February 10, 2014 at 5:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale:  The Norfolk Public School District's board of education meeting is called to order.  

Rationale:  If any board member is absent, there will need to be a  motion to excuse the absence.

Rationale:   

It is the VISION of Norfolk Public Schools to be a top-performing school that provides outstanding educational opportunities for every student and is a source of pride and an asset to our community.

The MISSION of Norfolk Public Schools is to prepare all students to pursue their goals for the future.

Strategic Goals:

• Goal #1:  By Fall 2017, NPS will implement and communicate a curriculum that is scoped, sequenced, and aligned with state and national standards.

• Goal #2:  By Fall 2017, NPS will expand career awareness activities and provide course offerings in all 6 (Nebraska Career Education) Career Cluster areas through partnerships.

• Goal #3:  By Spring 2015, NPS will implement a continuous and comprehensive integration of technology for all students.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rationale:  Please stand and join us in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Rationale:  Awards for Excellence are presented every other month.  The next award will be presented in March.

Rationale:  Angie Baumann is here with a group of students from Westside Elementary to discuss Goal Setting.

Rationale:  Angie Baumann, principal of Westside Elementary, will now present to the board the Westside achievement data.

Rationale:  This is the time during the board meeting when the public may request to address the board regarding an agenda item. If you wish to comment, we ask that you identify yourself and indicate the agenda item to which you will be speaking. Typically, public comments are limited to approximately 5 minutes.

Rationale:  Total amount of claims approved in the consent agenda for the month of February, 2014 by specific fund are as follows:

General Fund=$436,802.45
Cooperative Fund=$5,407.98
Bond Fund=$1,173.02
Student Fee Fund=$1,681.33
Depreciation Fund=$200.00
Special Building Fund=$174.12
QCPUF Fund=$19,765.55
Nutrition Services Fund=$106,238.47



The total amount of claims for the month of January, 2014 in the Activities fund are as follows:

Activity Fund = $101,646.63

The Finance and Facility Committee reviewed all February claims for approval by the board. The committee also reviewed the adjusted Activity Account all funds report for the month of December as well as the January all funds report.  Activity account claims for the month of January were also discussed. As we close out the first five months of budget year claims, revenues seem to be on par of what was budgeted. W-2's have been sent to all NPS employees so they can start preparing their 2013 taxes.  We hope to start receiving more reimbursement dollars on our NDE grants over the next few months as we enter the second half of the fiscal year.

Rationale: 

Spring Assessment Schedule:

NeSA Writing (4, 8, & 11)                   Jan. 20-Feb. 7

English Language Development                 Feb. 10-Mar 21

MAP Testing (3-8, 10)                                     Feb. 24-Mar 21

NeSA-Reading, Math & Science (3-8, 11)         Mar. 24-May 2

DIBELS (K-4)                                                   April 29-May 9

Assessment Season can be very stressful for teachers and students alike. There were a few quirks yet again this year with the online writing test. We were not impacted negatively.

With the Strategic Action Planning Process in full force, our decisions to move forward on a specific reading program for 6th, 7^th and 8^th grade has been delayed.  For very good reasons, we have determined it would be best suited for us to work on the curriculum first which would then arm ourselves to better select a program to meet the needs of the district.

The High School English department had decided to reinstate a local writing assessment at the 10^th grade to be rated internally. The results of the assessment will provide information for teachers to make better instructional decisions to meet the needs of our students moving forward into 11^th grade.

K-2 Grades over the course of the year have developed grade level monitoring sheets for reading interventions. Monitoring interventions track the administration of the intervention and charts the impact on student growth in a particular area.  The monitoring sheet identifies the tested deficiency and the appropriate intervention to meet the deficiency, tracks attendance and engagement of a student, as well as charts their progress. This is reviewed to assist in making appropriate instructional decisions for students' needs.

The additional 6 classroom sets of Chromebooks are at the High School. Currently there are 11 classroom sets. There have been periodic meetings and planning for next year’s 1:1 initiative.

Local Sub Certificate - Andrea Kruse

Rationale: 

• Parent/Teacher Conferences were held February 3-6 at all Norfolk Public Schools.  An update on the percentage of attendance at the spring conferences will be shared with the Board once all results are known.

 

• ELDA (English Language Developmental Assessments) will begin for our district ELL and Migrant students starting on Monday, February 10^th and continue through March 21^st.  Students are assessed in reading, speaking, listening and writing.

 

• Family Prime Time Reading sessions are beginning in some of our elementary schools.  These programs are organized and run by Lisa Guenther, Title I Teacher, at Westside, Sacred Heart and Christ Lutheran.

 

• Kindergarten enrollment has started for the 2014-15 school term.  Registration is being held at neighborhood schools.  Parents must have a birth certificate and a copy of immunizations to begin the enrollment process.

Rationale: 

Rationale:  The Facility and Finance Committee met today at 12:00 noon in the central office board room. The committee had an opportunity to review all claims for February, and fund balances for December and January, as well as the activity fund claims for January.  We discussed some upcoming school finance issues as we watch projections with TEEOSA and other funding mechanisms for our district.  A facility discussion started with a special meeting on Jan. 29th at 12:00 noon in the central office board room with results of that discussion shared at this evening's study session.  The structural analysis done by Olsson and Associates on some of our buildings is also attached in eMeeting. The next regular Finance & Facility meeting will be Monday March 10th at 12:00 noon in the central office board room.  Are there any further comments from other committee members?

Rationale:  There is no Activities Committee Report this month.  The next Activities Committee meeting will be February 24th.  

