September 14, 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 regular meeting to order at 6:18 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 Burklund to approve the consent agenda as presented including the August 10, 2022 regular meeting minutes and the August 31, 2022 Budget Workshop and Patron Committee Meeting minutes; the August financial statement; and monthly bills. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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4.1. Regular Minutes of August 10, 2022; August 31, 2022 Budget Workshop and Patron Committee
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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:
NASB is a private, nonprofit organization that serves the needs of Nebraska public school districts and Educational Service Unit board members. Nebraska’s 1,700 school board members from across the state may participate in board development training throughout the year by attending workshops and conferences to help strengthen their role in governance, legislative advocacy, and stewardship of district resources in support of student achievement. In recognition of their volunteer time and commitment to education, NASB recognizes participation and growth in knowledge and best practice through the Awards of Achievement program. Congratulations to the following board members for achieving new levels of success:
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6. Public Forum
Discussion:
Chris Dickey addressed the Board with a few additional questions regarding the facility planning. Dave Burklund spoke about the EnergyWise incentive program which changes out inefficient lighting to LED lighting and also his thoughts on a possible future bond election.
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7. Reports
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7.1. Facility planning update from architect BVH
Discussion:
BVH architect, Cleve Reeves, reviewed information collected from the Patron Committee Meeting including pros and cons of the four potential scenarios for facility improvement. These four alternatives are not the only alternatives nor do any of these stand on their own, they are just starting points for consideration. Mr. Reeves also reviewed the facility planning timeline going forward.
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7.2. Administrative Reports
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Discussion:
Submitted by Scott Shepard, Jr-Sr High School Principal
Relationships - Since July 1, I have been able to meet the board, several staff members and spent some great time with the administrative team at the NCSA Administrators’ Days in Kearney. We had our open house this week, where I was able to meet and greet many of the students and parents as they came to finish the registration process and receive their chromebooks. Student Engagement - We are planning a first day of school to welcome the students into the RC Family that will include some required trainings (school safety, bus evacuations, dating violence) and some logistical items (guidance/counseling, student handbook) and I will also have time with each of the grade levels as we discuss what it means to be part of the RC Family! Fall sport practices also begin on Monday, August 8. Our initial staff development will focus on relationships and student engagement in the block schedule. We believe this will increase student learning over the course of the year. Beginning of the School Year - New staff start next week with mentors joining them on Tuesday. We are excited to work with the team to create positive experiences for our students. The handbooks are complete, but Tony and I do want to work with the staff early on and we may make a few recommendations for changes as we understand the culture and routines of Raymond Central. Lynn and I will hopefully have a recommendation for a 6th grade teacher at the board meeting on Wednesday following the late resignation. Celebrations - Last week, several of our students and their livestock performed well at the Saunders County Fair. I was fortunate to be able to watch some of them show their calves on Friday. What a great experience for our kids and also want to thank our Ag teacher Katie Donahue for the support she gives our students and families. Jared and his team have the facility just about ready for staff and students to return. Everything looks great! Tony Kobza has done a great job with filling coaching positions, raising funds for the scoreboards in the gym and preparing for the start of the fall seasons. I want to thank Lynn for the support over the past few months during the transition. She has handled most of the hiring and we have worked together on the handbooks to create some consistency across the district. It is refreshing to work with a positive team focused on doing what is best for kids. Submitted by Tony Kobza, Assistant Jr-Sr High School Principal/Athletic Director Fall Sports are in full swing. We currently have 171 athletes competing in grades 7-12 for the fall season. Weight Room upgrades have been completed and added max capacity to the weight room by 50%. We are adding a new Hudl Focus camera to the New Gym to allow us to livestream any competitions that are held within that gym. Band, Cheer and Dance have been adding to a great game day atmosphere for Volleyball and Football games. We are moving forward with the ScoreVision Boards as we have the funds necessary for installation committed for us to have the boards installed in early November. Businesses and families have provided all of the funding necessary to cover the costs of the boards. We are currently over $127,000 committed to this project. Submitted by Steve Rose, Elementary Principal and Deb Kruse, Assistant Elementary Principal Beginning of School - we have many new teachers and assignments that are being worked out (Ceresco 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade; Valparaiso Kindergarten; Counselor to both buildings). We also have three new paras. School Year Focus - Science of Reading. This will begin during pre service with all elementary teachers and will continue throughout the year in various sessions to train teachers in the research based best practices for teaching reading. This will also culminate in the evaluation and adoption for our new curricular resources for the 2022-2023 school year. MTSS
