February 16, 2022 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 6:00 PM and the Pledge of Allegiance was said.
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2. Motion to Excuse Board Member's Absence
Discussion:
All members were present.
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3. Open Meeting Law
Discussion:
The audience was reminded that Open Meeting Laws would be followed.
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4. Consent Agenda
Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Lange to approve the consent agenda as presented including the regular meeting minutes of January 22, 2022; workshop meeting minutes of February 10, 2022; January financial statement; and January monthly bills. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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4.1. Regular Minutes of January 22, 2022 and Workshop Minutes of February 10, 2022
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Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Lange to approve the consent agenda as presented including the regular meeting minutes of January 22, 2022; workshop meeting minutes of February 10, 2022; January financial statement; and January monthly bills. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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4.2. Financial Statement/Report
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4.3. Monthly Bills
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5. Correspondence/Recognition
Discussion:
Recognition of the qualifying wrestlers, the 2nd place Conference Speech Team, Dance Team, Cheerleaders, and our counselors during counselor appreciation week.
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6. Public Forum
Discussion:
One person addressed the Board voicing her concerns about the mask mandate and urging them to remove it.
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7. Reports
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7.1. Administrative Reports
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Submitted by Allison Stansberry, Jr-Sr High School Principal
Professional Development - On January 26 during PLC we rolled out Student Problem Solving Teams to our staff and began hosting these meetings on January 31. It was evident that after our discussion about SPS Teams that this is a positive next step for our building. I want to take a quick minute and share some of the responses we got from our fast feedback survey after rolling it out. What excites you about this?
What is the Learning Acceleration Design Team?
I attended the UNL Career Fair on February 8. It was a great opportunity to get in front of some soon to be educators. I was able to connect with a candidate for Science and also for Spanish. It was refreshing to see how many individuals are still entering the field of education. We celebrated National School Counseling Week February 7-11. This year's theme was "Better Together". Mrs. Osten had a morning announcement each day to tie into daily themes. She also had activities planned for both students and staff. We are beyond lucky to have Mrs. Osten with us at the Jr-Sr High School. She is not only an incredible resource for our students but she is also an incredible resource for our teachers as well. She goes above and beyond daily and I couldn’t be more grateful for the work Mrs. Osten does for our students and staff on a daily basis. Submitted by Brian Gralheer, Assistant Jr-Sr High School Principal/Athletic Director Winter sports are winding down to the postseason. All our teams have worked hard throughout the year and I would like to wish them the best of luck as they most into district and subdistrict play:
As you will see on the agenda tonight, I will be moving on from Raymond Central to become the 9-12 Principal at West Point High School. While I am excited to move into this new role, it is a bittersweet feeling as I have enjoyed my last three years here. Just as Greg Wilmes was able to do for me, I plan on being here for any questions my replacement will have for me in transition. Submitted by Amanda Coufal, Director of Special Education At the monthly Special Education Director meeting, we determined that IEP’s should continue to include Covid Impact Statements. We could change the language from ‘Covid Impact Statement’ to an ‘Extended School Release’ statement to encompass all areas of possible impact (flood, tornadoes, covid, etc.). New guidance is coming out from NDE regarding best practices. I will keep you updated when that information is presented. The new guidance will cover:
A survey will be sent out to parents of children with disabilities in March. This is part of the data collection for the Part B Indicator 8 (parent involvement), that will be collected from Nebraska school districts. Submitted by Shelly Dostal, Elementary Principal at Valparaiso/K-5 Curriculum Director Professional Learning - During the January 26 and February 9 late start times, the focus for the elementary staff has been the new ELA standards roll out. Dr. Gary Nunnally has been assisting with this training. PLCs also met to review goal progress and student data. The Elementary School Improvement Committee met on January 18 and will meet again on February 15. We are reading Know Better, Do Better as a book study as we continue to dive deeper into instructional practices. Mrs. Hlavaty, Mrs. Blank, and Mrs. Hummel led parts of our professional learning time, too. The Elementary MTSS team met on January 18. Each member was given a strand to research and bring back to the group. We met again