Public Meeting Minutes: April 14, 2025 at 5:30 PM - Public Hearing & Regular Monthly Meeting of the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education

1. Public Hearing & Review of American Civics Education Policy & Requirements

1.A. Convene Hearing

1.B. Policy Review, Public Input & Discussion

Discussion:

Dr. Loofe, along with Tracy Schall, Stefanie Green, Lynn Stewart and Cassie Spivey, librarians at various Kearney Public Schools, presented the annual American civics update. Kearney Public Schools host a variety of different activities that support civics education, ranging from highlighting different topics every month and sharing book and digital displays according to that topic, research projects, a live daily news program, a mock congress and visual book lists.

1.C. Close Hearing

2. Routine Business

2.A. Call to Order

Discussion: President Icenogle called the meeting to order at 5:44 p.m.

2.B. Open Meetings Act Announcement

2.C. Board Meeting Decorum Expectations

2.D. Pledge of Allegiance

2.E. Roll Call

2.E.I. Excuse Absent Board Member

2.F. Approval of the Agenda

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to approve the agenda for the meeting, as presented. This motion, made by John Icenogle and seconded by Amanda Smallcomb, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Yea
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

3. Recognitions

3.A. Recognition of the Kearney High School Dance Catz and Head Coach Meggie Rusher for Winning their First-Ever State Dance Championship and Earning the Academic Excellence Award

Discussion:

Mr. Ryan Hogue, Kearney High School assistant principal and activities director, shared with the Board that Kearney High School has been named the Class A leader in the 2024-2025 Nebraska State Colleges Multi-Activity Student Award program, a statewide recognition presented by the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) and the Nebraska State College System (NSCS). This prestigious honor celebrates high school students who are involved in at least three NSAA-sanctioned activities during the academic year. Kearney High School rose to the top among Class A schools for its outstanding percentage and enrollment of multi-activity student participants.
Mr. Hogue introduced Meggie Rusher, Kearney High School Dance Catz head coach. Coach Rusher thanked the Board for recognizing the team and added that this group was determined every day to create a positive dance culture while perfecting the sport they love so much. She added that she is so proud of this team, they are champions in every sense of the word.

3.B. Recognition of the Kearney High School Cheerleading Team and Coaches Ashley Bush and Tammy Rehtus for their First-Ever State Runner-Up Finish

Discussion:

Mr. Hogue introduced Ashley Bush and Tammy Rehtus, coaches of the Kearney High School Cheerleading Team. Coach Bush reported that this is only the second time that this team has competed at the state competition. These students are performers, athletes and leaders at Kearney High School and the Kearney community. Coach Bush thanked Coach Rehtus for her help coaching the team and the Board and Administration for allowing there to be an assistant coach.

3.C. Recognition of Kearney High School Student Carsyn McBride and Head Coach Trey Schlender for Winning the First-Ever Class A State Girls Wrestling Championship

Discussion:

Mr. Hogue introduced Kearney High School girls wrestling head coach, Trey Schlender. Coach Schlender thanked administration and the Board for helping to get girls wrestling started at Kearney High School and at the middle schools. He also noted that Carsyn is setting the standard of where we want girls wrestling to be in the future.

3.D. Recognition of Kearney High School Student Kaedun Goodman and Head Coach Ryan Bauer for Winning 2nd Place at the Class A Boys State Wrestling Championships

Discussion:

Mr. Hogue introduced Ryan Bauer, head boys wrestling coach. Coach Bauer reported that Kaedun ended his career with 134 wins which is in the top 10 in Kearney High School history. Kaedun plans on going to college at UNK and will be part of the UNK wrestling team.

3.E. Recognition of the Kearney High School Football Team and Head Coach Brandon Cool for Receiving the 2024-2025 National Football Foundation National High School Academic Excellence Award

Discussion:

Mr. Hogue introduced the head football coach of Kearney High School, Brandon Cool. Coach Cool thanked Mr. Mundorf for writing the recommendation letter and Mrs. Holoubeck for all of her efforts in gathering and submitting the appropriate information to apply for the award. He highlighted some of the qualifications of the KHS football team. He introduced seniors Luke Brachle and August Phye as both having GPAs over 4.0 and as leaders at KHS on and off the field.
August told the group that at Kearney High School there is a huge importance on academics. They are student-athletes, so student comes before athlete. You get your work done in the classroom then you can be focused on the field.
Luke thanked all of his coaches who have pushed him to be all that he can be.

