September 8, 2014 at 5:30 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:  Defining "A Top-performing School"

Rationale: 

Welcome to the Budget Hearing for the 2014-2015 school year. The purpose of this hearing is to give taxpayers the opportunity to provide support, opposition, criticism, or suggestions and observations regarding the budget.

There will be a review of budget items and the board will provide an opportunity for public comment. The adoption of the budget will take place by a vote during the board meeting and not at the hearing.

Rationale: 

Welcome to the Tax Request Hearing for the 2014-2015 school year. The purpose of this hearing is to give taxpayers the opportunity to provide support, opposition, criticism, or suggestions and observations regarding the proposed tax request.

There will be a review of the of tax requests and the board will provide the opportunity for public input.  Official action and voting on the tax resolution for the School District will take place during the Regular Business meeting.

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

Rationale:  Washington Elementary Students

Rationale:  Christy Lampert - Administrative Assistant 

Rationale:  Mr. Andreasen, Principal of Washington Elementary, will share his school 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.

Rationale:  The total amount of final claims for the month of August in the General Fund and QCPUF Fund are as follows:
General Fund = $693,147.11
QCPUF Fund = $231,877.17

Total amount of claims approved in the consent agenda for the month of September, 2014 by specific fund are as follows:
General Fund = $419,181.23
Cooperative Fund = $1,513.32 
Student Fee Fund = $6,693.59
Special Building Fund = $47,584.84
QCPUF Fund = $44,744.95
Nutrition Services Fund = $133,092.54

The total amount of claims for the month of August, 2014 in the Activities fund are as follows:
Activity Fund = $133,932.48

The 2013-2014 fiscal year has gone well.  As a district we stayed within our allocated budgets while still being able to move dollars into depreciation for future large capital expenditures.  The 2013-2014 fiscal year will end with a cash balance growth which will be used to replenish previously used cash reserves which will bring our district back to a 4 month cash flow level.  The remaining cash balance is being reserved for much needed purchases in maintenance, curriculum, staff development, and other equipment and supply needs that have been delayed over the past several years due to the recession and limited revenues.  As we go into the 2014-2015 I believe our district is well positioned financially to embrace the goals within the strategic action plans, maintain and recruit high quality staff members, while continuing to address the many needs in our facility infrastructure.  The work of our past and present board members, certified, classified and administrative staff have all been critical in allowing our district to be in its current financial position.
Starting the week of Sept 22nd the district will begin its annual audit of 2013-2014.  Kruse and Associates will be handling our audit needs this year and I look forward to working with them over the next few weeks as we review our current procedures and practices with fiscal accountability.  This process and preliminary reports will be available to the board towards the end of October and all final documents will be publicly posted in early November.
Payroll has been busy over the past three weeks getting all of new and current employees enrolled and updated for the Sept. 18th payroll which is first payroll for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.  I would like to publicly thank all my assistants in the business office for helping with this process and getting the year off to a good start.

Rationale: 

Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment:

• PLC’s are in full force where our Language Arts, Foreign Language and Music are continuing the summer curriculum work that is started.
• MAP Assessment window is open now until September 19^th. These tests mark our baseline of achievement for the school year and we take them again in the spring where we can see our growth. This is a National norm test. This year’s administration of the test has transferred to web-based. This is a different process that has come with a learning curve but the results and reports are immediate and useful. We test Reading, Language Arts and Math.
• Team of principals will continue to be a part of the ESU 8 Principal Cadre group. Just as a reminder, this is year 2 of a 3 year commitment. The group’s focus is on leadership for quality teacher instruction and evaluation.

Technology:

• Almost complete with the HS Chromebook roll out. I send kudos to the SH building for managing and keeping on top of this initiative. The technology leaders, John Wagner, Matthew Arens and Mickie Mueller deserve recognition for their efforts to this project.

Title:

• This year the Norfolk Community will have “Seven Schools, One Book” program to promote family reading. The book chosen this year is titled, The Cricket in Times Square. The kickoff will begin on Monday, Sept. 29^th.  Lisa Guenther, Title I teacher for NPS is coordinating the program again.

 

Rationale: 

1.  Today, September 8th, begins Homecoming Week at Norfolk High School. We hope you will be able to attend the football game on Friday night between the Norfolk Panthers and Lincoln Southeast. Coronation will be on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with the Homecoming Dance to follow at 8:00 p.m.

2.  Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Monday-Thursday, September 22-25 as follows:

September 22st: 
K-12 students dismissed at 2:00 p.m.  
K-8 parent-teacher conferences from 4:00-7:00 p.m.

September 23rd:
K-12 students dismissed at 2:00 p.m.
K-4 and 9-12 parent/teacher conferences from 4:00-7:00 p.m.

