Public Meeting Minutes: November 30, 2020 at 6:30 PM - Special Board Meeting - Superintendent Interviews

1. Signature of Notification

2. Call to Order, Roll Call & Welcome Visitors

2.1. Acknowledge Open Meetings Law

More Information: The Board of Education reserves the right to enter into Executive Session for the protection of the public interest; or the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual, and if the individual has not requested a public meeting.

2.2. Notice of this meeting was published in the Gering Courier on Thursday, November 25, 2020 and the Star-Herald on November 25-29, 2020.

3. Superintendent Interview Candidate: George Schlothauer.

Discussion: Mr. Schlothauer opened the meeting with a 5-minute presentation spotlighting both the strengths of the district as well as possible challenges the new superintendent may face. As a third generation Gering graduate who currently has children attending Gering Public Schools, he expressed a deep belief in the importance of strong schools within our community. With this, the following strengths were identified:

A supportive community!
Updated facilities
Tradition and History
Established Career Pathways
GPS Foundation is thriving
GPS School Board is unified
Innovative programs, such as Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, are creating additional learning opportunities which build a strong foundation for students.

Potential areas of focus for the next superintendent:

Facilities - A strategic plan with five and ten year goals should be established to ensure maintenance of aging facilities.
Student Enrollment - Based on data provided by ESU-13, student enrollment in the region has been steadily declining since 2013. With this, funding has been impacted.
Fiscal Health - Schlothauer stressed the value of educating everyone involved on the district's finances to see where cost savings are possible, especially in light of the current pandemic.
Presence within the Community - If he is afforded the opportunity, Schlothauer indicated that he would encourage and support administrators, teachers and students to become active within our community. "The community needs to hear our story! We have a lot of great things happening at Gering Public Schools," he said.

Following the presentation, the school board posed a series of twenty questions encompassing all facades of the district.

In closing, Mary Winn asked if there was anything further that Mr. Schlothauer would like to share with the board. Two areas he advocated for were unified sports and programs to support students as they transition into sixth and ninth grades. Before leaving, he offered a copy of his formal transition plan to each board member which emphasized: Listen, Learn, Lead.

4. Executive Session for the protection of public interest or the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of the candidate being interviewed.

5. Adjourn

Discussion: The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

November 30, 2020 at 6:30 PM - Special Board Meeting - Superintendent Interviews

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