on January 31 to review progress. Mrs. Egr and Mrs. Dostal met with MTSS regional director Kala Peyton on February 11 to map out next steps. She validated the work we have been doing and the MTSS pieces we already have in place. The Elementary Leadership Team will meet with Kala Peyton on March 7. Curriculum/Instruction/Assessment - NWEA MAP testing window is scheduled to finish February 18 for all students in grades 3-5. These adaptive, normed assessments inform students and teachers about their progress and help teachers make instructional decisions. Mrs. Blank and Mrs. Hlavaty have been working with teachers in Grades K-3 for any changes needed for IRIPs (Individualized Reading Improvement Plans). Mrs. Stansberry and Mrs. Osten are leading the charge for ACT administration in April. Selected Fourth Grade students in Ceresco will take either the Reading or Math NAEP test on February 24. Mrs. Egr and Mrs. Dostal have been working with NDE NAEP to coordinate the testing. Preparations for Parent-Teacher Conferences in March are beginning. The end of the third quarter is March 3. We will celebrate Read Across America Day/Dr. Seuss’s Birthday on March 2 and also throughout the week. We have some dress up days planned. Thank you to Mrs. Janet Dannelly, Mrs. Shelly Hlavaty, and Mrs. Monica Blank for their leadership. PTO has a treat for each student, too. We will also observe Nebraska’s 155th birthday on March 1. Enrollment for Kindergarten and Preschool has begun. Future kindergarten parents should call the Superintendent’s office by February 18. A parents only meeting is scheduled for March 28. Preschool applications are also being accepted. There will be a Round Up time throughout the day on March 4. Staffing for 2022-23 is underway. We have already been interviewing candidates for open classroom positions. We are planning to conduct screening interviews for the Elementary Assistant Principal position on February 16, with formal interviews scheduled for February 22. RC PTO most recently met on February 8. PTO purchased 100th day activity pads for K-2 students to celebrate the 100th day on January 25. The PTO is hosting a family day out at Sun Valley Lanes on February 27. This is something new that PTO is trying to get more families together. PTO is funding the lane and shoe rental for one hour of bowling for our RC elementary families. We appreciate the support of our PTO! The Raymond Central Clubs met on February 4. This is a special class offering for students since Civic Nebraska discontinued services. The students had a Valentine Celebration by creating valentine cards, doing STEM activities, having a snack, and other activities. Other Happenings at Valparaiso: We celebrated 100 days of school on January 25. Teachers included lessons throughout the day about "100". PTO treated the K-2 students with a special "100th day" activity pad. Valentine’s Day class parties will be held on February 11. If students include treats with their valentines, they are encouraged to provide non-food items to meet the Wellness Policy guidelines. If food treats are included, they will be sent home so families may do as they choose. We say special thanks to our School Counselors during School Counselors week, February 1-5. We appreciate all you do, Mrs. White, Mrs. Hummel, and Mrs. Osten! School Board Recognition Week was January 30-February 5. Thank you to all of our School Board members. We appreciate your dedication and support to RC students, staff, and community. Other dates we will be observing soon include: President’s Day on February 21, George Washington’s birthday on February 22, and Nebraska’s statehood birthday on March 1. Submitted by Ann Egr, Elementary Principal at Ceresco/Special Education Director Elementary The 100th day of school was celebrated January 25. The PTO provided erasers for the primary grades. Students and staff appreciated the generosity. Campus Leadership SIP team met on January 18. Members of the team are Shelly Dostal, Ann Egr, Monica Blank, Nikole Farr, Shelly Hlavaty and Cindy Peterson. The Team started a book study. We are reading Know Better, Do Better and completed chapters 1 and 2. The feedback was positive. The next meeting is February 15. Thank you to Kara Nelson for organizing Raymond Central Clubs. On February 4, the students participated in making Valentine Cards. FastBride assessment is complete. Teachers met on January 26 during their PLC time to review the data. Screen to Intervention Reports for individual students. Students in the At Risk category will continue with their IRIP plans. MAP testing has started. MAP provides educators with detailed information they need to evaluate instruction in order to support academic success. Read Across America Week / Dr. Seuss’ Birthday will be March 2 with activities/celebration throughout the week. Ms. Dannelly has a fun week planned to help celebrate his birthday and encourage reading! Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled for March 16-17 from 4:15-8:00. Once again both elementary schools are utilizing the PTCFast web-based signup program. PTCFast.com is a free website designed to make it easy to schedule parent-teacher conferences. An educator/software designer developed the program. The premise is to make scheduling easy for the first time user. PTO family day out is scheduled for Febrauary 27 at Sun Valley Lanes and & Games. PTO is reserving 10 lanes (16 people per lane) at 1:00 and 2:00 PM and is paying for bowling and shoe rental. Thank you PTO. Enrollment for Kindergarten and Preschool has begun. Future Kindergarten parents should call the Superintendent’s office by February 18. A parents only meeting is scheduled for March 28. Preschool applications are currently being accepted. Preschool will host a Preschool Round-Up on March 4. Mrs. Dostal and Mrs. Egr met on Februay 11 with Kayla Peton from ESU3. Kayla was excited about where we are. It was great validation for the work Elementary MTSS team has put into the process. Both the Campus Leadership SIP team and MTSS team will meet with Kayla on March 7. Class Valentine parties were held on February 11. |