September 24th:  
K-12 students dismissed at 2:00 p.m.
Grades 5-12 parent-teacher conferences from 4:00-7:00 p.m.

September 25th:
K-12 students dismissed at 11:30 a.m.
Grades K-12 parent-teacher conferences from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

September 26th:
No school for K-12 students and teachers

Rationale: 

1.  TeamMates of Norfolk is off to a good start for the 2014-2015 school year.  On Thursday, September 4 at Central Park, a Back-to-School party was held in which approximately 60 mentor/mentees attended. Currently our local group has 103 active mentor/mentee matches. That is up from 83 at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year.  We have 7 mentors and 2 mentees waiting to be matched. There are an additional 9 mentees that are completing paperwork.  Coordinator, Susie Buss, is working to get these matches complete. Our TeamMates office is located in the old Guidance area of the senior high school.

2.  On August 15 we hosted our second substitute teacher workshop.  We currently have 61 subs registered with an additional 5 subs completing required paperwork for a total of 66.  We have also partnered with Wayne State College and the NENTA program.  NENTA stands for Northeast Nebraska Teacher Academy. By being part of this program, Norfolk will have access to an additional 68 student subs. This will give us a total of 134 active subs.  

3.  Finally, I worked with the Norfolk Daily News to update the look of the Panther Project.  The new format now includes our district mission and vision.  This collaborative effort between NPS and the Norfolk Daily News allows our K-8 buildings to showcase some of the wonderful activities taking place.  Each week a specific building is asked to submit 3-5 pictures and summary that tells the story of a special activity. The Panther Project runs each week during the school year. 

Rationale:  1.  Enrollment

2.  Special Recognitions and Grants

3. Seven Schools, One Book

4.  NASB Workshops

Rationale:  The finance and facility committee met today at 12:00 noon in the central office board room.  The August final claims were reviewed in the General, QCPUF and Activity Funds.  The claims for September were also reviewed.  I updated the committee on our current QCPUF and Tech bonds that will be issued on behalf of the district in next few months.  All of these bonds are bank qualified and thus will be availiable to our local financial institutions for purchase.  The committee reviewed the bids on the Carson Theatre and Woodland Park roof projects which will be an action item later in this meeting.  The committee will meet again on October 13th at 12:00 noon.

Rationale:  The Policy Committee met at noon on Thursday, September 4th to discuss Policy Section 2000 related to Administration.  The Committee will recommend this section for First Reading tonight.  They will also recommend Policy Section 9000 related to Board By-Laws for 2nd Reading and Approval tonight.  

Do you have any questions for me or the committee regarding these policies?

Rationale:  The Activities Committee does not have a report tonight.  They will have their first meeting for 2014-2015 at noon on Monday, September 29th.

Rationale:  September Student Health Meeting Minutes
September Nurses Meeting Minutes

Rationale:  August 11, 2014 Regular Board Meeting Minutes
August 28, 2014 2nd Monthly Meeting Minutes

Rationale:  No contracts to approve.

Rationale:  No resignations to approve.

Rationale:  Mr. Robinson will read the required resolution to the public.  This document is also attached in e-meeting.

Rationale: 

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE BY MADISON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 59-0002 (NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS) IN THE STATE OF NEBRASKA OF ITS LIMITED TAX OBLIGATION SCHOOL BONDS, SERIES 2014, IN THE AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF FOUR MILLION FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($4,455,000) FOR THE PURPOSE OF PAYING THE COSTS OF THE PROJECT DESCRIBED HEREIN; PRESCRIBING THE FORM AND DETAILS OF SUCH BONDS; IMPOSING A TAX TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF AND INTEREST ON SUCH BONDS; DESIGNATING THE SERIES 2014 BONDS AS QUALIFIED TAX-EXEMPT OBLIGATIONS; ADOPTING CERTAIN POST-ISSUANCE COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES WITH RESPECT TO THE BONDS; AND AUTHORIZING CERTAIN ACTIONS AND DOCUMENTS AND PRESCRIBING OTHER MATTERS RELATING THERETO.

Rationale:  We received the following qualified bids for the roof replacement project for Woodland Park elementary school:

1. Western Roofing - $182,514

2. Guarantee Roofing - $158,630

The funds for this project will be paid from our QCPUF fund with an anticipated completion summer of 2015.

Rationale:  We received the following qualified bid for the roof replacement project at Carson Theatre:

1. Guarantee Roofing - $214,008

The funds for this project will be paid from our QCPUF fund with an anticipated completion summer of 2015.

Rationale:  At this point it does not appear that we will need to hold a 2nd meeting of the month. Therefore, our next meeting will be Monday, October 13th. We will have a Study Session at 5:30, followed by a Regular Business meeting at 6:30.  All components are open to the public and are held at the City's Administrative Office.