Public Meeting Minutes: September 13, 2023 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

1. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance

Discussion: President Breitkreutz called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:31 PM.

2. Motion to Excuse Board Member's Absence

Discussion: Motion by Benes, second by Blanchard to approve the absence of Derek Matulka. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.

3. Open Meeting Law

4. District Mission Statement
The Raymond Central community is committed to providing a positive, challenging learning environment which prepares each individual to be a responsible citizen in an ever-changing society.

5. Consent Agenda

Discussion: Motion by Burklund, second by Lange to approve the consent agenda as presented including the regular meeting minutes of August 16, 2023; Public Workshop/Special Board Meeting minutes of August 30, 2023; August financial statement; and monthly bills. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.

5.1. Regular Minutes of August 16, 2023 and Public Workshop/Special Board Meeting of August 30, 2023

Attachments: (2)

8-16-23 Board of Education Regular Meeting Minutes

9/8/2023 at 10:38 AM
8-30-23 Board of Education Special Meeting Minutes

9/8/2023 at 10:38 AM

5.2. Financial Statement/Report

Attachments: (1)

Financial Statements August 2023

9/7/2023 at 3:30 PM

5.3. Monthly Bills

Attachments: (1)

Bills Paid August 2023

9/7/2023 at 3:30 PM

6. Correspondence/Recognition

Discussion:

Congratulations and thanks to Carolyn Enevoldsen who wrote a grant to the Nebraska Arts Council and was granted an award of $628 to bring the Nebraska State Poet, Matt Mason, to our campus and visit with our students. She also wrote and received a grant from the Nebraska Cultural Endowment and the State of Nebraska for the same person to make a presentation to a public group as an expansion of the classroom segment for our learners. The Writers Symposium will be a large part of the public group in attendance and Dr. Harriet Gould has expressed her appreciation for this opportunity as the organizer of the Writers Symposium.

7. Public Forum

Discussion: Chris Dickey addressed the Board regarding Policy 5101-Student Discipline.

8. Reports

8.1. Administrative Reports

Attachments: (4)

September Elementary Board Report (1)

9/8/2023 at 12:24 PM
September AD Report

9/8/2023 at 12:24 PM
_September SpEd Board Report

9/8/2023 at 5:43 PM
SR HIGH PRINCIPAL REPORT – 9.8.23

9/9/2023 at 9:55 AM

Discussion: Submitted by Mark Smith, Jr-Sr High School Principal
STAFFING: Teaching and classroom support roles are all filled for the start of the year. We have the people in place to do the important work of serving our students. We are also getting individuals in place for some long-term sub needs later in the year.
HAPPENINGS:

Fall activities are in full swing.
Our band traveled to Grand Island on 9/01 to perform at the Nebraska State Fair.
Grades 6-8 will begin their fall NSCAS testing over the next couple of weeks.
Grades 9-10 will begin their fall MAP testing over the next couple of weeks.
16 FFA students traveled to Central Community College in Columbus on 9/06.
Tasha Osten has been into classes helping students utilize Naviance (our college, career, and life-readiness platform).

     TEACHER/STAFF PREP: I have been in teacher classrooms multiple times in the last month. It has been great to see teachers and students engaged in the process of learning. I have specifically been gathering data on the use of Checks for Understanding during instruction. This information is informing the professional development we are providing teachers during the year.
     Our professional development on September 15 will consist of training around overall student engagement. Mike Feit from ESU 2 will be spending time on engaging students through classroom culture. Sam Butler from ESU 2 will provide some training for teachers on engaging students through intentional planning of instructional time (effective use of block schedule). Breanne Poston, Deb Kruse, and I will facilitate training for teachers on effective engagement practices during instruction. I am excited that the 6-12 professional learning is beginning to align with a district-wide model of professional learning and development.
     CURRICULUM:

Grade 6-8 ELA teachers will continue work with staff from ESU2 to plan use of the new ELA curriculum as part of their professional development on September 15.
While teachers are still working through the new ELA curriculum, they have commented that it has created a higher frequency of student engagement. The curriculum also has a focus on building student vocabulary.
Staff from ESU2 will be coming to do coaching walk-thrus as our math teachers implement new math standards. ESU2 staff will also be providing some training for me to utilize the walk-thru and coaching process for our math teachers.