3.F. Recognition of Kearney High School FCCLA State Champions, Ty Royal and Kassidy Clark for Placing 1st in the Chapter Service Project Display, Level 3

Discussion:

Mr. Hogue introduced Carol Kreutzer, family and consumer science teacher and FCCLA sponsor at Kearney High School. Mrs. Kreutzer updated the Board on the FCCLA state convention last week. Kearney High School FCCLA received the gold chapter award this year, based on recruitment, service, membership and competitions.
Mrs. Kreutzer introduced Kassidy Clark, chapter president who spoke about their project which focused on food insecurity. They partnered with the Bearcat Cares program, which provides resources for students at Kearney High School.
Ty Royal added that they included their whole team which separated their project from the others.

4. Presentations

4.A. Presentation by Mark Johnson, Principal at Sunrise Middle School, on the Intensive Care Unit at Sunrise Middle School

Discussion:

Mark Johnson, Sunrise Middle School principal, and Natalie Madsen, Sunrise Middle School social science teacher, spoke about the Intensive Care Unit at Sunrise. Mr. Johnson reported that when he moved to Sunrise, he noticed that students weren't concerned about their homework. He had heard that there was a school in York that offered ICU to assist students in completing their homework. A group of teachers went to York and spent the whole day learning about ICU, and a committee was formed at Sunrise. They realized that teachers also needed to be more mindful of the homework they assign.
Mrs. Madsen added that they changed 10th period on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays to ICU. They also created morning ICU from 7:45 to 8:25 a.m., which gives students time to get their homework done so they are eligible for middle school sports. Sunrise designates some of their Class Act money to help pay for their ICU database, which keeps track of all of the data and also serves as a communication tool to update students and parents. The ICU program has been a very positive addition to Sunrise Middle School.

4.B. Announcement of the 2025 Kearney Public Schools/Kearney Public Schools Foundation "Celebration of Excellence" Reception

5. Legislative Update

Discussion:

Superintendent Mundorf and Drew Blessing gave an update on the current standing of bills in the Nebraska Legislature

6. Public Participation/Comment

Discussion:

Patrons addressed the board and spoke about the possible revisions to board policy 5004, dual credit enrollment.

7. Board Reports

7.A. 2025 NASB Federal Advocacy Report

Discussion:

Mr. Mundorf, Mr. Blessing and Mr. Icenogle updated the board on the 2025 Federal Advocacy trip to Washington, D.C. in March.

8. Consent Agenda

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to approve the items on the Consent Agenda, as presented. This motion, made by Amy Barth and seconded by Drew Blessing, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Yea
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

8.A. Approval of Minutes of the March 10, 2025 Regular Meeting; and the April 9, 2025 Board Committee of the Whole Meeting of the Board of Education

8.B. Approval of the April 2025 Claims

8.C. Approval of the April 2025 Financial Reports

8.D. Approval of Kearney High School Wrestling Summer Team Camp Trip, June 8-12, 2025 in Fort Dodge, Iowa

8.E. Approval of Kearney High School Girls Basketball Trip to the Midwest Showcase, June 12-14, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri

8.F. Approval of Kearney High School Volleyball Trip for the Kansas State Team Camp, July 10-12, 2025 in Manhattan, Kansas

9. Approval of the Final Reading of Revised Board Policy 5004 Dual Credit Enrollment

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to approve the final reading of revised Board policy 5004 Dual Credit Enrollment, as presented. This motion, made by Amanda Smallcomb and seconded by Niki Deeds, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Nay
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Nay

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

Discussion:

Board members explained their views on the revisions to board policy 5004 Dual Credit Enrollment, which would limit part-time students to enroll in no more than 2 middle school classes and no more than 25 credit hours in high school, per semester.

10. Regular Agenda - Personnel

10.A. Acceptance of Resignations

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to accept, with regret, the resignation as presented. This motion, made by John Icenogle and seconded by Amanda Smallcomb, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Yea
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

10.B. Approval of the Employment of Certificated Staff

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to employ the certificated staff at Kearney Public Schools for the 2025-2026 school year, as presented. This motion, made by Drew Blessing and seconded by Niki Deeds, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Yea
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

10.C. Approval of the Employment of Administrative Staff

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to approve Steven Woodside as assistant principal for college and career readiness at Kearney High School, starting the 2025-2026 school year, as presented. This motion, made by Paul Hazard and seconded by Amanda Smallcomb, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Yea
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

11. Regular Agenda - Business

11.A. Approval of Check Signing Authority for 2025 for Meagan Kershner, Director of Finance

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to approve check signing authority for Meagan Kershner, director of finance, for 2025. This motion, made by John Icenogle and seconded by Paul Hazard, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Yea
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

Discussion:

Dr. Chris Loofe explained that during the Board’s annual reorganization in January, members approve check signing authority for the superintendent, president, secretary, treasurer, and the director of finance at Kearney Public Schools. He noted that with his departure from the district approaching in the coming months, it is an appropriate time to grant Meagan Kershner, director of finance, check signing authority going forward.

