June 10, 2020 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting
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1. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance
Discussion:
President Gould called the meeting to order at 6:08 PM and the Pledge of Allegiance was said.
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2. Hearings for policies: 5415 Bullying - 5419 Restraint and Seclusion - 6400 Parent Involvement.
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Discussion:
HEARINGS: President Gould announced that the Hearings for three policies (5415 Bullying, 5419 Restraint and Seclusion, 6400 Parent Involvement) were open for discussion. There was no public input and the Hearings were closed.
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3. Motion to Excuse Board Member's Absence
Discussion:
All Board members were present.
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4. Open Meeting Law
Discussion:
President Gould reminded the audience that the Open Meeting Laws would be followed.
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5. Consent Agenda
Discussion:
Motion by Black, second by Breitkreutz to approve the consent agenda as presented including the regular meeting minutes of May 13, 2020, May Financial Statement and June monthly bills. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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5.1. Regular Minutes of May 13, 2020
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5.2. Financial Statement/Report
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5.3. Monthly Bills
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6. Correspondence/Recognition
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Discussion:
Photos of retirees receiving their Retirement Plaques were shared with the Board: Joyce Rezac started working at Raymond Central as Business Manager in 1986; Pam Rasmussen as High School Science Teacher in 1986; Mary Kelly as Elementary Teacher in 1989; and Jean Rempfer as Jr-Sr High School Art Teacher in 1996. Appreciation was extended to all for their hard work and dedication to RC.
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6.1. Thank You Joyce Rezac, Pam Rasmussen, Jean Rempfer & Mary Kelly for a combined 123 years of service for Raymond Central
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7. Public Forum
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7.1. Raymond Central's Commitment to Action and Change Resolution - Dr. Gould
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Discussion:
Dr. Gould discussed Raymond Central's Commitment to Action and Change Resolution in response to the current climate of racial disparity and justice.
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8. Discussion Items
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8.1. Administrative Reports
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Discussion:
Submitted by Allison Stansberry, Jr-Sr High School Principal
As we wrapped up the 2019-2020 school year, I have spent some time reflecting on some of the positive things that have happened here at the Jr/Sr High. Some of these include: Building strong relationships with students, staff, and community members; Mrs. Osten receiving the Nebraska Middle School Counselor of the Year Award; Watching our wrestlers compete at State Duals for the first time in school history; Watching Logan Bryce, Connor Kreikemeier, and Mitch Albrecht all compete in the State Wrestling Championship and coming home with 3 runner-up Medals; Band receiving a superior rating for marching band for the first time in 11 years; Mrs. Newman "flipping" her Algebra classroom; Watching staff go into school closure with an open mind and willing to do "whatever it takes" for our students; Going to each staff member’s house to deliver treats during the school closure; Delivering Cap & Gowns and treats to each member of the Class of 2020; Mrs. Enevoldsen being recognized for her hard work and time she has dedicated to the Speech Program; and Raymond Central’s first ever Virtual Graduation Ceremony had over 700 views. Student Check-In: We held student check-in the last week of school and it went very smoothly. We had three stations set up and Mr. Gralheer was out in the suburban directing students to one of the stations to help us not have any overlap at one of the stations. We had a 4th station set up where students would go if they owed any fines or dues and check materials. Once students turned in materials, they were given a green piece of paper that they took to the last station where Mrs. Osten would give students their materials from their lockers as well as their potential schedule for next school year. I was so grateful for all the staff that were willing to help out! We had secretaries, teachers, and paras all assisting with this process and it went very well because of them. It was definitely a team effort. As we continue to look at what the 2020-2021 school year will look like, there is still a lot of uncertainty that surrounds us, however, there is no doubt we will come up with a solid plan that continues to support the needs of all of our students while continuing to provide grace and empathy. There are definitely things we could have done better but there are also things that went extremely well. Now the work is to bring both of those things together to come up with a better plan for the fall. From changing our philosophy in grading to making sure we are better prepared and equipped to handle the mental health of our students, there is a lot that we need to do this summer but the "Whatever it Takes" mentality is something we will continue to promote and push for as a staff. Submitted by Brian Gralheer, Assistant Jr-Sr High School Principal/Athletic Director After ten weeks of closure, it was nice to finally have students in our building. Our summer