Submitted by Amanda Coufal, Director of Special Education CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention). Staff were trained using practical skills and strategies to safely manage disruptive or difficult student behaviors. CPI certification training supports PBIS strategies. We have 30 staff recertified in CPI and 10 new staff certified in CPI. Current SpEd List - During the summer months, we had two special education students transfer to a different school district and we had three students enroll that are on an IEP. Current Special Education numbers: Ceresco - 26; Valparaiso - 11; MS/HS - 71 = 108 verified students. TIP (Targeted Improvement Plan). Each school district has to review their student data and establish a targeted improvement plan. Each TIP is required to have: A focus for improvement; A measurable goal with annual targets; A student-centered, evidence-based strategy to affect the outcome for students with disabilities; An implementation plan; Criteria to measure fidelity of the student-centered, evidence-based strategies selected. The TIP must be aligned to the overall general education improvement activities being implemented at the district. Raymond Central’s TIP was submitted in May and we just received our review summary back. We have met the criteria in all areas! RC Tip Review Summary I want to thank Caitlin Roussan (school psychologist) and Jenifer Highstreet (HS SpEd teacher) for helping with this process and agreeing to be a member of the TIP team. They dedicated their time and expertise to make this possible. They spent many hours dissecting data, collaborating, and creating a plan that will benefit the students at Raymond Central. Their hard work definitely paid off! |
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7.3. Student Board Report - Madison Parham
Discussion:
Submitted by Madison Parham, Student Body President
Good evening Raymond Central Board members, my name is Madison Parham. I am the Student Body President for the 2022-2023 school year. I am involved in various activities including Volleyball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Student Council, and National Honor Society. I, on behalf of the student body, would like to highlight some changes in a positive manner that have been made this school year that were not put in place in past years. To start, every morning before school as students walk into the school building to begin their day, they are welcomed with a "good morning", words of encouragement, and smile by Mr. Shepard and Mr. Kobza, along with music playing on a speaker. This warm welcome at the beginning of an early morning is something that helps students start their day of learning off on a positive note knowing that they have an administration who wants to be able to change the atmosphere of arriving at school into something that is much more exciting. This is just one example of how the culture at our school is changing for the better. To add to that, the 9-12 student body gathered in the commons during our advisory period two Fridays ago to create excitement for the first home football game of the season against Malcolm High School. The cheerleaders led the student body in a few different cheers that engaged everyone and the gathering was finished with the football players teaching everyone their huddle chant, which was then participated in by everyone. That night, our student section was well-attended, loud, cheerful, and very interactive with the "White Out" theme. Some of the students in the student section even brought different posters that they made to encourage school spirit and pride for the football game. The great student section at the football game that Friday had been carried over from multiple home volleyball games. During home volleyball games, the student section is filled to the top of the bleachers with students from all grades who are actively engaged in the game and promote a great amount of school spirit. On top of that, our cheerleaders are at the volleyball game as well, which is a change from the past years, and have been great advocates for keeping our student section loud and cheerful. Our student sections have had an outstanding impact on our different athletic teams, and I, as a volleyball player, am always happy to see a large crowd of students spending their weekday evenings to support our team. In regards to the academic lives of students, classes seem to have begun on a great start. Even through different opinions of our cell phone policy, having restrictions on usage of phones has been able to motivate students to be more engaged in class and ultimately promote a better learning environment. As teenagers, many of us enjoy being able to use our cell phones frequently, and I feel that students here at our school have been able to adjust quite well to the school policy regarding phone consumption, for the most part. Some of the students have been able to participate in class trips recently, taking their environment of learning off-campus. Our school provides students with multiple opportunities to take different class trips related to what they are learning in class and trips that are beneficial to their future lives outside of high school. Yesterday, the Plant Science class took a half-day trip to the Saunders County Fairgrounds to listen to a speaker who taught them about different types of soil. Just last week, the Junior class took a trip to Southeast Community College in Beatrice where they got to tour the campus and learn more about other colleges that they may be interested in. In the near future, the students taking Composition I plan to take a class trip to UNL where they will spend a few hours using their five senses to inspire different ideas for them to use to create an observation essay. I am excited to see where this school year takes our student body as a whole and am enthusiastic about my involvement within our student body here at Raymond Central, upcoming school activities, and future board meetings. |
