February 12, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

• Board President Desh called the meeting to order at 7:03 p.m. 
• The Pledge of Allegiance was conducted at the CMAR special board meeting earlier in the evening.

• Board President Desh identified the location of the Open Meetings Act Poster on the wall in the meeting room.
  • Please note that no changes to the Open Meetings Act occurred during the last Legislative session and the current Open Meetings Act information will stay current until further notice.

• Mrs. Kloreace Linke (School Psychologist), Mr. Austin Lahmon (Bennet Elementary School Guidance Counselor), and Mrs. Kori Vodicka (Palmyra Junior/Senior High School Guidance Counselor) presented information on the student mental health supports and strategies developed and utilized in the district to help our students in this critical area.
• Information was also shared on the mental health support grant, character education curriculum, career and workplace readiness activities at the high school, and the evolving roles of the guidance staff and our school psychologist. 
• Special thanks to our outstanding high school and elementary school counselors and district school psychologist for the hard work, dedication, and collaboration they exhibit each day to help our students, staff, and families.

• No further discussion. 

• No public comment was shared at the meeting. 

Superintendent Hart discussed the following topics during his report:

• CTE Month Recognition: February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Recognition Month.
  • Mrs. Paxton has been nominated for FCS teacher of the year at a statewide level. 
  • District OR-1 recently received a CTE Equipment Grant from NDE to help purchase new curriculum and equipment as needed. 
  • FCCLA Newsletter: Please see the attached document.
• Student and Staff Kudos:
  • Student Announcers: Our student announcers for the basketball games have done a phenomenal job of providing a quality broadcast to our "at home" audiences watching via live stream.. 
  • Burke Brown Voice News Article: Please see the attached document. 
  • 100th Day of School Pictures: Bennet Elementary School recently celebrated the 100th day of school this year. Lots of fun activities were planned and students enjoyed the celebration. 
  • Concession Stand Graphics::Please see attached picture. Our digital arts students continue to assist in helping our district "branding" become more consistent. 
  • Aspire "Post Conferences" Luncheon: Our Aspire Academy students recently created a luncheon activity for our staff for their hard work during conferences. Great job!
  • Peru State Computer Award Winners: Please see attached. Our students performed exceedingly well at the recent business applications competition at the college! Great job to Mr. Conn as well for helping prepare these students for success at the competition!  
  • Student Activities:
    • Wrestling, B-Ball Music, FFA, FCCLA, One Act
    • Student Success Story: See the attached link:
      • https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/en/series-media/nebraska-stories-video/season-15-video-15886/dancing-in-the-dirt-50023166/ 
• 2022 Bond Third Issuance Update:
  • Due to the construction schedule and current market conditions, we are going to wait to issue the third round of our 2022 bond proceeds until early this summer (Late May or June). This delay allows the district to minimize additional interest costs and potentially secure lower overall interest rates.
• Social Media Debrief:
  • Please see the attached flyer.
    • Superintendent Hart highlighted key points from this very informative presentation on Wednesday, February 7th at Palmyra. . 
• Staffing Projections Discussion Summary:
  • Superintendent Hart discussed the specifics surrounding a certified staffing proposal in more detail at the meeting. In summary, the proposal recommended additional teachers at the high school. These positions include: HS Math, HS Science, HS English, Upper Elementary Teacher, and HS Physical Education/ Business Teacher. The proposal also included the addition of a Director of Student Programs.  This position would be a district level position. 
• Kindergarten Roundup and Pre-K Update:
  • Ms. Walter provided information related to early childhood programs and enrollment.  An initial survey regarding parental opinions regarding a full day preschool option was distributed prior to the board meeting. The early results indicated positive interest in potentially adding this choice in the near future. 
• Legislative Update:
  • A document containing information about current legislative bills is attached. 
• Bennet Gym Floor and Equipment Update:
  • Similar School Photo Comparisons: Superintendent Hart highlighted projected pictures of what some of our new student areas may look like after construction has been finished. 
• Community Podcast Updates:
  • In alignment with the Superintendent's goals established at the last board meeting, the first student-created videos regarding construction progress have been distributed at both buildings. 
    • Student Created Videos: 
      • Palmyra High School 
      • Bennet Elementary School
• Winter Weather and Snow Day Debrief:
  • Snow days and the challenges presented by the January winter weather were discussed. Thanks to all parents, staff, and community patrons for your flexibility and patience. 

• Parent Teacher Conferences: PT conferences were Tuesday, February 6th. These were very well attended by parents. 
• Wednesday, February 21st will be a Teacher-In-service work day. We will discuss curriculum, new teacher evaluation tools, assessment data, and provide work time.
• 5th Grade Fundraiser: The 5th grade student council has been organizing a fundraiser for the February Caring Project. They have decided to raise money for the Brave Rescue, which helps foster cats and dogs.
• High School Scheduling: Scheduling conversations have begun for next year.  Kudos to our high school counselor (Mrs. Vodicka) for all her hard work on the HS schedule versions she has already built.
• 100th Day of School: Bennet Elementary celebrated the 100th day on February 1st. Bennet Boosters provided a fun snack for all the students. 

• Committee members summarized the committee meeting held on Wednesday, February 7th, 2024 at Palmyra High School. 
  • The next committee meeting will be Wednesday, October 9th, 2024, at Palmyra High School from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.  FYI: This will be a public meeting. 

• Negotiations Committee members summarized previous committee meetings relative to negotiations for: 
  • Classified / Support Staff
  • Bus Drivers
  • Administrative Staff
  • Superintendent 
• This summary aligned with action items later in the agenda.

• Budget/ Finance Committee members summarized highlights from the Budget Committee meeting on Friday, February 9th, 2024 at Palmyra High School. 

• Policy Review Committee members summarized the Monday, February 12th Policy Review Committee meeting. 
  • Discussion topics included grading and the 8000 and 9000 series policies

• Discussion topics included grading and the 8000 and 9000 series policies.
• More in-depth study of the grading policy will be discussed in the coming months. 

• No further discussion. 

• No further discussion. 

• No further discussion. 

• No further discussion. 
• A 4% increase was recommended. 

• No further discussion. 
• A 4% increase was recommended.

• No further discussion. 
• Please see the attached documents for more information. 

• No further discussion as this topic was discussed at the Special Board meeting on Wednesday, February 7th at Palmyra High School and the Superintendent's Report earlier in the meeting. 

• No further discussion. 

• No further discussion. Interested patrons should contact the high school office at (402) 780-5327 for inquiries about unit pricing.  

• NASB Board Notes for February 2024: Please see attached document
• No further discussion. 

• No closed session. 

• Student Enrollment Update
• Strategic Planning Update 
• Personnel Update 
• End of School Year Activities
• Construction Update
• Activities Update
• Budget Update 
• Other items as needed.

• The meeting was adjourned at 9:02 p.m.