7.2. Student Board Member
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The winter sports season is slowly coming to an end. Last week our wrestlers traveled to Madison to punch their ticket to the state tournament. This year we are taking a record number of 8 guys (plus Sophie) to the state tournament, which will take place this Thursday and Friday, along with Saturday for those who make it to the finals (this will also be televised). A big congratulations to Sophia Shultz, she will be the first girl in many years to qualify for the boys state wrestling tournament. |
7.3. Superintendent's Report
Discussion:
We had 51 people (not counting the school board) in attendance at the Patron Committee Meeting. Kudo's to the Board of Education who worked to identify and contact these people so that we had a strong representation of our wards in attendance. The participants were able to provide the Board with what additional information they needed and/or questions answered in relation to the discussion about our educational facilities and next steps.
On January 31, Dr. Gould and I attended the NASB Legislative Conference. We listened to a variety of legislators including the Chair of the Education Committee, Senator Lynne Walz, discuss relevant school bills being introduced in this session. Senator Walz spent a majority of her time asking questions and taking audience questions. Her bill LB890 on school funding has the potential to reduce local property tax but is facing an uphill battle on the floor. We have planned a Preschool Roundup for Friday, March 4. This gives parents/guardians the opportunity to learn more about the programming and it gives the teachers an opportunity to meet the kiddo's before the fall semester. Our enrollment for the event (13- 4 yr olds; 13 - 3 yr olds) is not what we had hoped for but it is a start and we have some time left before registration closes. Patti Hudson, our Food Service Director, has noted that we are still having difficulties obtaining certain food items from vendors. Some of the shortages are attributed to the lack of a work force and inability for manufacturers and warehouses to make, package, and ship the goods. Most recently, we have experienced an inability to get premade peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as well as the desired chicken patties. At the elementary level, we can hand make sandwiches, but the volume and staffing at the Jr/Sr High doesn't allow for that possibility. We are very fortunate for the kitchen staff that we have on all three campuses as they do everything in their power to make the necessary adjustments to create quality meals. |
7.3.1. NASB Monthly Update
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7.3.2. Important Upcoming Dates:
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7.3.3. NRCSA Member Update
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7.4. Facilities Report
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7.5. Board Committee Reports
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7.5.1. Committee on American Civics (Breitkreutz-chair, Burklund, Matulka)
Discussion:
The committee met prior to the board meeting to review a written report provided them by the principals which included curriculum covered in social studies courses. American History is embedded in grade level and course content where civics and teachings about the American flag is addressed, assessments in social science and how they capture progress of social studies standards, and how we are meeting the statute requirement to assess students on understanding of American citizenship and civic duty.
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7.5.2. Transportation Committee (Breitkreutz-chair, Lange, Matulka)
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7.5.3. Finance Committee (Blanchard-chair, Breitkreutz, Burklund)
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7.5.4. Facilities Committee (Blanchard-chair, Burklund, Matulka)
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7.5.5. Negotiations Committee (Blanchard-chair, Gould, Lange)
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7.5.6. Curriculum Committee (Gould-chair, Burklund, Lange)
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7.5.7. Policy Committee (Gould-chair, Lange, Matulka)
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7.6. Review Public Forum Presentation(s) - Consider, discuss, and take all necessary action
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8. Old Business
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8.1. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to address safety protocols including masking protocols
Discussion:
The standing agenda item to address safety protocols including masking protocols was discussed. Currently masks are required at the high school (Lancaster County) until the DHM expires. Motion by Burklund, second by Lange to remove the mask mandate at the high school effective Monday, February 21, 2022. RCV 3-3. Yes: Burklund, Lange, Matulka. No: Blanchard, Breitkreutz, Gould. Motion failed.
