June 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

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 Norris School District, in collaboration with our communities and families, provides a safe, positive environment that empowers students to grow, explore, and engage into lifelong learners and responsible, productive citizens.

Rationale:  Reports from administrators on items of interest to the Board.

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

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

Rationale: 

• June 12 - NASB 
• July 9 - Regular Board of Education Meeting 

Rationale: 

Norris Titan Golf

The boys finished as State Runner-Up! This is their 4th trophy in as many years. Over the last four years, they have earned two state championships and two runner-ups. Individual Achievements at the 2025 State Tournament:

• Cooper Rice - 11th
• Landon Moore - 16th
• Cale Baker - 16th
• Turner Hoffman - 19th
• Thomas Hansmeyer - 28th

Norris Girls Soccer

Ally Kohler and Ella Klein were named All-State Soccer. The Girls Soccer Team earned 4 semi-finalist appearances in 5 years. They have a 7-5 record at State since 2021. 

Norris Girls Track

The girls finished 3rd at State! Individually, Landri Gates was the Class B Girls Long Jump Champion!

Class B Baseball Championship National Anthem

Lylah Krueger, Connor King, Brandon Groth, and Emilia Frey sang the National Anthem at the Class B Baseball Championship!

Rationale:  Certified
Hire

• Jamison Smith - MS Instrumental
• Allie Carlson - MS ELA/Science (1 Yr Only)
• Grace Macklin - HS Science

Resignation

• Sydney Holdsworth - MS Instrumental 
• Garin Leehy - MS ELA/Science 
• Becca Pair - HS Science
• Allie Carlson - MS ELA/Science (1 Yr Only) 

Retire

Extra Duty
Hire
Resignation
Retire

Support Staff
Hire
Resignation
Retire

Rationale:  Consent items are considered routine and will be passed with a vote; 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:  Provide the Board of Education and public with an update on the Titan Fundraising Committee's efforts. 

Rationale:  2025 Legislative Updates & Changes 
Required Updates (First Read)

