April 10, 2024 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting
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1. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance
Discussion:
President Breitkreutz 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:
Motion by Matulka, second by Benes to excuse the absence of Cathy Burklund. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.
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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. 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. |
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5. Appointment of New Board Member
Discussion:
Motion by Benes, second by Lange to approve the appointment of Larry Heyen to fill the vacant seat in Ward 5 through the remainder of the term. RCV 4-0. Motion carried.
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5.1. Oath of Office
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6. Consent Agenda
Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Lange to approve the consent agenda as presented including the regular meeting minutes of March 13, 2024; March financial statement; monthly bills; policies with no changes in 7000-New Construction, 8000-Internal Board Policies, and 9000-Bylaws of the Board; and assignment of Ariel Broekemeier as PK4 teacher. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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6.1. Regular Minutes of March 13, 2023
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6.2. Financial Statement/Report
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6.3. Monthly Bills
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6.4. Policy Review 7000's, 8000's, 9000's
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6.5. Certificated staff hires/reassignment/resignations
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7. Correspondence/Recognition
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Discussion:
Wednesday, April 3 was Para Appreciation Day. We are fortunate to have a great group of paraeducators. They go above and beyond in helping to meet the needs of our students. A huge thank you to all of our paraeducators!
Thank you to the RCEF Board of Directors and to all the parents and patrons who supported our students through the Annual Dinner and Auction on Saturday, March 23. All the proceeds from this event go directly to our students in some form of support. This year's raise the paddle realized over $10,000 for the purchase of new art tables and chairs for the elementary art rooms. The district will be having a cake reception for two retirees who have been with our district: Chip Lange started with Raymond Central in 1996 (28 years) and Jean Danley joined the district in 2002 (22 years). The reception is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8 at the Jr/Sr Commons Area from 3:30-4:30 PM. We were fortunate to have Ellie Potter and Nicole Cruz as Raymond Central Representatives for the Sophomore Pilgrimage at the State Capitol. The group participating in the "Sophomore Pilgrimage" receives an informative presentation on the Judicial Branch from Court of Appeals Judge Riko Bishop. Organized by The Nebraska Federation of Women’s Clubs, this annual event invites high school sophomores from across Nebraska to spend a full day at the Capitol, engaging with representatives from all three branches of government. |
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8. Public Forum
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9. Reports
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9.1. Administrative Reports
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Discussion:
Submitted by Mark Smith, Jr-Sr High School Principal
BIG PICTURE: Recently, and over the next month, we will finish up various state testing at the Jr/Sr high school. Our juniors completed the ACT on March 26. Grades 6-8 will be taking the NSCAS assessments at the end of April. These assessments will be one point of measurement to help us see student progress in math and reading (also science for 8th grade). On Monday, April 8, our students will have the opportunity to participate in viewing the partial solar eclipse. By the time you read this report you will know if weather cooperated to allow for good visibility. Prom will take place on Saturday, April 9. Teachers and staff are focused on helping students successfully complete semester 2 classes. Tasha Osten is helping keep a specific focus on our seniors with the goal of having every eligible senior complete needed graduation requirements. ITEMS OF NOTE: Julia Wolfe and Connor Tice were both honored as the Raymond Central Outstanding Teen Award recipients at the Lincoln Elks Lodge on Saturday, March 23. Quincy Cotter will be honored on Friday, April 5, at Midland University as an Outstanding High School Leader Award recipient. PERSONNEL UPDATE: Taylor Vasa, PE teacher, went on maternity leave beginning February 29. Alexander Rathje has joined us as her long-term substitute for approximately 6 weeks. Elijah Hackbart, Industrial Technology teacher, welcomed a new baby girl on March 28. He will be taking a short paternity leave the week of April 8-12. INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE: Teachers continue to focus on providing quality, engaging instruction in classrooms. The focus of this year’s professional development was to focus on active student engagement in the classroom. Topics that teachers have been implementing in classrooms throughout the year include:
Submitted by Tony Kobza, Asst Jr-Sr High School Principal/Athletic Director Basketball hoops and motors will be replaced in late April to early May in the Main Gym. Stage and Wall mats are scheduled to be replaced on May 26. Shot clocks have been delivered. They will be installed in June after the backboards are updated. Water couplings will be installed on the new practice area and grass seeding will occur later this spring. We are getting additional quotes. Initial planning for upgrading the outdoor concessions is being done. Looking at ways to improve that area. KCAV reached out and we are on their list to have our football/track field sound system installed the weekend of April 14. We have purchased a portable sound system that will be dedicated to the Val Ball fields for baseball and softball home games. We paid for a portion of the new batting cage nets at the Val Ball Fields. Initial conversations are being had to generate ideas and options to create a baseball/softball facility at the JH/HS campus. This is INITIAL planning to look at ways to generate funds from outside of the district budget as well as determine next steps that can be taken, if any. Hazard Engineering has donated planning time and concept imagery for big picture planning purposes. The group has met three times and has now broken off into subcommittees to start becoming more specific on the planning and direction of the process. We have 2D and will soon have 3D renderings of what the potential site would look like. We are also determining phasing and scope of the project. The name of the project is "More Than a Field". Mission Statement: "It’s more than a field, we are striving to create unified communities focused on creating a lasting legacy for our children at a facility that they can be proud of and create relevance for many years to come." The next steps:
Submitted by Steve Rose, Elementary Principal and Deb Kruse, Assistant Elementary Principal Professional Development
Submitted by Amanda Coufal, Director of Special Education Para-Appreciation Day: Para Appreciation Day was observed on April 3rd. In each building, we surprised our amazing paras with an Eileen’s cookie that read, ‘Paras Change the World and We Have the Best!’ I wish I could have given them the day off but the school would not be able to function without them. During this time, we let them know how much we appreciate them and thanked them for all of their hard work that they do for our district, our teachers and most importantly, our students. We would be lost without them and we truly have the greatest paras working in our district who all do what is best for our students.