OTHER:

Tasha Osten and I attended a visit day at Southeast Community College on August 31. SCC continues to grow and expand great offerings for our students both while they are still in high school and post-high school.
Our school-wide expectations have begun to be implemented. Posters are up in classrooms, in hallways, restrooms, etc. The use of common language and common expectations will continue to be implemented. This is key to helping our students know and understand what is expected of them, and helps set the stage for our campus to be a safe and secure environment.
The Middle School Coordinator role has already begun to make a positive impact on grades 6-8. Breanne has helped put together proactive plans for individual students, and worked collaboratively with teachers to find ways to build better relationships with students.
Breanne has also played a key role in developing processes and resources for our MTSS teacher teams 6-12. These MTSS teams allow teachers time to be proactive with student academic, behavioral, or other concerns that begin to arise.

Submitted by Tony Kobza, Asst Jr-Sr High School Principal/Athletic Director
     Activities - FFA participated in the State Fair as well as the Band. Conferences, competitions and other events are just getting started.
     Athletics - We are in full swing as the next three weeks are jam packed with home and away events for Jr High and High School teams. I am very proud of the coaches for the work they have put in to build relationships and help develop our students. I want to thank all of the administrators who have stepped up and helped with supervision during this busy stretch.
     Facilities - The indoor concession stand renovation is now complete.
     A TV was added on the wall outside the Mustang Room that will have games streaming for those in the line at concessions to be able to watch. An additional touch screen will be installed to replace the Senior Picture brackets that will be user friendly and easy to access.
     Record boards for athletics have been hung and look great.
     Perpetual plaques have been completed for Activities, Band, Speech and Play Production to recognize annual winners. These match the Athlete of the Year Plaques.
     Coaches are currently completing three NFHS required trainings that must be completed once every three years. We will also be holding CPR training on August 16 which must be completed every two years.

Submitted by Steve Rose, Elementary Principal and Deb Kruse, Assistant Elementary Principal
School Year Focus

- Wit & Wisdom / Orton Gillingham Implementation
  - Teacher’s met with rotating Subs on August 24 to work on their first data analysis of the new curriculum resources.
    - Caryn Ziettlow and Sam Butler lead this meeting to guide teachers in how the processes are going, working through questions and concerns and finding out how the data collections from the programs were proceeding.
- School-wide Expectations
  - Each week our schools are focused on a different common area of the school and our morning announcers highlight those areas and speak to what it means to be Safe, Respectful and Responsible in those areas.
  - We continue to recognize students who exhibit our Mustang Way Expectations by handing out "Caught in the Act" tickets that students can put in their classroom jars for a chance at a drawing for prizes.
  - We held our first Mustang Assembly on 9.1.23 for the purpose of recognizing the hard work that staff and students have done to promote the expectations each day. We also used this time for teachers to recognize students who have gone above and beyond in the classroom and other areas of the school. The assembly was a huge hit with the students and they are truly excited about the culture we are building at our schools.
- Classroom Culture
  - Continued...Mike Feit from ESU 2 will be guiding us through the Classroom Culture curriculum (District). There are online modules for teachers to complete and then teachers will meet with Mike to deepen understanding of the Five Principles of Classroom Culture promoted in the course (Consistent, Calm Behavior / Sustainable Routines / First Attention to Best Conduct / Scripted Interventions / Restorative Approaches)
- Patriot Day:
  - On 9.11.23 our students met at the flagpole with a brief ceremony in observance of Patriot’s Day. Abby Spangler also shared possible activities for teachers to use in the classroom to enhance the understanding of this event.

Upcoming Dates / Events

- 9.15.23 - All Day PD / Workday with ESU Support
- 9.29.23 - Mustang Assembly

Submitted by Amanda Coufal, Director of Special Education
Life Skills Happenings: The life skill students are participating in specific Functional Skills during Advisory time. Thank you to Stacey Doan and our amazing para-educators who are making this possible for our students.

- Mail Monday: Students will practice writing letters and emails during this time to practice their communication and writing skills. Our non-verbal students will communicate through pictures. We have collaborated with Auburn Public School’s life skills program and will start a pen-pal program with them.
- Tasty Tuesday: Students will locate recipes, create a grocery list and make simple recipes to eat. They will then combine these recipes into their own cookbooks to take home at the end of the year.
- Wacky Wednesday: Students will engage in social skills activities during this time such as playing games and participating in yoga.
- Treat Trolley Thursday: Students will be available for staff to purchase treats from the Treat Trolley. Students will take inventory, sell items, count back change, etc.
- Friday Flowers: Students will create bouquets of fake flowers for teachers to display in their classrooms for the week.