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8.2. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to amend the 2021-22 District Calendar
Discussion:
The NDE Commissioner issued an update to Rule 10 and Rule 14 on August 11, 2021 that provided flexibility for school districts as it relates to instructional hours due to impacts of Covid-19. In the fall the BOE graciously granted teachers two additional work days prior to the Thanksgiving break. Although things have been better in regards to absenteeism and coverage, we are still having to cover internally in some situations and the emotional burden of the year has been heavy. Motion by Matulka, second by Burklund to amend the District Calendar and approve Friday, March 11 as professional development, training and/or work time for staff with no students attending school that day. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9. New Business
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9.1. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve staff appointments
Discussion:
Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Matulka to approve staff appointments: Clair Trenhaile, Speech Language Pathologist; Kelly Tvrdy, Elementary Teacher and Head Volleyball Coach; Elijah Hackbart, Industrial Tech, SkillsUSA and Head Cross Country; Nathan Sliva, Elementary Teacher; Jacob Staroscik, Secondary Science Teacher; and Joey Stansberry, Substitute Bus Driver. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.2. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary action to approve the resignations of staff
Discussion:
Motion by Blanchard, second by Matulka to approve staff resignations: Rachel Beck, Speech Pathologist; Ann Egr, Ceresco Elementary Principal; Brian Gralheer, Assistant Principal/Activities Director; Christine Genrich, Ceresco 5th Grade; Terran Benes, Assistant Softball Coach; Keaton Henry, Secondary Science and Asst Boys Basketball; Laura Hill, Secondary Spanish; and Diane Ahlstrand, Ceresco 3rd Grade. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.3. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve the 2022-23 School Calendar.
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Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Lange to approve the 2022-2023 school calendar as presented noting the start date has been moved back by a week and the calendar does retain three snow days, creating a flexible end date. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.4. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve Jr/Sr High course offerings
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Motion by Burklund, second by Matulka to approve changes to course titles that create new CTE Pathways and add two new courses for the 2022-2023 school year: Cybersecurity and IT Fundamentals. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.5. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve the Superintendent's Contract for 2022-23
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The board followed all legal requirements in posting the Superintendent's Contract on the website as well as the schedule indicating the cost of that contract at least three days prior to this meeting. Motion by Blanchard, second by Breitkreutz to approve the Superintendent contract with a salary of $152,000.00. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.6. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary action with regard to authorizing issuance of a request for letters of interest for architecture services.
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Motion by Blanchard, second by Lange that the Board of Education of this School District should, and does hereby authorize issuance of a request for letters of interest to qualified architecture firms for purposes of pre-financing needs analysis and possible post-financing design, cost estimating and construction administration of a potential new school facility, and further authorizes, approves, and directs the Superintendent of Schools, or a designee for the School District, to develop and issue said request for letters of interest, in the form as presented at this meeting or with such changes as are deemed necessary and in the best interest of the School District and approved by the Superintendent of Schools. RCV 5-1. Yes: Blanchard, Breitkreutz, Gould, Lange, and Matulka. No: Burklund. Motion carried.
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9.7. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve Policy 5006 and Resolution and Appendix "1" to Policy 5006 that establishes option capacity enrollment
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Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Burklund to approve Policy 5006-Option Enrollment, Resolution and Appendix "1". RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.8. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve a summer mowing quote from 5T's Lawn Care for Ceresco and Valparaiso
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Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Lange to approve the mowing bid from 5T’s Lawn Mowing for $90.00 at Ceresco and $90.00 at Valparaiso per mowing. RCV 5-1. Yes: Blanchard, Breitkreutz, Burklund, Gould, and Lange. No: Matulka. Motion carried.
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10. Approval of Next Regular Board Meeting
Discussion:
Motion by Lange, second by Breitkreutz to approve the next regular board meeting for Wednesday, March 16, 2022. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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11. Adjournment
Discussion:
Motion by Gould, second by Breitkreutz to adjourn the meeting at 7:04 PM. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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