Staff that had or purchased Autism shirts wore them on April 2nd to recognize World Autism Awareness Day. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interactions, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning or paying attention. We currently have six students with a primary disability of Autism. ASD Conference: On April 4-5, four of our staff members (Nicole Kliment, Melanie Schmalken, Stacey Doan, and Jessica Knopp) attended the ASD Conference in Kearney. There were three keynote speakers and 29 breakout sessions to choose from throughout the two days. The special education staff is excited to hear about what they learned and strategies that we can implement to help our students with autism and autism tendencies. Cozy Corner: The preschool staff were the recipients of a set of Cozy Corner supplies. Thank you to Megan Kemnitz and Faith Boyd who completed the 1-hour training to receive $1,500 dollars worth of calming corner resources from Lakeshore. This mini-grant was offered from the Disaster Response Grant. A calming corner helps children practice identifying feelings and emotions to better manage stress, self-regulate and control their impulses. It is a comfortable place away from active areas of the classroom where children can sort through big emotions (not a "time out"). Once we receive the supplies and the cozy corner is set up, I will give an update on the area and how it is working. |
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9.2. Student Board Member
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Discussion:
Submitted by Rosalie Tvrdy, Student Body President
Hello and happy April! This month is a very busy month with CTSO state competitions, art club events, track meets, and baseball games. To begin, FFA went to the state convention this last week. They had many people and groups qualify for events to compete in, for example, four members qualified in Vet Science, four members qualified in Ag Mechanics, four people qualified in Food Science, two members qualified in Ag Demo, Marissa Tvrdy qualified in Creed Speaking, four members qualified in Senior Livestock Judging, four members qualified in Junior Livestock Judging, as well as a Quiz Bowl team and a CCM team. This week, FBLA is bringing almost twenty members to the State Leadership Conference. Many groups and members made it into the final rounds of their events, meaning that they will give a presentation at the conference. I would like to congratulate Sarah Lange as well, because she is running for FBLA State Parliamentarian. Multiple members were also fortunate to work with Mr. Marsh, who was the previous adviser before Mrs. Schaffer. He helped students out with mock interviews, as well as talking about the yearly report that Sarah Lange and I made. SkillsUSA is also taking multiple members to the state competition while FBLA is in Kearney for their state competition. Art club is hosting the Nebraska Capitol Conference Art Show, where nine schools are participating. A visiting professional artist, Kailin Nielsen, is coming to work with the young artists and provide an activity. She teaches painting drawing at Doane University. Art club is also hosting the annual Raymond Central Art Show on April 26th. A Majority of the art students will submit artwork to be displayed, and the art club will hand out awards for the best artwork. Our track, baseball, and soccer teams have also been successful. I would also like to recognize the junior Student Council members for putting in a lot of hard work and time to plan prom. They have worked very hard and raised a lot of funds very quickly. These members truly embody the values and characteristics of great student council members. This month is a very busy month, and I am excited to see our students succeed in the CTSO state competitions, track meets, baseball games, soccer games, and art club events. |
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9.3. Superintendent's Report
Discussion:
Graduation will be held on Saturday, May 11 at 2:00 PM. Board members should meet in my office at 1:40 PM. We will walk down to the gymnasium together and then we will all be seated on the stage. We hope to have 61 students walk across the stage on Sunday. There are a few that have not yet met the graduation requirements but we are hopeful that all can do so by May 11.