workout program officially kicked off on June 1st with solid numbers overall. We have five predetermined groups scheduled throughout the day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. I have been working with our coaches to create a solid safety plan while utilizing our weight room and outdoor space for summer workouts. The booster club and I have decided to move the 2019-20 Spring Banquet to a virtual format due to concerns of construction and COVID. I will be in contact with coaches in the coming weeks to have that available in mid July. During this time, I have provided a professional development opportunity to all RC Coaches. We are walking through a 3D Coaching Essentials Course and holding reflective roundtable discussions via Zoom. 3D Coaching provides coaches with great resources to coach beyond the sport-specific training and strategy of the game and provides strategies to motivate and inspire student-athletes to challenge themselves individually and collectively. We have had some great discussions in our group. Coaches Placke, Houchin, Lillie, Prai, Rockemann, and myself have been walking through training with deep discussion over the content. Keely, Steve, and I have continued researching different methods of live streaming all varsity events for the Fall. Due to the circumstances, we do not know what fall sports are going to look like, but I think this will be a valuable option if we are to have limited or no fans in the stands. Still more to come. I will be upgrading our Hudl subscription to include Hudl Focus, a camera that can be controlled remotely and can be used to livestream Gym events including concerts and other performances. Jared and I have been in contact with Kyle Schwarting regarding the potential Walking/XC path on the south 67 acres. Kyle has agreed to smooth out some of the runoff ditches that have accrued over the years. This will help smooth out the entire surface including the perimeter, which is what we would like to use for our 1.5 mile trail. We hope to get some of the dirt moved around mid June. I will continue to update. Submitted by Shelly Dostal, Elementary Principal at Valparaiso/K-5 Curriculum Director Assessment, Curriculum and Instruction - Report cards have been mailed to families. Data that we have for the year has been compiled and is in the process of analysis. Mr. Steve Rose has been working with Power School and EduClimber to aggregate RC data. We will be attending training virtually this summer to learn the new system. Professional Learning - ESU#2 is hosting various training sessions virtually this summer. New to the profession teachers will be attending the New Teacher Academy in August. A group of RC teachers are slated to attend a PLC conference in Omaha in July; so far, it is still on as scheduled. I have been attending a variety of webinars and zoom meetings through NDE, ESU, and other professional organizations. Administrators will be attending sessions about the grants this summer, too. End of Year - Students were invited to participate in virtual track and field events during the week of May 11-15 organized by Ms. Kalyn Brannagan. The end of year "parade" was a big hit; it was wonderful for students and teachers to connect. A huge thank you to the Valparaiso Rural Fire District for the surprise drive by! A virtual Mustang Assembly to recognize students for their awards was recorded and sent out to families on May 15. Special thanks to Ms. Barb Schiefen for the outstanding video presentation of highlights throughout the year. Many grade level teachers also sent out recordings to their students to celebrate their learning. We are making plans to bring closure to the 2019-20 school year when students return to school in the fall. Summer maintenance has begun. Thank you to our dedicated maintenance crew for their efforts. Many teachers now have a blue accent wall. Many of our support staff cleaned and organized space while students were not at school. As one teacher put it, my room is more organized now than it ever has been. The grounds have a facelift, too, so drive by and take a look. Kudos to all of these amazing staff! Planning for 2020-21 - We wish Mary Kelly a happy retirement and Barb Schiefen all the best in her new position. The interview committee spent lots of time in zoom interviews, first screening, and then formally interviewing for our open positions. The committee worked diligently; it was a challenging process with many qualified candidates. We are excited to work with our new hires: Lori Morgan (elementary technology), Kathleen Cooper (5th grade), and Amy Ziegler (5th grade). PTO - Thank you to the PTO for all their support throughout the year! A Mustang Day Out was hosted at Raymono’s on May 15 to celebrate our year of learning. Submitted by Ann Egr, Elementary Principal at Ceresco/Special Education Director MUSTANG Award Winners: Due to COVID, teachers reached out to students during weekly ZOOM meetings. The teachers did an excellent job during this difficult time. The end of the year was celebrated by a parade. Teachers lined the street, while keeping social distancing, to let the students know they are missed. This was a needed closure for students and staff. End of the year cleaning and building maintenance has begun. Special Education- Summer is a busy time for the end of the year Special Education reporting. Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) requires numerous reports for SpEd accountability. The Special Education Discipline Report, Snap Shot, and Non-public meeting are all due within the next two weeks. |
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8.1.1. Student Activity Involvement 2019-2020 (Chris Dickey)
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Discussion:
Chris Dickey presented data regarding student participation in activities by each class as it increases/decreases for each activity.
