility Audit will be scheduled prior to the April 12th Regular Board meeting.

• Additional discussion centered around various legislative bills that would impact education.

• The administrative team shared highlights from the Safety and Security Audit conducted on Thursday, February 25th. 
• Discussion centered around emergency response drills, law enforcement response times, safety training opportunities, and recommendations from the audit specific to each building.

• The administrative team shared updates on various proposals submitted for the science curriculum at the elementary school and the high school.

• Budget Committee members summarized potential financing options to address future district growth.
• Jay Speerman from Piper Sandler will be at the April 12th meeting to discuss refinancing the 2016 General Obligation Bonds. 
• This refinancing opportunity will be an action item for the next Regular Board meeting in April. 

• Superintendent Hart updated the board on notifying both NASB and Emillson about the organization that was selected to assist with our next district Strategic Planning process.
• NASB was selected to assist with our next Strategic Planning process. 

• Superintendent Hart and Board President Desh updated the rest of the board on the "in process" projects and "punch list" items remaining on the Olson Complex project. 

• Mr. Ron Wergin has decided to retire effective at the end of the 2020-2021 school year.
• On behalf of the entire school district and the communities of Palmyra and Bennet, we would like to publicly thank Mr. Wergin for his 42 years of service and dedication to our district. 
• Mr. Wergin is a well-respected educator and coach and we are very grateful to have had him in our district for so many years.
• We wish Mr. Wergin and his family the best of luck in the future. 

• Board members expressed their appreciation for Mr. Wergin's commitment and tenure of service to our district. 

• No claims were presented this month. 

• No additional discussion on these items.
• The Policy Review Committee will meet on Monday, March 29th at noon to review the 1000, 2000, and 3000 series policies for the April Regular Board meeting. 

• 2016 General Obligation Bond Refinancing
• Budget Update
• COVID Update
• COVID Vaccine Update
• Curriculum Update: Science
• ESU #4 Core Services Resolution
• Special Education Service Agreement with ESU #4
• Option Enrollment
• Student Enrollment Update
• 2021-2022 School Planning Update 
• Personnel Update
• Policy Review
  • 1000's:  Community Relations
  • 2000's:  Administration
  • 3000's:  Business Operations

• No further discussion on these items. 

• The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m.