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.

• Thursday, July 18, 2024 - Hickman Area Chamber of Commerce Meeting @ 11:30 AM
• Wednesday, August 14, 2024 - Regular Board  of Education Meeting @ 6:00 PM
• Monday, August 12, 2024 - All Staff Welcome Back 
• Thursday, August 15, 2024 - First Day for Students 
• Monday, August 26, 2024 - Budget, Goals and Strategic Plan Worksop @ 6:00 PM
• Wednesday, August 28, 2024 - NASB Area Membership Meeting (York)
• Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - Regular Board of Education Meeting @ 6:00 PM 

• Monday, August 26, 2024 - Budget, Goals and Strategic Plan Workshop @ 6:00 PM
• Wednesday, September 11, 2024 - Budget Hearing Prior to the Regular Board of Education Meeting @ 6:00 PM 

Certified Staff:

Resignation

Retiring

Extra Duty: 

 Hire

Resignation

Retire

Support Staff:

Hire

• Raychal Zupan, OT (contracted services) 

Resignation

• Don Mullison, Bus Driver

Retiring

• One student and one parents/guardian will travel to Atlanta Georgia for National Skills USA June 24-28

• Norris students and two coaches will attend the overnight cheer camp on UNL's campus June 17-20, 2024. 

• The boys golf team and two coaches traveled to Scottsbluff for state golf May 19-23, 2024. 

• Norris students and the high school track coaching staff traveled to Omaha NE May 14-16, 2024 for state track. 

• 5 students, two coaches and parents will travel to Sparta IL July 25-30, 2024 for National Trap.  

First Reading:

Second 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  • Legal reference is outdated and can be removed from the Policy.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  • Legal reference is outdated and can be removed from the Policy.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  • Legal reference is outdated and can be removed from the Policy.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  • Legal reference is outdated and can be removed from the Policy.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).

• STEM Class Projects are underway. 
• Weathercraft has completed the High School roof project. 
• Nebraska Deaprtment of Environment and Energy (NDEE) has awarded Norris a Diesel Emission Reduction Act National Grant for a maximum amount of $24,000. This money will be used to purchase a new route bus during the 24-25 school year.