Rationale:  Sandy Wolfe and I attended the first GNSA meeting of the year.  We discussed GNSA's purpose and goals, received a legislative update from Mike Delaney, Executive Director of NCSA, and met Senator Jim Scheer for lunch.  The next GNSA meeting is scheduled for February 26th in Lincoln, NE. I have invited Mr. Robinson to join us.  it is common practice for school superintendents to bring not only board members, but business managers, as well, due to the strong focus on school finance.

Our policy committee met Monday, February 3rd, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss Policy Section 5000a and b, which deals with students.  We had a good discussion regarding which information to include in Board Policy and which to include in just the Student Handbooks.

We do not have a Policy Section to approve and adopt this month, because we took an extra month to review 5000 a and b with building principals, prior to our First Reading.

Rationale:  Student Health Meeting February 5, 2014
Nurse's Meeting February 5, 2014

Rationale:  01-13-2014 Regular Board Meeting Minutes
01-23-2014 2nd Monthly Board Meeting Minutes

Rationale:  Interviews for the 2014-2015 High School Principal position were completed on Friday, with participation from teachers, administrators, parents, and students.  Mr. Jake Luhr was selected as the best candidate. Therefore, it is recommended that the board approve the  administrative contract appointing Mr. Jake Luhr as 2014-2015 Senior High School Principal.

Rationale:  Ruth Timm, Junior High Resource Teacher, is retiring at the end of the 2013-2014 school year.

Laura Kowalski, Half-time Woodland Park Elementary Teacher, is resigning at the end of the 2013-2014 school year, as she is relocating to Tennessee. 

And, last, but certainly, not least:

Julee Pfeil, board member, has resigned (effective this evening) in order to focus more attention on her other commitments.

In her resignation letter, Mrs. Pfeil stated that her other commitments have become too great for her to fulfill the requirements of her position on the board.  She also stated, "the school district has transitioned well with the new leadership and has an excellent strategic plan to direct the district for the next few years. I feel confident in the work that is being done in continuing to provide an exceptional education for our youth."

Julee has been a dedicated board member and will be missed.  However, we do look forward to continuing to partner with Julee in her work with The Zone.

Rationale:  The Teachers' Negotiated Agreement has been finalized, based upon the 3.35% increase approved by the board in January.  The association members also voted last week to keep their current dual option choice of health plans with the EHA for 2014-2015. The Agreement is attached for review.

Rationale:  The Nurses' negotiations team has agreed to the same settlement as the Teachers received: a 3.35% increase, with $500 going towards benefits.

Rationale:  The Nurse's Negotiated Agreement has been finalized based upon the 3.35% increase approved by the board.  A copy of this agreement has been attached for your review

Rationale:  We have the opportunity to collaborate with ESU 8 and ESU 1 to host Walter Bond (former NBA player/current motivational speaker) in the Johnny Carson Theatre on January 22, 2015.  This would require us to make the following adjustment to our 2014-2015 calendar:

Monday, January 5th is currently scheduled to be a staff development/no school day for students.  We would make this a regular school day.  In exchange, students would be given Thursday, January 22nd off, so we could have professional development that day - including a motivational speech by Walter Bond.

Walter Bond spoke at the NCEA/NASB State Education Conference in November.  Brad, Bruce, Bob, and I can all attest to his quality.

Walter Bond is a business expert, broadcaster, and former professional athlete who played for the Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks. His personal credo, "No one can stop you but you," encapsulates a message of hope, resiliency, and positive change.  As a highly acclaimed international speaker and entrepreneur, he delivers more than 100 life-changing keynotes and seminars a year...one of which, could be in our own Johnny Carson Theatre, if we make this calendar change.

Rationale:  The bid from CASH-WA met the criteria and was also the lowest of 3 bids received.  The dollars for this expenditure will come from the Nutrition Services Fund.

Rationale:  The district would like to move forward with HVAC projects at the High School, Jr. High, Jefferson, Grant and the Middle School.  We also would like to pursue roof repair and maintenance at several buildings, renovations to the Johnny Carson Theatre sound and lighting systems, district concrete repairs, demolition of the old Jr. college building, and some window replacements at Westside elementary.  The district would also like to start the process of fixing the exterior brick problem at Woodland Park Elementary.

Rationale:  After review of two different engineering proposals with our facility and finance committee, I am recommending to hire Kucirek Engineering to be the engineering company that will oversee all technical aspects of some upcoming QCPUF funded projects in HVAC, roofing, and structural issues.  This company will be responsible for writing the specifications, helping with the bidding process, overseeing the work and being involved in the punch list at the completion of the projects.  All information concerning these projects and their progress will be openly discussed with the finance and facility committee and then brought to the board as a whole.  All district bidding and expenditure policies and procedures will also be followed.

Rationale:  This action will allow us to start the district bidding process on these projects which will be primarily funded through the QCPUF fund.

Rationale:  This action will allow the school district business manager to engage in further conversations with bond counsel on some possible projects that would qualify under the QCPUF criteria.  This action would also allow the business manager to bring forward to the board some cost projections if additional bonds are sold to finance these projects.

Rationale:  As mentioned, earlier, our policy committee met Monday, February 3rd, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss Policy Section 5000a and b, which deals with students.  We had a good discussion regarding which information to include in Board Policy and which to include in the Student Handbooks. You have had an opportunity to review the policies with our recommended changes.  

Are there any specific policies that you have questions about or would like to discuss?

If not, I would suggest that the Board President entertain a motion to approve their First Reading.