     Transition Services (18-21 Program): We currently have one student that is participating in our transition program. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday’s she attends Hands of Heartland in Lincoln. On Tuesday and Thursday, she is in a work based learning environment. In the mornings, our student works at Driftwood Vet with her job coach, Maggie Suchy. Currently, she is cleaning/power washing their pet resort facilities for the pets. Then she takes some of the dogs on 1-mile walks. She is enjoying this job opportunity and has been a great employee. In the afternoons, she and Maggie work on job applications, strengthening her communication skills while at her job site, rates her employability skills, and creates task boxes for our elementary students. A big shout out to Maggie for being instrumental in helping lead this program and to Driftwood Vet for their collaboration with Raymond Central.
     MDT/IEP Meetings: School has started and so have MDT/IEP meetings for our students and parents. In the 18.5 days that school has been in session, our special education teachers have already held 16 meetings to update IEP’s and prepare students for the new school year.
     New Staff: We hired a substitute para-educator at Valparaiso while Aiden Cronin is on maternity leave. Jeni Vech started with us and she has been a great addition to our staff!

8.2. Technology Report

Attachments: (1)

September Technology Report (1)

9/12/2023 at 2:02 PM

Discussion: Submitted by Jaxn Kobza, Technology Director

Network rebuild is complete in Val and Ceresco.
Access Control for doors at HS campus is going to be wrapped up at the end of September.
The Ceresco Intercom system will be replaced September 15.
Waiting on amplifiers for HS football field to finish the sound system. Was told mid November for the ones we originally ordered but KC AV is looking for other options to get this done sooner.
Teachers are loving the new interactive displays we got for a few of the Elementary classrooms.

8.3. Student Board Member - Rosalie Tvrdy

Attachments: (1)

Board Meeting Report - September

9/8/2023 at 12:22 PM

Discussion: Submitted by Rosalie Tvrdy, Student Body President
Hello, my name is Rosalie Tvrdy, and I am the Student Body President this year. I want to talk about the Student Council and what we are planning for Homecoming week. This year, we came up with the themed days of pajama day, decades day, dress like your favorite teacher day, twin day, and spirit day on Friday to get excited for the Homecoming football game. The Student Council pep rally committee is also planning the pep rallies this year, and we will have two. One on Monday to announce Homecoming Court and Mr. and Miss Mustang. The Homecoming Court and teachers (who are interested) will play one set of volleyball during this pep rally. At our pep rally on Friday, we will have the band play the School Song, and cheer and dance will perform their routines to this song. We will also recognize all fall sports, and the coaches of each sport will talk about their teams and how the seasons are going so far. We will also have an obstacle course for the Homecoming Court to do during this pep rally. Mrs. Polak will teach the Mr. and Miss Mustang candidates a dance, and they will also have to perform this dance at the pep rally. Throughout the week, the Mr. and Miss Mustang candidates will be scored based on how they dress for the themed days, and these scores, as well as their dance, will be considered for who wins the Mr. and Miss Mustang contest. The Student Council is also planning for the homecoming dance, and we have our decoration committees choosing decorations and talking with janitors to help set up decorations for the dance. We have also talked to Mr. Hackbart about building a backdrop for photos for the dance. The Student Council has been working hard preparing for homecoming, especially with Homecoming being a little bit earlier this year compared to last year.
Another thing I wanted to talk about is the adjustment to the Red Zone/Green Zone for phones and head gear throughout the school. Students have adjusted well to these zones, and a lot of students are happier being able to wear hats during school, and this brings the energy up and the positivity up throughout the school.

8.4. Superintendent's Report

Attachments: (1)

Raymond Central_20230908_153901

9/8/2023 at 5:56 PM

Discussion: Enrollment Data - At the end of August our overall student enrollment is 751 students with 50 of those being PK students. Our largest grade level is the 9^th grade at 71 students. We currently have 4 more students optioning out as compared to optioning in (111 vs. 107). Additional information is in the attached enrollment document.
Superintendent Goals - The goals that are presented here for Board consideration are reflective of the administrative focus for this school year. The goals are tied to Strategic Plan Goals and Performance Indicators. In addition to these specific goals, there are other key functions that will be unique to this school year to include the preparation for the Cognia external visit and working with a search firm for a Superintendent replacement.