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8.2. Curriculum Report
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8.3. Superintendent's Report
Discussion:
Thank you to everyone who made our end of the year run smooth. Once again we came together to ensure we closed out the school year while prioritizing the health and safety of all.
Summer Lunch Program Update - We have been searching for funding to serve a school lunch during the summer. We were excited to announce this week that starting June 15 we will serve school lunches for three weeks. As of this afternoon, we have 181 students signed up to participate in our Summer Lunch Program. Reopening Schools Fall 2020 - We are working on our draft reopening plan for the fall. Ideas and guidance seem to be coming in daily. We still have more questions than answers, however, I feel confident in our plan moving forward. Final Update Overview - None of us expected the school year to end this way and I am proud and thankful we have made the best of a challenging situation. This was the most disrupted school year in recent history and with all of the uncertainties, we still ended strong and are hopeful for the future. While the goals help keep me focused and aligned during the school year, I could not have made it through the last three months without the support of the Raymond Central staff, teachers, administrators, families and students. After the March BOE meeting we truly entered unprecedented times that took true collaboration to develop a remote learning model for the district. Ultimately we have seen a significant shift in how learning can be accessed by both students and staff. As we move into next year we must continue to learn, grow and do everything possible to ensure success for our students. We must embrace our new normal and develop creative and innovative ways to reach our students. |
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8.3.1. Goal 1: Continue a visible presence within the schools, the school community, and state.
Discussion:
This proved to be a difficult goal during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, I was able to stay visible through the use of ZOOM and other technology based resources.
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8.3.2. Goal 2: Continue the creation of a 10-year facilities strategic plan for implementation that addresses maintenance and improvements for existing building assets.
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Discussion:
Each month I update the Facility Priority List to reflect work that has been scheduled, completed or a price quote has been submitted. Due to school closure, we were able to complete a lot of smaller projects around the district that were not on the priority list, but needed to be done.
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8.3.3. Goal 3: Develop progress monitoring tools to evaluate the effectiveness of district initiatives to ensure sustainability over time.
Discussion:
Last year we coined three words - People, PLCs, and Positivity. I believe that the blending of all three results in a learning environment our students deserve. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to create a remote learning plan to meet the needs of students. The planning and preparation for this was a collaborative effort and involved action solutions to many barriers that we came across. We are now reviewing feedback from students, teachers, and families and their perception of the district’s remote learning plan to use to make modifications.
We are working on the development of our reopening plan. This plan will include several data collection mechanisms to determine where students are at in their academics in relationship to grade level. Data will be used to create individual learning plans for students to either close learning gaps or extend beyond the level of proficiency. We have also been active in researching teacher evaluation models. This work was tabled due to school closure, however, will resume this fall. I expect this goal to move into the 2020-2021 school year as we continue our learning around MTSS, PLCs, and the EIR grant. At the end of the day, our data must show positive student gains in both academic and social emotional results. |
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8.3.4. Goal 4: Create a two-way proactive and cohesive communications plan to inform and educate students, staff, and community members on district issues.
