July 16, 2025 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting
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1. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance
Discussion:
President Burklund called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM and the Pledge of Allegiance was said.
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2. Nebraska Open Meetings Law
Discussion:
The audience was reminded that the Nebraska Open Meetings Law would be followed.
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3. Motion to Excuse Board Member's Absence
Discussion:
All members were present.
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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. Public Comment Regarding The Raymond Central Cell Phone Policy
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Discussion:
Open for acceptance of public comments regarding the Raymond Central Cell Phone Policy - no public comments were received.
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6. Annual Public Hearing on Parental-Community Involvement in Schools Policy 6400
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Discussion:
Annual Public Hearing was held on 6400-Parental-Community Involvement in Schools.
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7. Annual Public Hearing on Student Fees Policy 5416
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Discussion:
Annual Public Hearing was held on Policy 5416-Student Fees.
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8. Consent Agenda
Discussion:
Motion by Heyen, second by Lange to approve the consent agenda as presented including the regular meeting minutes of June 11, 2025; June financial statement; monthly bills; substitute teachers-Hannah Bolich, Ariel Bryant, James Murphy, Austen Rozell and Sydney Sterup. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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8.1. Minutes of June 11, 2025 Meeting
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8.2. Financial Statement/Report
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8.3. Monthly Bills
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8.4. Policy Review
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8.5. Certificated Staff Hire(s)/Reassignment(s)/Resignation(s)
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9. Correspondence/Recognition
Discussion:
Students did a great job supporting events at Ceresco Days.
Marissa Jensen placed 7th in the Nation at National FBLA. |
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10. Public Forum
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11. Reports
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11.1. Administrative Reports
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Discussion:
Submitted by Troy Lurz, Jr-Sr High School Principal
Summer School: Summer school concluded on June 26, 2025. Summer School Stats Per Mr Placke... Raymond Central summer school uses an online platform (Schools PLP) to facilitate credit recovery and skill development for identified students. It is self-paced and relies on individual student engagement for activities and assessments. This summer school had two teachers, Mr. Placke and Mrs. Newman, present to provide guidance and supervision. Number of Students initially signed up: 12 (2 were late additions who did not ever make it) Students who attended/completed activities: 10 Classes completed: 7 (these were all completed by HS students who made up credits) Two Jr high students worked hard to improve their math skills so they are more ready for their next math class this fall but did not make it all the way through a year’s worth of activities Students who finished their class before the last week of summer school: 5 Total activities/assignments completed over summer school: 1,115 Two students did not complete any courses, despite every opportunity being provided for them to succeed with this system. One student completed one course, but was scheduled for 8 courses. https://schoolsplp.com/ Summer Work: I would like to thank Jared and the maintenance crew once again for their efforts to get our school ready for next fall. They have been very busy and we are lucky to have such a dedicated, organized, and hardworking crew. If you have the time, please visit any building to see what they have been up to. Their work is exceptional. We are lucky to have such a crew. Staffing: We are currently looking for a few classified positions, but we are in a very good position to open our doors. We have an exceptional staff in place for this fall. The mix of veteran and new staff will make this a very positive and promising new year. There will be a few new roles for some staff members and few new classroom orientations/assignments, but we will be ready. An example of these subtle changes will be the movement of our school counselors to the space previously dedicated as the Library/Media Center. Mrs. Osten and Mrs. Newman will have offices next door to each other in this space. Mrs. Coufal will take the counseling office space in the high school. Similar upgrades are evidenced elsewhere. Achievement Scores and Testing: We continue to look through our data as an administrative team and will be working with the staff this fall to discuss our strengths and opportunities. This will be an area of focus this school year. Please note that student achievement scores are tethered to our district strategic goals, the high school growth goal, and administrative goals. Handbook Revisions: We are completed with our revisions of the handbooks for this year. Major points for consideration are the discipline matrix addition and the cell phone policy. Other items that will be areas of focus were previously in the handbook and simply need to be supported. As with any system, we will be looking for consistency within the application of rules and regulations. FBLA: Six of our FBLA students had the opportunity to attend the National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, California! A big thank you to Ms. Starner and Mrs. Huck for traveling with the group and helping make the experience possible. Congratulations to Marissa Jensen who earned 7th place in Introduction to Public Speaking! This is an incredible accomplishment on a national level! While at the conference, students got to attend hands-on leadership workshops, compete in their events, connect with FBLA members from across the country through pin trading, explore colleges and career options at the expo, and take in some of the sights and fun around Anaheim has to offer. Open House: We will host an open house for the middle school on Tuesday, August 5 and the high school on Wednesday, August 6 both from 4:00-8:00 PM. The intention is to set the stage for the upcoming school year and help facilitate student and family questions before we get started. Let’s go Mustangs! This promises to be an EPIC school year. |
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11.2. Superintendent's Report
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Discussion:
Grade Alike Updates - New furniture has been delivered; Tech items have been ordered; items were moved between schools on Tuesday, July 15.
The following curriculum will be voted on later in the meeting. CommonLit 360 - Over the last few years, our teachers have been using a novels-based approach with little structure as it pertains to Nebraska ELA Standards. Grades 9-12 ELA classes are crucial to the academic development of our students. This program is structured, based on standards, has materials and assessments embedded, and provides extension and remediation opportunities for students. Character Strong for grades K-5 and The Social Institute - Our previous SEL curriculum was largely funded through grants, that are no longer available, and was lacking in areas our staff felt were important to our students. SEL instruction is crucial to the positive development of our students. This program is structured, research based, and has materials embedded. |
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11.2.1. Classified Staff Hire(s)/Reassignment(s)/Resignation(s)
Discussion:
New classified staff members include: Brian Wiese-Bus Driver, Matt Cook-Asst Cook at Ceresco, Emma Brennan-Head Cheer, and Jocelyn Peterson-Asst Cheer. Reassignments: Kathy Fredrickson from Asst Cook to Paraeducator at Ceresco and Brandi Lile from Paraeducator to Asst Cook at Valparaiso. Resignation: Kaya Melton-HS Custodian.
