June 12, 2024 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:       President Breitkreutz called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM and the Pledge of Allegiance was said. 

Discussion:       Motion by Benes, second by Burklund to excuse the absence of Bill Lange and Derek Matulka.  RCV 4-0.  Motion carried.

Discussion:       The audience was reminded that Open Meeting Laws would be followed.

Discussion:       Katelyn Priefert gave a presentation to the Board on the 18-21 Transition Program that she participated in during the 2023-2024 school year.  Two days each week Katelyn received hands-on learning experiences at different places of employment with her job coach.  The other three days she participated in learning activities at Hands of Heartland in Lincoln.

Discussion:       Tabled until next month.

Discussion:       Motion by Heyen, second by Benes to approve the consent agenda as presented including the regular meeting minutes of May 15, 2024; May financial statement; and monthly bills.  RCV 4-0.  Motion carried.

Discussion:       Larry Heyen has been added to the Finance, Negotiations and Policy Committees.

Discussion:  Submitted by Mark Smith, Jr-Sr High School Principal
2024-2025 Summary:  Looking back over the school year, here are a few highlights.

• We added an MTSS/Middle School Coordinator position. This had significant positive outcomes in both our continued implementation of MTSS at the 6-12 building, and also being able to focus on areas of need for our 6-8 students.
• Weekly MTSS teacher team meetings allowed us to identify student struggles early and put interventions in place. Overall, this approach seemed successful in reducing overall office referrals and putting academic supports in place.
• 6-12 teachers received year-long professional development on active student engagement practices. As I visited classrooms throughout the year, I observed many teachers implementing active engagement strategies.
• 6-12 teachers engaged in year-long professional development with Mike Feit, from ESU 2, on classroom culture.
• Our 6-8 teachers were purposeful and intentional about our approach to state testing. This resulted in overall positive growth for our students on state assessments.
• 61 students met graduation requirements and successfully graduated from Raymond Central.

     Summer School:  We are trying out a credit recovery summer session that began on June 3. So far, we have 8 students regularly attending. Several others are expected to join in the coming days. Several will be able to recover credit for more than one class.
     Thank You:  I want to thank the Raymond Central School Board, Lynn Johnson, and the Raymond Central communities for allowing the privilege of serving as 6-12 principal for the 2023-2024 school year. Raymond Central is a special place with great teachers, staff, and students. My time here will be remembered fondly.

Submitted by Tony Kobza, Asst Jr-Sr High School Principal/Athletic Director
     FBLA will take five students to Nationals at the end of June.
     Spanish Club is on a trip to Costa Rica.
     Commons area outside of the Mustang Room is continually being upgraded to include more historical recognition of RC greatness.
     Basketball hoops and motors will be replaced the week of June 10. All six hoops in the main gym will have new motors on them. We would also like to put in a digital screen to raise and lower the hoops as opposed to the current flat key process. This would match the South Gym setup.
     Stage and wall mats are currently being repaired.
     Shot clocks are 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.
     Outdoor concessions has been improved. More equipment will be needed to complete the upgrades.
     New softball/baseball practice fields have been seeded and grass is growing. Repairs are needed and beginning for dirt work that has happened due to recent heavy rains.
     The county will be at Raymond Central on June 17 to discuss location and needs for second entrance to new facility and current campus.
     Produce stand is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday through the rest of the Summer. Location is the Blue Catfish at the turn for Branched Oak on Highway 79.
     We are planning an Auction Time fundraiser for local individuals to donate equipment they no longer need. Items will be sold on Auction Time and proceeds will go towards new facility.