The last student day is Wednesday, May 22 with a noon dismissal. That is also the last contract day for certificated staff members. Friday, April 26 is our last Inservice day with staff for this school year. We will be finishing the last unit of Classroom Culture with facilitator Mike Feit, on that day and reviewing building level data points and progress on school improvement goals. The Cognia external visitation team is onsite April 10-11. The committee chairperson did Zoom interviews with teachers, parents, and board members. They will interview students in person on Wednesday. The information that is provided to us regarding our continuous improvement processes and practices will be valuable in helping us to refine and improve our practices. |
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9.3.1. Classified Staff hires/reassignment/resignations
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9.3.2. NASB Monthly Update
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9.3.3. NRCSA Monthly Report
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9.3.4. Update on Superintendent Goals
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) |
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9.3.5. Safety Report
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Discussion:
Door Access and cameras are installed in all buildings as ordered.
Additional cameras and a couple of more door access at Jr/Sr are being considered. |
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9.3.6. Facilities Report
Discussion:
There are a number of items later in the agenda that are facility related.
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9.3.7. Important Upcoming Dates:
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9.4. Board Committee Reports
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9.4.1. Curriculum & American Civics Committee (Burklund-chair, Lange, Matulka)
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9.4.2. Facilities & Transportation Committee (Matulka-chair, Burklund, Lange)
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9.4.3. Finance Committee (xx-chair, Breitkreutz, Burklund)
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9.4.4. Negotiations Committee (xx-chair, Benes, Lange)
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9.4.5. Policy Committee (Breitkreutz-chair, Benes)
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10. Old Business
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11. New Business
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11.1. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary action to approve the purchase of curriculum materials for STEM 6 course
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STEM 6 is a trimester class. All students are enrolled in this class at some point during their 6th grade year. We would like this class to be a true exploratory experience that has plenty of hands-on learning. It would be helpful to have a set curriculum in place so that the experience for students can remain consistent from year to year. Motion by Matulka, second by Benes to approve the purchase of Kids Spark Education STEM Program curriculum materials for our STEM 6 course at a cost of $3,649.95. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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11.2. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve a three year service contract with Kidwell for service on the cameras and door access systems in the amount of $11,925
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Discussion:
Motion by Benes, second by Matulka to approve a three-year service contract with Kidwell in the amount of $11,925.00 for service on our cameras and door access systems. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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11.3. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve using the remaining E-Rate funds to purchase category 2 equipment
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Discussion:
Motion by Lange, second by Heyen to approve using the remaining E-Rate funds to purchase category 2 equipment (switches, cabling, and patches) from Pine Cove Consulting in the amount of $36,913.38 which is reimbursed at 50%. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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11.4. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve changes to policies in the 7000 New Construction, 8000 Internal Board Policies, 9000 Bylaws of the Board
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Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Lange to approve changes to policies: 7020-Guidelines for Building New Schools or Remodeling Existing Schools; 7030-Selection of Architect Engineer; 7040-Financing of Construction-Building Fund; 7050-Bids and Contracts; 7051-Awarding Contracts; 8110-Purpose and Role of the Board; 8120-Duties and Functions of the Board of Education; 8130-Annual Organizational Meeting; 8130A-Resolution; 8150-Standing Committees; 8152-Standing Committee on Negotiations; 8153-Standing Committee on Curriculum and American Civics; 8271A-Conflicts Ledger; 8272-Code of Ethics; 8343-Agenda Construction and Control; 9124-Secretary; 9210-Adoption and Amendment of Bylaws; 9320-Order of Business; and 9400-Temporary and Special Board Committees. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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11.5. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve a quote for installation of irrigation piping with quick connections and remote controls
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Discussion:
Motion by Heyen, second by Matulka to approve a quote from Whitmore Sprinkler in the amount of $22,061.53 to do the trenching and installation of irrigation piping for water down to the east softball/baseball practice areas with quick connections and remote control. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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11.6. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to approve a quote to refinish and paint the auxiliary gym in the Jr/Sr building
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Discussion:
The original auxiliary gym floors were done in 2010 and apparently started having flaking issues within a few years. In 2019 it was decided to repaint the lines as partial refinish. All parties knew at that time that this was a temporary fix. Motion by Benes, second by Breitkreutz to approve a quote from Egan Supply Co in the amount of $16,875.00 to strip, refinish and repaint the auxiliary gym floor. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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12. Next Regular Board Meeting
Discussion:
The next regular Board of Education Meeting will be held Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
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13. Adjournment
Discussion:
Motion by Breitkreutz, second by Matulka to adjourn the meeting at 6:48 PM. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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