Goal I. Student Performance: Continue the development and initial implementation of the district Instructional Model Framework. (G1.PI3) (G6.PF1)
Goal II. Student Performance: Continue the implementation of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS-B) model in K-12 is implemented with fidelity to support student learning and social-emotional/ behavior instructional support. (G1.PI3) (G7.PF1.PF2)
Goal III. Facility/Student Performance: Continue the development of a 10 year facility master priority list that addresses maintenance and improvements for existing buildings and grounds and to determine configuration of students to maximize use of facilities and instruction. (G4.PF1)
Goal IV: Continue the development of safety and security practices for Raymond Central Public Schools. (G8.PF1.PF2.PF3.PF4)

Superintendent Evaluation Process - In speaking with Board President, Brad Breitkreutz, it was decided that we would maintain a similar schedule for Superintendent Evaluation that we used last year - we would use NASB to assist with the evaluation process and that we would use the standard evaluation tool (as opposed to the 360 degree instrument). Lynn and Brad will reach out to NASB to affirm a timeline. If the timeline parallels last year it would be as follows:

October 11-17: Superintendent completes the self-evaluation
October 19: Send board members self-evaluation results
October 19-28: Board complete their evaluations
Final reports sent to the Board President by November 3.

NASB Area Meeting - This meeting is being held at Fremont Middle School at 5:00 p.m. on September 20^th. We have five board members registered to attend. We will plan to leave the parking at 4:00 p.m. and I can also pick up at Ceresco Elementary for those that might desire that option.

8.4.1. NASB Monthly Update

Attachments: (1)

0923 NASB Monthly Board Agenda Item (1)

9/5/2023 at 12:30 PM

8.4.2. NRCSA Monthly Update

Attachments: (1)

Member Update 9-7-23 ver 2

9/8/2023 at 8:04 AM

8.4.3. 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.

8.4.4. Safety Report

8.4.5. Important Upcoming Dates:

8.5. Facilities Report

Discussion:

Upgrades to the Ceresco intercom system are scheduled for next week.
The parts for the speaker system at the FB field are still not in. Jaxn is working with the vendor to address the delays.
The door access installation should be completed by the end of this week.

8.6. Board Committee Reports

8.6.1. Curriculum & American Civics Committee (Burklund-chair, Lange, Matulka)

8.6.2. Facilities & Transportation Committee (Blanchard-chair, Burklund, Matulka)

8.6.3. Finance Committee (Blanchard-chair, Breitkreutz, Burklund)

8.6.4. Negotiations Committee (Blanchard-chair, Benes, Lange)

8.6.5. Policy Committee (Breitkreutz-chair, Benes, Lange)

9. Old Business

10. New Business

10.1. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to Approve the 2023-24 budget

Attachments: (1)

Raymond Central_20230912_134020 (2)

9/12/2023 at 1:45 PM

Discussion: Motion by Lange, second by Benes to approve the 2023-2024 budget as follows: General Fund: $12,377,397.00; Depreciation Fund: $1,841,186.00; Employee Benefit Fund: $193,980.00; Activities Fund: $576,955.00; School Nutrition Fund: $745,000.00; Bond Fund: $1,563,374.00; Special Building Fund: $3,114,231.00; QCPUF Fund: $10,568.00; and Student Fee Fund: $85,421.00 for a Total Budget of Disbursements: $20,508,112.00. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.

10.2. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to Set System-Wide 2023-24 Property Tax Request for General Fund, Building Fund, and High School Bond Fund

Attachments: (1)

Raymond Central_20230912_134020 (2)

9/12/2023 at 1:45 PM

Discussion: Motion by Lange, second by Benes to approve the tax resolution to set system-wide 2023-2024 property tax request at $9,743,523.00 with fund requests of: General Fund: $8,198,220.00; Bond Fund: $699,141.00; and Special Building Fund: $846,162.00. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.

10.3. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve the purchase of a minivan for special education

Discussion: Motion by Benes, second by Lange to approve the purchase of a minivan ‘not to exceed $41,500.00’ to be used for transporting special education students. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.

10.4. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to Approve Substitutes

Discussion: Motion by Burklund, second by Breitkreutz to approve Jennifer Burklund and Abigail Zagotta as substitute teachers; and Courtney Barry and Jeni Vech as substitute paraeducators. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.

11. Next Regular Board Meeting is Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Discussion: The next regular Board of Education meeting will be Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

12. Adjournment

Discussion: Motion by Lange, second by Benes to adjourn the meeting at 7:09 PM. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.

September 13, 2023 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

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