Submitted by Steve Rose, Elementary Principal and Deb Kruse, Assistant Elementary Principal
Professional Development
     The teacher leadership team met on May 23 to discuss the successful implementation of the Raymond Central School-wide Expectations.  The team evaluated what went well and developed a plan to kickstart the next school year to continue that great work.  As part of unifying the teachers under these expectations and continuing the development of the MTSS-B process, the team decided to implement the "5 finger rule" to help students and teachers better handle and process through conflict.  The process follows:

1. Ignore the behavior
2. Ask them to stop
3. Walk away
4. Tell and Adult
5. The adult helps resolve the situation

RC Instructional Model
     The K-12 administrative team has put together a 3-year professional learning plan based on the RC Instructional Model.  The RC Instructional Model and professional learning plan was developed based on teacher feedback, walkthroughs, observations, student performance data, and perception surveys. 
     The RC Instructional model is based on the science of learning and scientifically research-based strategies.  This is useful to classroom teachers because it presents a research-based rationale for why and when certain instructional strategies should be considered.  The more teachers know about how the brain learns, the greater the number of instructional options that become available. Increasing the options that teachers have during the process of instruction also increases the likelihood that successful learning will occur.
     In December, a team of K-12 teachers and administrators met to ensure the RC Instructional Model is reflected in the Teacher Performance and Evaluation Framework.  This team of teachers have agreed to be part of our professional learning team for the next three years.  They will co-present professional development around the RC Instructional Model.  To prepare, this team will participate in book studies, complete an online course on the phases of learning, attend a 2-day summer training, led by administration, and meet periodically throughout the school year.  We are excited to have this team share their expertise and experience with the rest of the staff. 
Members of the PD Team:
K-12 administrators
Hannah Kring - 1st Valparaiso
Kathleen Cooper - 5th Valparaiso
Kim Hudson - 2nd Ceresco
Monica Blank - Title / Coach Ceresco
Nicole Kliment - Special Education / Valparaiso
Rebecca Parks - Family and Consumer Science / Secondary School
Andrew Placke - Social Studies / Secondary School
Jill Huck - English Language Arts / Middle School
Assessment
     With the implementation of the new Orton Gillingham Foundational Skills program we are excited about the progress students have made.  Monica Blank will share a presentation highlighting the beginning of year, mid year, and end of year data.
     Research tells us that it typically takes about 3 years for teachers to become experts at the delivery of the newly implemented curriculum.  We have already seen some great progress towards mastery in our first year, but we have also found areas that we will continue to develop with the Wit & Wisdom and OG curricular materials.  We are confident that scores and proficiencies will continue to improve as the efficacy of teachers increases in their understanding and delivery of our curricular resources.
Summer School
     Monica Blank is beginning Summer School with 14 total students between both Valparaiso and Ceresco.  It will run in the mornings at each site for 4 days a week from June 10-June 20.

Submitted by Steve Rose, Elementary Principal and Deb Kruse, Assistant Elementary Principal
Professional Development
     The teacher leadership team met on May 23 to discuss the successful implementation of the Raymond Central School-wide Expectations.  The team evaluated what went well and developed a plan to kickstart the next school year to continue that great work.  As part of unifying the teachers under these expectations and continuing the development of the MTSS-B process, the team decided to implement the "5 finger rule" to help students and teachers better handle and process through conflict.  The process follows:

1. Ignore the behavior
2. Ask them to stop
3. Walk away
4. Tell and Adult
5. The adult helps resolve the situation

RC Instructional Model
     The K-12 administrative team has put together a 3-year professional learning plan based on the RC Instructional Model.  The RC Instructional Model and professional learning plan was developed based on teacher feedback, walkthroughs, observations, student performance data, and perception surveys. 
     The RC Instructional model is based on the science of learning and scientifically research-based strategies.  This is useful to classroom teachers because it presents a research-based rationale for why and when certain instructional strategies should be considered.  The more teachers know about how the brain learns, the greater the number of instructional options that become available. Increasing the options that teachers have during the process of instruction also increases the likelihood that successful learning will occur.
     In December, a team of K-12 teachers and administrators met to ensure the RC Instructional Model is reflected in the Teacher Performance and Evaluation Framework.  This team of teachers have agreed to be part of our professional learning team for the next three years.  They will co-present professional development around the RC Instructional Model.  To prepare, this team will participate in book studies, complete an online course on the phases of learning, attend a 2-day summer training, led by administration, and meet periodically throughout the school year.  We are excited to have this team share their expertise and experience with the rest of the staff. 
Members of the PD Team:
K-12 administrators
Hannah Kring - 1st Valparaiso
Kathleen Cooper - 5th Valparaiso
Kim Hudson - 2nd Ceresco
Monica Blank - Title / Coach Ceresco
Nicole Kliment - Special Education / Valparaiso
Rebecca Parks - Family and Consumer Science / Secondary School
Andrew Placke - Social Studies / Secondary School
Jill Huck - English Language Arts / Middle School
Assessment
     With the implementation of the new Orton Gillingham Foundational Skills program we are excited about the progress students have made.  Monica Blank will share a presentation highlighting the beginning of year, mid year, and end of year data.
     Research tells us that it typically takes about 3 years for teachers to become experts at the delivery of the newly implemented curriculum.  We have already seen some great progress towards mastery in our first year, but we have also found areas that we will continue to develop with the Wit & Wisdom and OG curricular materials.  We are confident that scores and proficiencies will continue to improve as the efficacy of teachers increases in their understanding and delivery of our curricular resources.
Summer School
     Monica Blank is beginning Summer School with 14 total students between both Valparaiso and Ceresco.  It will run in the mornings at each site for 4 days a week from June 10-June 20.

Submitted by Amanda Coufal, Special Education Coordinator
Extended School Year Services (ESY):
     ESY services have already started this summer.  We have nine students that met the criteria to qualify for ESY services.  They will attend seven sessions throughout the summer. Extended school year services providers are: Paige Mestl, Nicole Kliment, Stacey Doan, Clair Turman, Linda Hennessey, and Kindra Fox.
Para-Educator Interviews:
     We have two paraeducator positions left to fill at the elementary level. We interviewed five candidates for these positions and we are hopeful that we will be fully staffed for the upcoming school year to meet the needs of our students.

Grade Level	August 2023 SpEd Numbers	Initial Verification	Dismissed from SpEd Services		Moved into district with an IEP		Transferred out of district	Revoked Services	May 2024 SpEd Numbers	Alternate Setting
PK	9	4	3		1				11
K	5		1		1		1		4
1	6	3			1				10	1 @ Indy
										1 @ St. John’s
2	7	4	1						10	1 @ Indy
3	11	4	1		1		3	1	11	1 @ Martyrs
										1 @ St. John’s
4	6						1		5
5	10		2		1		2	1	6	1 @ Martyrs
6	11		2				1	2	6	1 @ Martyrs
										1 @ Indy
7	10						1		9
8	15		1				1		13	1 @ Indy
9	8						1		7	1 Homebound
										1 @ Indy
10	10	1					1		10
11	6	2						1	7
12	12						1	1	10
18-21	1								1
TOTAL	127	18	11		5		13	6	120
Disability Category				Number of Students
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)				38
Other Health Impaired (OHI)				32
Speech Language Impairment (SLI)				16
Intellectual Disability (ID)				5
Developmental Delay (DD)				14
Autism (AU)				5
Emotionally Disturbed (ED)				5
Hearing Impaired (HI)				4
Multiple Impairment (Multi)				1

Discussion:       I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to the Board of Education for providing me with the opportunity to work with a committed board, leadership team and staff to serve the students of our district.  It has been a pleasure and a joy, and I believe that together, we have accomplished a lot in the past three years.  We have achieved our budget goals, checked off a variety of items from our Facility Priority List, instituted an articulated MTSS system K-12, implemented a new Teacher Performance Framework, updated our technology infrastructure and practices, updated our security and safety systems and practices, increased our leadership capacity through Teacher Leadership Teams, completed a successful School Improvement Review, adopted new ELA curriculum, and completed professional development to enhance our learning work.  Most importantly, we are starting to see the positive impact that these aligned efforts will have on student achievement and student learning. I am grateful to have been able to work with a Board of Education that is committed to improving our educational delivery system and was willing to commit resources, both financial and human, to positively grow our learning community.  
     Reminder to the board members that the NASB has recently implemented structure changes that include four at-large positions on our Board of Directors and three at-large positions on the Nominating Committee.  You should have received an email from Sally Horky with this information and directions on how to nominate yourself. 
     Peggy and I have been working to combine some of the Activity Accounts and make it a bit cleaner.  We have recently consulted with Steve and Deb and will be combining many of the elementary accounts into a single Elementary Fundraising account.  All monies that are fundraisers should be managed by the building principal and unifying these under one account creates a more equitable and unified approach to managing raised funds. 

