Rationale: 

The formation of public policy is public business and may not be conducted in secret.  Every meeting of the Norris Board shall be open to the public and abide by the Nebraska Open Meetings Act, a copy of which is available for inspection at our meeting site.

Rationale:  The regular board meeting agenda provides for citizens to present information or to express opinions to the board through public comment.

Rationale:  The district seeks approval for upper level math course materials, SEL curriculum materials through Character Strong and district assessments through NWEA for 2024/25. All three were presented at the May 8, 2024 Board meeting.

Rationale:  The Superintendent reports on matters of interest to the Board.

Rationale:  June 12 - New Staff Tech Training
June 17 - Larry Grosshans Foundation Golf Tournament
July 15 - Regular Board Meeting
August 14 - Regular Board Meeting 
August 15 - First Day of School for Students 
 

Rationale:  Congratulations to all of our students that participated in the spring athletic activities.  
Congratulations to our Norris staff for a great school year.
 

Rationale: 

Certified Staff:

Hire

• Kenneth Downey, Woods/Construction 

Resignation

• Michael Jorgenson, Woods/Construction 

Retiring

 

Extra Duty: 

 Hire

• Taylor Slama, Head Cheer Coach 

Resignation

• Micah Sunberg, Assistant Girls Basketball 

Retire

Support Staff:

Hire

• Brad Doctor, High School Day Custodian

Resignation

• Toni Daro, Special Education Para
• Jill Stanek, Special Education Para
• Kristen Sage, Special Education Para
• Zac Barton, High School Day Custodian 
• Kristine Stout, Contracted Occupational Therapist 

Retiring

Rationale:  Consent items are considered routine and will be passed without vote by unanimous consent; however, any Board member can ask to remove an item from the consent list for separate action.  Normally included in the consent items are the agenda, minutes, approval of the claims, financial reports, and any personnel matters or other reports identified in the Superintendent's Report.  The order of the agenda items may be rearranged according to the Board's preference.

Rationale: 

First Reading:

• 4000 - General Personnel Policy Statement
  • Legal reference is outdated and can be removed from the Policy.
• 4050 - Personnel Records
  • Legal reference is outdated and can be removed from the Policy.
• 4060 - Certification 
  • Legal reference is outdated and can be removed from the Policy.
• 4222 - Academic Freedom
  • Legal reference is outdated and can be removed from the Policy.
• 4002 - Equal Opportunity Employment
  • Norris’ name should be inserted as the [Name] in the Policy.
• 4003 - Employee Anti-Discrimination, Anti-Harassment, and Anti-Retaliation 
  • The Coordinators will need to be updated for next year.
• 4003.1 - Notice of Non-Discrimination 
  • The Coordinators will need to be updated for next year.
• 4003.2 - Complaint Form - Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation 
  • The Coordinators will need to be updated for next year.
• 4090 - Professional Staff Evaluation 
  • The reference to NDE Rule 34 can be changed to NDE Rule 10.
• 4155 - Professional Leave
  •  "or the Superintendent’s designee" does not need be underlined?
• 2024 Legislative Updates and Changes
• 1050 - Access to Records (NEW)
  • LB 43 significantly altered Nebraska’s public records request laws. Nebraska residents are now entitled to the first eight (an increase from four) hours of staff time spent responding to the records request. From now on, non-residents are not entitled to any "free" time spent by staff responding to a records request. Policy 1050 has been
    updated to reflect these changes.
• 3130 - Business Operations Purchasing Policies
  • LB 287 imposes a new conflict of interest
    obligations on public employees. After a situation where a city employee apparently entered into a contract with a family member’s business, the Legislature imposed more stringent requirements on public employees. This change to policy makes clear that employees cannot contract on behalf of the District with themselves, family members, or their own businesses without prior Board approval. (The dollars amounts in this Policy are in the discretion of each Board and may be adjusted as each Board sees fit.). Purchases up to $10,000 can be authorized by administration, this number increased from $5,000 due to inflation and increase in costs. 
• 3140 - Contracting Services (NEW)
  • LB 1300 imposes requirements on public bodies to ensure that no technology contracts are awarded to any "scrutinized company" (companies operated or owned by foreign adversaries). LB 1300 includes these new requirements that apply to any covered contracts. Each school will need to ensure that this certification will be incorporated into future technology agreements.
• 3241 - Emergency Response Mapping (NEW)
  • LB 1329 allows (but does not require) school boards to adopt a policy on emergency response mapping. There are funding opportunities available for schools that adopt such a policy. Since this is not required, each district will need to decide whether to move forward with this policy.
• 3571 - Meal Charge Policy
  • LB 1329 prohibits any school from using debt collection agencies or collecting interest or fees for outstanding school lunch debt. Policy 3571 has been updated to reflect these changes.
• 4141 - Teacher Training (NEW)
  • LB 1329 relaxed several training requirements for school employees. Some statutes required a defined length of training required (such as one hour). LB 1329 largely eliminates these definite training requirements and, instead, defers to each board to decide the reasonable training lengths. To comply with this new requirement, we recommend updating Policy 4141 to allow the Board to approve the administration’s planned training requirements each year.
• 5006 - Option Enrollment Policy
  • LB 1029 changed aspects of Nebraska’s Option Enrollment Program. We have updated Policy 5006 to incorporate these changes. Note that there are different options within this Policy that each Board will need to select. In addition, LB 1329 shifted the burden from the parent to the school district to establish capacity in an option appeal.
• 5008 - Attendance Policy and Excessive Absenteeism 
  • LB 1029 makes clear that mental (as well as physical) illness is a basis for excused student absences. LB 1329 also makes changes to Nebraska’s attendance and truancy statutes, which are all incorporated into Policy 5008.
• 5013 - Preschool Enrollment 
  • LB 71 will allow kindergarten-eligible students to attend preschool. Previously (and within current NDE Rule 11), students generally could not attend preschool after they turned five. The new law allows kindergarten-aged students to continue in preschool, but does not require a school to serve a student beyond age five. If your district operates a preschool program, we recommend reviewing and possibly revising this optional Policy (especially the highlighted priorities) to determine your district’s order of priority for students seeking to enroll in your preschool.
• 5101 - Student Discipline 
  • LB 43’s "First Freedom Act" establishes the rights of students with respect to religious practices and tribal regalia. The Student Discipline Policy has been updated to reflect these new statutory rights.
• 5671 - Graduation Requirements 
  • Last year, LB 705 added a graduation requirement that any graduating student complete the FAFSA or opt out of the FAFSA. Policy 5205 has been updated to reflect this new graduation requirement. (Note that each Board will need to ensure that the credit requirements listed in this Policy are consistent with their District’s graduation requirements.)
• 6110 - Classroom Environment 
  • LB 1329 requires each school board to adopt a policy that the school will only use Gall Peters projection maps (or other similar cylindrical equal-area projection maps) or AuthaGraph projection maps in schools.
• 6152.2 - Statement on Student Retention 
  • LB 71 allows a parent or guardian to require their student re-take a grade level if the parent or guardian satisfies the requirements outlined in the new law. To comply with these new requirements, Policy 5201 has been updated.
• 6700 - Firearm Policy 
  • LB 1329 changed Nebraska’s laws regarding firearms on school grounds. Some of these changes involve changes to the statute’s wording. Other changes are more substantive (see below) and allow certain schools to allow more firearms at school. The changes in this Policy 6700 are limited to the technical changes to the new laws.
• 8240 - Membership in School Board Associations (NEW)
  • LB 304 requires each School District to disclose on its website: (1) the dues paid to any association or organization of which the Board is a member; and (2) fees paid by the Board directly to a lobbyist or lobbying firm. This Policy reflects this new requirement.
• 8342 - Designed Method of Giving Notice of Meeting 
  • LB 287 eased the newspaper publication requirements for Board meetings. From now on, if a newspaper refuses, neglects, or is unable to timely publish notice of a board meeting, then the board may give notice by (1) posting the notice on the newspaper’s website (if available) and (2) posting the notice in conspicuous places within the district. (Note that this will change (again) on January 1, 2025 with new notice requirements, so this Policy will need to be revised against next winter.)
• 9369 - Participation Policy - Participation by Citizens 
  • LB 43 now requires public comment at every Board meeting, including special meetings, work sessions, and so forth. All other requirements for public comment remain in place, such as time limits for individual speakers. To comply with this new requirement, we have included two options for your board to consider: (1) Establish the same time limits for all meetings; or (2) Establish time limits for regular board meetings and different time limits for all other meetings. There is also an option (Option #3) to list public comment at the end of the agenda for non-regular board meetings (to ensure the Board completes its business before public comment).