• Policies 1200, 4003, and 5401 - AM 1617 to LB 150 updates Nebraska's Fair Employment Practice Act to add "military or veteran status" as a protected class. As a result, our nondiscrimination policies have been updated to add this new protected class. 
• Policies 3131 ("Procurement Plan") & 3132 ("Internal Controls) - Several bidding references were updated in the federal regulations governing grants and federal audit requirement these policies have been updated to reflect these changes, as well as adding  new preference for veteran-owned businesses. 
• Policy 3410 ("Safe Driving Record for Drivers") - NDE Rule 91 requires a medical exam for drivers of small vehicles (vans and cars with 10 passengers or less) when driving routes, but not for activities-only drivers. In other words, a small vehicle driver of a regular pick-up/drop-off route must have a medical exam; but a coach that drives a small vehicle only to activities does not. Policy 3410 has been updated to clarify Rule 91's requirements. 
• Policy 4009 ("Drug and Substance Use and Abuse")  - Updates in federal driving requirements (relating to alcohol and drug reporting to the federal Clearinghouse) require adding language to this policy for bus drivers. 
• Policy 5001 ("Admission") - LB 143 tweaked the student admission statutes for military families. Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-215 now requires a school to provisionally enroll a student if the student's family resides on a federally owned facility within the District. Policy 5001 has been updated to make this clearer. 
• Policy 5101 ("Student Discipline") - There are three main changes to this policy. 
  • New Dress Code: Two years ago, LB 298 imposed a new dress code policy requirement. However, an analysis of the text of this new statutory mandate shows how contradictory and convoluted the statutory directives appear to encompass.  With all of this confusion in mind, Perry has updated the "dress code" component of our Student Discipline Act to try and keep the required changes as straightforward as possible, while complying with the law that dictates that a school dress code cannot be used to discriminate against any student. 
  • Cell phones: LB 140 requires all schools to adopt a "cell phone" policy before the beginning of the 2025-26 school year. (The new, required policy is listed as Policy 6113.) Policy 5101 has been updated to clearly reference the new cell phone law and student disciplinary consequences. 
  • Added Language About "Deep Fakes": Finally, in light of the increase in "deep fakes," this Policy has been updated to add language that students can be disciplined for deep fake images of students or staff. As noted below, LB 383 criminalizes "deep fakes" in certain situations, but having clear language in board policy can help school administrators better address concerns within the school setting. 
• Policy 5004 ("Full-time and Part-time Enrollment")  - LB 306 updates the part-time enrollment statutes to provide more options for non-public schools to participate in extracurricular activities. LB 306's language is subject to differing interpretations, especially after the Legislature changed the part-time statutes to address these same concerns two years ago. School administrators will need to familiarize themselves with these new rules before the 2025-26 school year. 
• Policy 5103 ("Extracurricular Activity Discipline") - For the same reasons listed in the changes to Policy 5101, the reference to dress code violations have been removed. 
• Policy 5201 ("Promotion and Retention") and (New ) Policy 5201x ("Request to Repeat Grade Form") - Last year, the Legislature adopted a new law that allows parents to require their student to repeat a grade if the student qualifies under the statutory criteria. To apply to repeat a grade, a parent must submit a form prescribed by NDE. We have updated the new statutory reference to Policy 5201 and added that form as Policy 5201x. 
• Policy 5202z ("Notification of Rights Under FERPA") - Within the past year, the U.S. Department of Education issued a "Model Notice" to update parents' rights under FERPA. To remain consistent with DOE's guidance, we have updated this policy. 
• Policy 5301 ("Association Activities") - LB 89 requires each school board to adopt a policy designating each school-sponsored interscholastic athletic team or sport as either biologically male, female, or co-ed. The bill does not require each sport or team listed in the Policy. In turn, we added language to Policy 5301 to authorize the Superintendent to make the required designations. 
• Policy 5414 ("Identification of Learners with High Ability") - We realized this Policy may no longer be accurate or current with your district's practices. As a result, we revised the Policy to give school administrators more discretion in developing criteria to identify high-ability learners. 
• (New) Policy 5507 ("Foster Care Student Transportation") - NDE audits have frequently requested information about the District's foster care transportation. The Every Student Succeeds Act only requires a school district to have "procedures" (not requiring board approval). Policy 5507 memorializes our foster care transportation requirements. 
• (New) Policy 6113 ("Electronic Communication Devices and Cell Phones") - For the same reasons listed in the changes to Policy 5101, LB 140's cell phone requirements have been added to this new policy. 
• (New) Policy 6931 ("Behavioral Intervention and Classroom Management") - Two years ago, the Legislature passed LB 1329, which in part required each school to adopt a policy on "behavioral intervention management, classroom management, and removal of a student from a classroom in school." By August 1st, 2025, each school must adopt a policy "consistent with or comparable to the model policy." To ensure compliance with this new accreditation requirement, Policy 6931 largely mirrors the State Board's model policy. 

Policy Rescissions

• Policy 6410 ("Combined District and School Title I Parent and Family Engagement Policy") - The US Department of Education informed NDE that Title I involvement policies need to be more specifically tailored to each school district, instead of incorporated as a general policy. As such, NDE has recommended that schools rescind their Title I Involvement.

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

Rationale:  Last year, the Legislature passed LB 71 to, in part, update Nebraska's parental involvement statutes. Policy 6400 has been updated to reflect these changes. Note that LB 71 requires the updated Parental Involvement Policy to be approved by July 1st, 2025, and posted to the school's website by August 1st, 2025.

Further, LB 428 (passed this year) requires additional revisions to Policy 6400. LB 428 adds new requirements for school-issued surveys, including the rights of parents to review and/or opt their student out of “sensitive” surveys.

Due to the July 1st deadline, Mr. Molloy is recommending that the board waive the second reading. 

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 Safe Schools Training Plan. 

Rationale:   

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

Rationale: 

Nine companies submitted HVAC Service Agreement Proposals. The annual price ranged from $40,800 to $105,200.

1. Main point of contact will be Helm/mechanical
2. They were the 2nd lowest annual cost
3. We have been more than satisfied with the work they have completed as a result of the hail storm in September 2024

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 5 cents. 

2024-25 Prices

• Breakfast - $2.35
• Lunch
  • K-5 - $3.15
  • 6-12 - $3.35

2025-26 Prices

• Breakfast - $2.40
• Lunch
  • K-5 - $3.20
  • 6-12 - $3.40

Due to our lunch fund having a higher than acceptable balance, I submitted a "spend down plan" to NDE. Included in the plan is that the district will offset meal prices using excess funds. 

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

Rationale:  Monthly correspondence of interest to the Board.

Rationale:  The next regular scheduled Board Meeting is July 9, 2025 at 6:00 PM.