Discussion:
Significant time and resources have been invested in the following: District website; BrightArrow; Culture and climate surveys; Remote Learning feedback; PLC reflections on remote learning, grading and assessment and curriculum maps; and Creation of an anonymous reporting app for students.
Next year we will research and implement communication software that will pair PowerSchool for easy parent-teacher communication, send and accept electronic forms, and have an easy to use app. Our goal is to simplify teacher and parent access by combining our resources into a one stop shop. |
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8.3.5. 2019-2020 Raymond Central Strategic Plan
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8.4. Facilities Report
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Discussion:
With the school closure, we have been able to complete a lot of projects to date: painted accent walls at all three school sites; stripped and painted the pump house near the bus barn; removed the portable; cleaned and organized the bus barn; repaired and painted the exterior of the weight room; cleared out and replanted the landscaping at Val Elementary; cleaned out storage rooms at all school sites; stripped and painted stadium seats; tinned the storage shed on the football field; and others....
The TRANE project is now underway. Jared Shanahan is doing a fantastic job of overseeing the work and checking in when needed. We are excited to announce a special project to expand our current bus barn. The facilities committee goal was to remove the portable to make room for additional bays to protect our transportation fleet. Kevin Wolfe came up to take a look and has offered to construct a double bay on the west side and two double bays on the east side for a reasonable price. This project would allow for us to park both small buses on the west side (12 months out of the year) and four large buses on the east side. As we continue to invest in our transportation fleet it is important we are able to keep them out of the natural elements as much as possible. Jared will work to secure an additional bid and a vote will be needed at the July BOE meeting. The BOE Facility Committee will need to meet in late July or early August to develop a priority list for 2020-2021. |
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8.5. Review of Technology Plan
Discussion:
PowerSchool Add-On - Raymond Central Public Schools has the great opportunity for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year to partner with NebPS (Our Nebraska PowerSchool Cooperative) in the implementation of two great plugins that will integrate with our current School Information System. The two programs are eCollect Forms and PowerSchool Enroll.
eCollect Forms is a plugin that will sync with our contact and student information to make the normal process of distribution and collection of forms and permissions from students and parents more seamless and efficient. This will allow us to digitally send out and collect our beginning of the year forms, athletic forms, permission slips, field trip permissions, and any other form that we need to create, send, and collect from parents and students. Not only will this save us time and money with printing and mailing, but it will also give us reports and evaluation of the forms in real-time to know who was reached, who returned, and who still needs to be contacted. It will sync with the students information in PowerSchool in the same format and program that we already use. PowerSchool Enroll is a different plugin within PowerSchool that allows us to give parents the ability to update demographic and contact information within the PowerSchool App or in the online program. While admins will still need to approve the information, this will eliminate the need for multiple contacts in order for parents to make sure their current information is correct and updated. This will have the ultimate effect of aiding our ability to communicate more effectively with our parents and students as there will be less of a chance for their demographics and contacts to be out-of-date. The other positive to this plugin will be the creation of an "enrollment school" within our district dashboard that will automatically connect and enroll new parents when they move into the district and collect the forms and information needed to get them enrolled into our district faster. It will automatically generate their PowerSchool login and information to make sure they are set up and receiving communications from the district immediately. The time and money saved with these programs will be invaluable as we move to make sure that our School Information System is fully functional and utilized to its full capacity as an effective means of communication and collection of information that all Parents, Students, and Staff can use for the benefit of our district. Cost for the 2020-2021 School Year: Onboarding and Consulting Fee: $3300 (one time, this year only); Cost per student: $5 / students = Approximately $3400 Expected launch Date: Form Creation and Adjustment throughout June and July with Forms ready for editing July 15th. Forms ready to be rolled out on August 1st. |
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8.6. Update of Raymond Central Crisis and Safety Protocol
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8.7. Committee on American Civics (Breitkreutz - chair, Springer, Burklund)
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8.8. Transportation Committee (Black- Chair, Breitkreutz, Springer)
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8.9. Finance Committee (Springer- chair, Blanchard, Breitkreutz)
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8.10. Facilities Committee (Blanchard- chair, Springer, Burklund)
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8.11. Negotiations Committee (Black- chair, Gould, Blanchard)
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8.12. Curriculum Committee (Gould - chair, Black, Burklund)
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8.13. Policy Committee (Springer- chair, Gould, Black)
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8.14. NASB Monthly Update
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8.15. Review Student Participation Numbers (Chris Dickey Presentation)
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8.16. Approval of Annual District Policy Updates (Perry Law Firm) - Consider, discuss and take all necessary action.