Rescind:

• 4015 - Physical Examinations Required 
• 4020 - Professional Staff Selection 
• 4024 - Assignment, Transfer, and Promotion of Teachers
• 4091 - Professional Staff Evaluation 
• 4100 - Prohibition of Discrimination 
• 4106 - Department Curriculum Coordinators
• 4122 - Placement on the Salary Schedule 
• 4390 - Saving Caluse
• 4150 - Professional Growth 
• 4017 - Length of School Day
• 4322 - Military Leave
• 4371 - AIDS Infected Student or Employee
• 6310 - Textbook Loans
  • Last year, LB 705 shifted the responsibility of the textbook loan program from school districts to NDE beginning July 1, 2024. 

Rationale:  Per policy, the school district will review the anti-bullying policy annually. 

Rationale:  Annual review of Policy 6400 Parental / Community Involvement in Schools. 

Rationale:  Updates on legislative session:

Rationale:  A board member will need to read aloud the attached resolution. 

Rationale:  Last month Mr. Seggerman and the High School Grading Committee shared the rationale behind adding weighted grades and eliminating class rank to the Board of Education. This month, Mr. Seggerman is seeking approval from the Board of Education. 

Rationale:  Dr. Stine will present the new band uniform purchase to the Board of Education. 

Rationale:  Lunchtime Solutions has been awarded the FSMC contract for 2024-25 school year, it has been reviewed and authorized by NDE.

Rationale:  Based on the Paid Lunch Equity Tool and where the district is financially in the Hot Lunch Fund, the recommendation is to increase breakfast and lunch prices by 10 cents. 

• Current Prices
  • Breakfast - $2.25
  • K-5 - $3.05
  • 6-12 - $3.25
• 24-25 Prices
  • Breakfast - $2.35
  • K-5 - $3.15
  • 6-12 - $3.35

Rationale:  Per Policy 4141, LB 1329 relaxed  several training requirements for school employees. Some statutes required a defined length of  training required (such as one hour). LB 1329 largely eliminates these definite training  requirements and, instead, defers to each board to decide the reasonable training lengths. To  comply with this new requirement, we recommend updating Policy 4141 to allow the Board to  approve the administration’s planned training requirements each year.

Presented to the Board of Education is the SafeSchools Training Plan. 

Rationale:  The Future Planning Committee is recommending a Lease Purchase to fund the construction of four (4) tennis courts and a baseball field on the Norris Campus for a do not exceed price of $2.5 million. Craig Jones, Northland representative, presented the Lease Purchase. 

Rationale:  Updates on commercial and residential development within the Norris District including annexations.

Rationale:  The High School roof project is set to start this week with Weathercraft. As a reminder, this will be the roof section 22 over the South Gym and section 13 between the South Gym and Auditorium. 

Custodians are busy around campus with their deep cleaning of classrooms, waxing floors, touching up paint, and rearing broken desks, chairs, etc. 

Transportation is up and going for summer school. The Transportation Department is creatively planning the 24-25 routes due to the low number of drivers. More will be shared when the plan is put together. 

Rationale:  Board member updates on matters of interest to the Board.

Rationale:  Monthly correspondence of interest to the Board.
Thank you card from Ms. Robinson for the flowers.