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7.4. Superintendent's Report
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7.4.1. NASB Monthly Update
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7.4.2. Update on Superintendent Goals
Goal 1: Develop a visible presence within the schools, the school community, and the state. Goal 2: Foster a learning environment in which every student has the maximum opportunity to achieve academic excellence. Goal 3: Continue the development of a 10 year facilities strategic plan for implementation that addresses maintenance and improvements for existing building assets and new construction. Goal 4: Continue the development of safety and security practices for Raymond Central Public Schools.
Discussion:
Superintendent Johnson provided the Board with an update on her goals.
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7.4.3. Safety Report
Discussion:
Following are actions that have been taken:
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7.4.4. Important Upcoming Dates:
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7.4.5. NRCSA Monthly Update
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7.5. Facilities Report
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7.6. Technology Updates
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Discussion:
Submitted by Jaxn Kobza, Technology Director
Infrastructure
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7.7. Board Committee Reports
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7.7.1. Committee on American Civics (Breitkreutz-chair, Burklund, Matulka)
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7.7.2. Transportation Committee (Breitkreutz-chair, Lange, Matulka)
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7.7.3. Finance Committee (Blanchard-chair, Breitkreutz, Burklund)
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7.7.4. Facilities Committee (Blanchard-chair, Burklund, Matulka)
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7.7.5. Negotiations Committee (Blanchard-chair, Gould, Lange)
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7.7.6. Curriculum Committee (Gould-chair, Burklund, Lange)
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7.7.7. Policy Committee (Gould-chair, Lange, Matulka)
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7.8. Review Public Forum Presentation(s) - Consider, discuss, and take anll necessary action
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8. Old Business
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9. New Business
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9.1. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to surplus items
Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Lange to approve an old warming oven and folding chairs as surplus. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.2. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to Approve Staff
Discussion:
Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Matulka to approve paraeducator staff appointments of Kristen Lovell, Julie Mueller, and Melanie Schmalken; and also girls basketball head coach Gary Samuelson and assistant coach Trudy Samuelson. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.3. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to Approve Substitute Teachers
Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Burklund to approve Kennedy DeBoer as substitute teacher. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.4. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve VM software for servers
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Discussion:
Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Lange to approve the purchase of VMware software for our servers at a cost of $8,707.06. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.5. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to purchase email filtering
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Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Lange to approve the purchase of a 3 year email filtering contract with Avanan at a cost of $35,010.00. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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9.6. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve superintendent's evaluation tool
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Discussion:
Motion by Blanchard, second by Breitkreutz to utilize the Standard Superintendent Evaluation Tool for the 2022-2023 school year by the Board and also include input from administrators. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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10. Approval of Next Regular Board Meeting
Discussion:
Motion by Gould, second by Blanchard to approve the next regular Board meeting of Wednesday, October 12, 2022 and also Special Board meeting of September 23, 2022 to set the system-wide 2022-2023 property tax request. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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11. Adjournment
Discussion:
Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Matulka to adjourn the meeting at 7:22 PM. RCV 6-0. Motion carried.
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