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Discussion:
Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Burklund to approve updated policies: 1040-Annual Report; 5101-Student Discipline; 5103-Extracurricular Activity; 5406-Search and Seizure; 5506-Safe Pupil Transportation Plan; 6117-Ceremonies; and 6283A-Return to Learn Protocol. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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8.17. Review Public Forum Presentation(s) - Consider, discuss, and take all necessary action
Discussion:
Motion by Black, second by Blanchard to adopt Raymond Central's Commitment to Action and Change Resolution in response to the current climate of racial disparity and justice. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9. Action Items
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9.1. First Reading - Policy 6111 Classroom Environment
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Discussion:
Motion by Burklund, second by Springer to approve the first reading of Policy 6111-Classroom Environment. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.2. Approval of Software Unlimited School Accounting System
Discussion:
Motion by Springer, second by Breitkreutz to approve the purchase of Software Unlimited School Accounting System for District office. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.3. Approval of Substitute Teacher(s)
Discussion:
Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Black to approve Robert Thompson as substitute teacher. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.4. Approval of Surplus Item(s)
Discussion:
Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Springer to approve 48 HP ProDesk 400 G1 Computers at $50.00 each and 6 HP Pro 3130 Computers at $15.00 each as surplus and to be purchased by Active Resource Company for prices listed. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.5. Approval of Raymond Central Graduation Requirements (Standard Diploma)
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Discussion:
Motion by Burklund, second by Blanchard to approve Raymond Central Graduation Requirements for Standard Diploma. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.6. Approval of Policies: 5415 Bullying - 5419 Restraint and Seclusion - 6400 Parent Involvement.
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Discussion:
Motion by Springer, second by Breitkreutz to approve updated Policies 5415 Bullying, 5419 Restraint/Seclusion, and 6400 Parent Involvement. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.7. Approval of Peggy Breitkreutz and Cheryl Rieck as Authorized Signers for District Bank Accounts
Discussion:
Motion by Burklund, second by Black to approve Peggy Breitkreutz and Cheryl Rieck as Authorized Signers for District Bank Accounts. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.8. Approval of Hunter Addition Final Plat
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Discussion:
Motion by Black, second by Burklund to approve the Ceresco Hunter Addition Final Plat. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.9. Approval of Milk Bid 2020-2021
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Discussion:
Motion by Springer, second by Black to approve Hiland Dairy as our milk supplier for the 2020-2021 school year. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.10. Approval of Staff Resignation
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Discussion:
Motion by Burklund, second by Gould to approve the resignation of Barb Schiefen, Elementary Teacher and Jr High Volleyball. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.11. Approval of Staff Appointment(s)
Discussion:
Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Springer to approve Amy Ziegler, BA, Step 1 as Elementary Teacher. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.12. Approval of 2020-2021 Lunch Prices (No Increase)
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Discussion:
Motion by Black, second by Blanchard to retain school breakfast and lunch prices for students and adults with no increase for the 2020-2021 school year. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.13. Approval of Next Regular Board Meeting - Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Discussion:
Motion by Black, second by Blanchard to approve the next regular Board Meeting for Wednesday, July 15, 2020. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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10. Adjournment
Discussion:
Motion by Gould, second by Breitkreutz to adjourn the meeting at 7:12 PM. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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11. Important Upcoming Dates:
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