Discussion:       Carol Wischhof has submitted her resignation as part-time Ceresco paraeducator.
     Torie Oldfield has submitted her resignation as Jr-Sr High School Administrative Assistant.

Discussion:       Ceresco Exterior Lights -  We are updating and adding exterior lighting at Ceresco.  For $9,610, Sentry Lighting will replace the 7 existing HID wallpacks with LED wallpacks, install 7 new LED wallpacks (2 on east, 2 on west, 1 on north,  1 on south), new fixtures will come with lighting circuit and controls. We are getting a price to update the exterior units at Valparaiso to LED from the current halogens which are expensive to replace and not efficient. 
     Valparaiso Heat Pumps - This week the heat pump unit work at Valparaiso started. The units purchased and being installed are 410 A refrigerant.  Jared indicates that they are actually moving to a new phase of refrigerant that will be flammable.  That means that the next phases of this three phase project will likely be the new phase of refrigerant.  
     Reheat Valve - Jared will replace a reheat valve in the air handling unit that serves the wrestling room.  The cost from Mechanical Sales to replace that valve is $3,100. 
     Summer Projects - The custodial staff is busy cleaning and clearing rooms in preparation for carpet.  They are also in the process of replacing LED lights in the Jr/Sr campus.   Summer maintenance includes painting, replacing toilet lids, deep cleaning, etc. 
     Wind Damage - The high school experienced wind damage from the storm that blew through last Sunday, June 2, 2024.  Our insurance claim adjuster is busy but will get out soon to tell us about next steps.
     Asbestos - Unfortunately, we have identified that there is asbestos in some mastic that was found under carpet in the drop in computer lab in the high school.   We received a quote from Bockmann Inc. for $6600 to remove 384 sq ft of carpet, floor tile and mastic in the computer room and hallway. 
     Valparaiso Exterior Lights - We are going to move forward with replacing 11 existing wall packs with LED equivalents, 3 canopy fixtures with LED equivalents, 1 new wall pack by the basketball courts and replace two existing pole heads in west parking lot with LED equivalents for a total cost of $6,615.

Discussion:  June 13 - NASB Law Conference in Kearney
July 10 - Regular July Board Meeting
July 13 - Ceresco Parade at Noon (11:30 a.m. lineup time)

Discussion:       Motion by Heyen, second by Burklund to approve 2024-2025 school lunch prices as presented (elementary-$1.80 breakfast/$2.80 lunch; middle school/high school-$1.85 breakfast/$3.00 lunch).  RCV 4-0.  Motion carried.

Discussion:       Motion by Burklund, second by Benes to approve the 2024-2025 milk bid from Hiland Dairy.  RCV 4-0.  Motion carried.

Discussion:       Motion by Benes, second by Heyen to approve a resolution that recognizes training requirements for staff on behavior management points of contact, dating violence prevention and suicide prevention for the 2024-2025 school year.  RCV 4-0.  Motion carried.

Discussion:       Motion by Burklund, second by Benes to approve the 2024-2025 student, parent/guardian, teacher, support staff and coach/sponsor handbooks which have been updated to comply with new legislation and include changes to our district policies.  RCV 4-0.  Motion carried.

Discussion:       Motion by Heyen, second by Burklund that the Anti-Bullying Policy 5414 and Parent Involvement in Schools Policy 6400 stand as reviewed.  RCV 4-0.  Motion carried.

Discussion:       The next regular Board of Education Meeting will be held Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

Discussion:       Motion by Benes, second by Heyen to adjourn the meeting at 6:49 PM.  RCV 4-0.  Motion carried.