12. Regular Agenda - Miscellaneous

12.A. Approval of the 2025-2026 Transportation Handbook

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to approve the 2025-2026 Transportation Handbook, as presented. This motion, made by Paul Hazard and seconded by Amanda Smallcomb, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Yea
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

Discussion:

Dr. Jason Sutton, transportation director, outlined a few revisions to the transportation handbook, which include the following:
- Reside more than 4 miles from their designated "home school"
- Are classified as homeless, or in-transition under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
- Have been involuntarily transferred to another school due to enrollment capacity
- Live within the previous Glenwood attendance area - for the 2025-2026 school year only
- Attend a specific school to receive specialized district services
- Receive special education services and require transportation as part of their Individualized Education Program (IEP). This registration is conducted separately through the school buildings and the students' IEP case manager. Following the placement of first priority riders, second priority riders will be accepted on a first-come, first -served basis. This change emphasizes the importance of timely registration for families seeking transportation services.
Student registration for bus transportation will open on May 1, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. The deadline to register for transportation will be Friday, July 25, 2025 and all families will be notified of their child's acceptance for transportation on July 30, 2025.

12.B. Approval of the Seven-Year Contract with OpenSciED for the Purchase of the New 9-12 Science Curriculum and Professional Development, in the amount of $305,437.22, Beginning in the 2025-2026 School Year

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to approve the seven-year contract with OpenSciED for the purchase of the new 9-12 science curriculum and professional development, in the amount of $305,437.22, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, as presented. This motion, made by Drew Blessing and seconded by Amanda Smallcomb, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Yea
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

Discussion:

Mr. Clint Edwards, 6-12 education director, explained that a few teachers at Kearney High School have worked very hard to choose a new science curriculum, and they are very passionate and excited about OpenSciED. There will be a lot of professional development required to adopt this curriculum, but it will help the students become better problem solvers. He added that the cost is actually very reasonable for the seven-year contract.

12.C. Approval of the Three-Year Contract with Franklin Covey for the Purchase of the New K-8 Social-Emotional Curriculum, "The Leader in Me," in the amount of $154,610.75 Beginning in the 2025-2026 School Year

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to approve the three-year contract with Franklin Covey for the purchase of the new K-8 social-emotional curriculum, "The Leader in Me," in the amount of $154,610.75, beginning in the 2025-2026 school year, as presented. This motion, made by Amanda Smallcomb and seconded by Niki Deeds, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Yea
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

Discussion:

Mr. Mundorf, Mr. Edwards, and Mrs. Paider, PK-5 education director, explained the changes to the social-emotional curriculum. The Second Step and 8 Keys of Excellence curriculums have been in place at KPS for about eight years. Principals and counselors felt it was time for something new, and they are very excited to transition to "The Leader in Me" curriculum. Mr. Mundorf added that there are anonymous sponsor dollars that are given to school districts that are committed to "The Leader In Me" process. Those funds will cover almost $200,000 of the overall cost of this curriculum, leaving KPS with a total balance of $154,610.75 over the three-year contract.

13. Next Meeting

14. Adjournment

Action(s):

Motion Passed:

Move to adjourn the meeting. This motion, made by John Icenogle and seconded by Drew Blessing, Passed.

Niki Deeds: Yea
Amanda Smallcomb: Yea
John Icenogle: Yea
Paul Hazard: Yea
Drew Blessing: Yea
Amy Barth: Yea

No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.

Discussion:

Meeting was adjourned at 7:57 p.m.

Regular Board
Attendance Taken on 4/14/2025 at 5:46 PM
Amy Barth	Present
Drew Blessing	Present
Niki Deeds	Present
Paul Hazard	Present
John Icenogle	Present
Amanda Smallcomb	Present
Present: 6, Absent: 0

April 14, 2025 at 5:30 PM - Public Hearing & Regular Monthly Meeting of the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education

Web Viewer