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11.2.2. NASB Monthly Update
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11.2.3. NRCSA Monthly Report
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11.2.4. Update on Superintendent Goals
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11.2.5. Safety Report
Discussion:
Two-way radios provided by a grant through Saunders County will be in each building this fall.
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11.2.6. Facilities Report
Discussion:
The science room rough in and sheet rock are done, the rooms are being painted, and the pods are being built.
The added areas in the library are painted. The asbestos abatement at Valparaiso is complete, and the heat pumps have been installed. The old carpet is being pulled out and new carpet will be installed. Work was done on the entry way stairs at the secondary school. |
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11.2.7. Important Upcoming Dates
Discussion:
A Board Workshop has been scheduled for Tuesday, July 29 at 6:00 PM at the high school.
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11.3. Board Committee Reports
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11.3.1. Curriculum & American Civics Committee (Burklund-chair, Lange, Matulka)
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11.3.2. Facilities & Transportation Committee (Matulka-chair, Burklund, Lange)
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11.3.3. Finance Committee (Burklund-chair, Heyen, Lange)
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11.3.4. Negotiations Committee (Benes-chair, Heyen, Matulka)
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11.3.5. Policy Committee (Benes-chair, Heyen, Wiig)
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12. Old Business
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12.1. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to Approve New and Updated Policies and Forms: 1200, 4003, 5401, 5401z, 3131, 3132, 3410, 4009, 5001, 5004, 5101, 5103, 5201, 5201x, 5202z, 5301, 5414, 5507, 6113, 6931, 5204.
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Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Benes to approve new and updated policies and forms: 1200, 4003, 5401, 5401z, 3131, 3132, 3410, 4009, 5001, 5004, 5101, 5103, 5201, 5201x, 5202z, 5301, 5414, 5507, 6113, 6931, 5204. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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12.2. Discuss, Consider, and Take Necessary Action to Approve Employee and Student Handbooks for the 2025-26 School Year.
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Discussion:
Motion by Benes, second by Matulka to approve the Student/Guardian and Employee Handbooks for the 2025-2026 school year as presented. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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13. New Business
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13.1. Discuss, Consider, and take Action to approve the contract with Shaw, Hull, & Navarrette Certified Public Accountants for the 2024-25 SY Audit.
Discussion:
Motion by Benes, second by Matulka to approve the contract with Shaw, Hull, & Navarrette Certified Public Accountants for the 2024-2025 school year audit not to exceed $18,400.00. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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13.2. Discuss, Consider, and Take Necessary Action to Appoint a New Board Member.
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BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Education of this school district, pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. §32-570, that, based upon the ballots cast by the members of the Board of Education, the Board of Education should and does hereby temporarily appoint Bernadette Brase, a qualified registered voter of the Raymond Central Public School District, to fill the vacancy created by Jason Wiig’s resignation; said appointment is effective upon the passage of this resolution and shall commence upon administration of the oath of office, and shall continue for the remainder of the unexpired term of Jason Wiig.
The above Resolution having been read in its entirety, member Mary Benes moved for its passage and adoption. Member Bill Lange seconded the same. After discussion and roll call vote, a vote was taken. RCV 5-0. Motion carried. |
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13.3. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to renew board membership in NRCSA (Nebraska Rural Community School Association)
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Discussion:
Motion by Heyen, second by Lange to approve the NRCSA (Nebraska Rural Community School Association) Board membership renewal for $850.00. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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13.4. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to accept upon review Parental-Community Involvement in Schools Policy 6400 and Student Fee Policy 5416
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Discussion:
Motion by Burklund, second by Heyen to accept upon review Policy 6400-Parent-Community Involvement in Schools and Policy 5416-Student Fees. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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13.5. Discuss, Consider, and Take Necessary Action to Approve the purchase of an Asclepius Virtual Science Table.
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Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Heyen to approve the purchase of a Virtual Science Table from 3B Scientific at a cost of $26,600.00, with support from the Raymond Central Educational Foundation covering $11,500.00 of the cost. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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13.6. Discuss, Consider and Take Necessary Action to Approve 2025-2026 Propane Bid
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Discussion:
Motion by Benes, second by Matulka to approve the propane bid from Otte Oil & Propane for the 2025-2025 school year. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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13.7. Discuss, Consider, and Take Necessary Action to Approve SEL Resources for the Elementary and Secondary Levels.
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Discussion:
Motion by Lange, second by Burklund to approve social-emotional curriculum from CharacterStrong for grades PK-5 at a cost of $2,999.00 and The Social Institute for grades 6-12 at a cost of $7,392.00 per year for three years. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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13.8. Discuss, Consider, and Take Necessary Action to Approve CommonLit a 9-12 ELA Curriculum Resource.
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Discussion:
Motion by Benes, second by Matulka to approve CommonLit 360 English Language Arts curriculum for grades 9-12 at a cost of $6,500.00 per year. RCV 5-0. Motion carried.
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14. Next Regular Board Meeting
Discussion:
The next regular Board of Education Meeting will be held Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
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15. Adjournment
Discussion:
Motion by Matulka, second by Benes to adjourn the meeting at 7:00 PM. RCV 5-0. Motion carried
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