November 18, 2013 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  Doll read a letter submitted by parent Kay Grote of Gering expressing her appreciation of the Gering High School Key Club and advisor Mrs. Roth for their efforts to pick up trash at the High School parking lot, school lawn and track/practice field. A photo of the group of students was included in her communication. Doll suggested that High School Principal Hubbard and Assistant Principal Seiler organize efforts to better police themselves and take a more proactive role in cleaning up after themselves. Doll also thanked district staff for remembering how important Veterans are to our society.

Discussion:  Peters informed the Board that the Curriculum Committee discussed the selection process and timeline for a new language arts program. Winn added that the committee had reviewed sample materials.

Discussion:  Peters recapped the Facilities Committee meeting, as Chairperson Upp was absent from the meeting. Draining issues with the septic tank at Cedar Canyon were discussed. Honey Wagon was able to dig up sections of the septic system at Cedar Canyon and determined that the piping needs replaced and that the leach field will need to be relocated to the east. Brian Sweeney will assist the district by designing the new system, taking soil samples and obtain approval from the State. Estimated project time is around one to two months. In the meantime, the system will be pumped once a week to avoide overflow. The Committee toured Geil Elementary and viewed concrete issues. The track resurfacing project will begin in the spring of 2014. The Committee will meet at Northfield Elementary in December.

Discussion:  Copsey explained that the Committee met and reviewed the bill listing. Activity Account expenditures and financial reports were discussed. Superintendent Hastings and his administrative team will be spending tim in each of the buildings during their holiday party schedules. Northfield Principal and After School Program Director Betty Smith provided a program report and discussed the viability of the program. An update on the septic system at Cedar Canyon was also provided.

Discussion:  Because Business Manager Meisner was absent from the meeting, Superintendent Hastings informed the Board that the district audit has been completed. The auditors will present their findings to the Business Committee in December, and the committee will submit the report to the full board for acceptance.

Discussion:  Winn explained that the Personnel Committee held a brief meeting on October 31st with a teleconference with attorney Rex Schultze. The committee received clarification on numbers and language issues. The board then held a special meeting to discuss this information. Winn stated that the committee will have additional information after the GEA meeting on November 19th. The committee will then meet with Schultze at 6:00pm that evening. Winn suggested that the committee get back on their monthly meeting time. Upcoming issues include the superintendent evaluation so she plans to attend the superintendent evaluation session at the state education conference.

Discussion:  Hastings explained that the Business Committee received the Quarterly After School Program Report, which prompted questions so the committee discussed the program and grant renewal with Program Director Smith. The district would need to re-apply for the 21st Century Grant by February 1st so Hastings would like the full board to discuss the program to get input before the district makes the decision to pursue the grant. Smith provided a recap of the dicussion to the full board and reviewed program strengths and concerns. Smith feels that the "pros" of this program include providing a safe place for students to go after school to do homework, receive a snack and take part and experience a variety of program, such as art projects, visits from the Panhandle Humane Society and trips to the YMCA. Another "pro" is that the cost of the program is very affordable to parents; $5 per student, $3 if the family qualifies for reduced lunches and the program is offered for free to those families who qualify for free lunches. Charges are for the entire day rather than by hour. Program "cons" include a high turnover in staffing due to low hours, meeting grand requirements, finding subs, and wear and tear on the facilities. The program is not an actual extension of the school day and discipline is an ongoing issue. Collection of fees is also a monthly problem and there is a large quantity of paperwork to be completed, including monthly snack reports, daily attendance reports, billings, evaluations and other monthly reports. Grant funds of $50,000 are used to cover salaries, supplies and bussing. Lincoln Elementary Principal Pam Barker and Geil Elementary Principal Mary Kay Haun agree with Smith's views of the program. Registration and actual attendance numbers were provided for consideration. The grant covers Lincoln and Northfield but not Geil. Hastings explained that in order for the district to continue this program that additional staff would need to be hired to make it run well. Smith was able to oversee the program when she was a principal at Cedar Canyon but now that she has been transferred to Northfield it is difficult to run well due to time constraints. The board would like to see the service provided but feels that the program may fit into another entity's mission better than the school district's. The board feels that there are many daycares in the community that would benefit from hosting the program. Hastings encouraged all involved to make a decision sooner than later so the district can explore other options or partner with other entities to support them in running the program. The program will continue in the district through the end of this school year. If a decision is made to not continue this program, Hastings wishes to notify families as much in advance as possible to allow them time to plan and coordinate other solutioins. Copsey agrees that it is a valuable service but questions if the program is in line with district goals since we are not providing curriculum so the program is not aligned with the distric's mission. Peters agrees that the district should seek another entity to run the program. Doll stated that there are a wealth of daycare providers in the area and he would like to see one of them take this opportunity. Barker said that when the district took the program over from the YMCA that they had hoped it wouldn't evolve into a daycare situation, however most parents indicate that as the reason they utilize the program. Hastings explained that he will enter into preliminary talks with other organizations to see if they would be interestsed in partnering or taking over the program so it better meets the needs of the kids. The board expressed their appreciation for input from Smith and Barker. Discussions, and potentially action, will take place at the December Board Meeting.

Discussion:  Hastings provided an update on the language arts program review, as the district is in the process of determining it's philosophy and materials of the program. The administrative team has been working on this project over the last few months to build a framework to use to build a solid program with a strong foundation that meets everyone's needs, allowing students to meet their full potential as readers and to intervene when this is not happening. A recap of criteria was provided and the materials chosen will be highly aligned with current and upcoming standards. Approval of materials may be sought at the December Committee and Board Meetings to take advantage of financial incentives. Specifics by grade level were reviewed. Additional details will be determined next spring. Hastings reminded everyone that the State Education Conference is taking place later in the week and Marcia Herring from NASB will be in town on December 2nd to finalize the Superintendent Search process.

Discussion:  Doll reminded all to find a substitute if they are unable to attend committee meetings. Copsey asked if the Personnel Committee could begin meeting on a day other than Wednesdays. Winn stated that the first Tuesday of the month would not work. It was determined that the next Personnel Committee meeting would be held on December 10th. Winn will be unable to attend the Policy Review Committee meeting on November 25th as she will be out of town. The meeting will be postponed to another date.

Discussion:  Upp thanked the Board members for covering for him at committee meetings recently while he was out. Copsey stated that there was a very nice article in the Gering Citizen about a family, lance and Sherri Rogers, who moved to Gering. Mr. Rogers, a volunteer, was a big part of the softball program. His daughter Jessica is number one in the nation in batting averages. The family will be relocating to another area for career purposes. Winn said that the High School production of "The Imprtance of Being Ernest" was excellent and provided kudos to teacher Jason DeMaranville and his stage crew. Winn also attended one of the assemblys for speaker Demoine Adams, however pointed out that the High School auditorium sound system failed several times during his presentation so she would like to see that addressed. Peters informed the board that he represented the Gering School Board at last week's Leadership meeting. Participants commented about the passion for kids that the panel of superintendents held. Doll reiterated that he attend the High School play and that the kids did a great job. He confirmed that DeMaranville includes all students who express interest in participating. Hastings reminded the board that an election is coming up and reviewed the candidate filing schedule.