November 11, 2024 at 6:00 PM - Regular Board of Education Meeting

Discussion:  The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by President B.J. Peters.

Discussion:  Kory Knight presented to the board her Annual Financial Literacy Status Report. She thanked principal Mario Chavez for helping implement this program. We have partnered with Riverstone Bank and use the Dave Ramsey program. 

Discussion:  Jenn Sibal presented to the board all the activities and honors we recognized tonight. She awarded each individual and each group with a certificate signed by our board president, B.J. Peters and Superintendent, Dr. Regan. B.J. commented that he is so excited to see where football has come over the years. Greg wanted to thank the cross-country coaches for setting such a good example for their team. John and Josh both commented on how we are making a difference here at Gering and the community has come to life!  

Discussion:  John Maser discussed how state aid is potentially going down; $1,500 to $900 in funds per student. This is a decrease of almost $146,000 for next year. What does this look like moving forward for negotiations? He also discussed how we can potentially save money with contracted services and try to do more from within the district. There is some good news in that there will only be a 5% increase in health insurance next year, instead of the proposed 10%. He talked about having 15 community members tour the middle school and hopefully moving forward on some of their improvement plans. Our enrollment is even compared to other districts.

Discussion:  Josh Lacy presented to the board about how we are planning for the future. They had a good meeting with Senator Harden, and he was very involved in their conversation regarding state funding. He is glad that we have hired a new HVAC technician, who is very knowledgeable and can hopefully save the district money. . Excited we have finished the new preschool over at Northfield and excited to be getting our maintenance team uniforms. 

Discussion: 

Happy Veteran's Day! I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our service men and women for their unwavering dedication and sacrifice. Because of their commitment, we are privileged to serve our students in one of the best public education settings in the state. We have so much to celebrate this month, and I’m grateful for the great work being done across every school and program.

A special thank you to Shawn Seiler for leading an outstanding season of activities and athletic achievements. Your efforts are raising the bar, and our students are not only excelling but also having fun in the process.

We are also embarking on a new proactive collaboration this fiscal year. Following another successful financial report from Stacy Rodriguez, we are getting a head start with intentional dialogue with our state delegates. This month, we had the honor of hosting Senator Hardin at a business committee meeting where he gained a deeper understanding of school finance ahead of his upcoming legislative session.

All systems are go! Jennifer and I recently met with our community action team and held a focus group session. The insights shared by the members were invaluable in helping us address the needs of our middle school facilities. Rita Stinner aptly commented, "Nikki... you and Jennifer are a well-oiled machine telling the story of our work and the opportunity to build the future of Gering Middle School—one that will serve both our students and the community, all while maintaining fiscal responsibility."

Next week, we’ll be attending the NASB State Conference, where we’ll be presenting at the CHI Conference Center on the topic: "Building and Growing our Future: A Board Vision of Investment." Our presentation will showcase the innovative work we’ve been doing in workforce development and early childhood programs, which has recently gained attention at both the state and national levels.

Lastly, save the date for a unique leadership training opportunity on January 6, 2025, with Dr. Jim Sutfin. More details to come!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and dedication to the success of our students.

This concludes my report.

Discussion:  B.J. Peters - Not sure what will happen next year regarding taxes. We need to protect our investments. He will miss the kids when he is off the board.

Tracy Wiese - Really likes that we are very involved with Financial Literacy and that we are not just doing the bare minimum with that. We are a well-rounded district - taking care of our preschools (new building), Middle School (trying to make improvements), and the High School honoring music, band, and athletics. 

John Maser - Happy Veterans Day! Thank you, Jenn Sibal for all the things you put on social media!

Brian Copsey - Loves seeing kids at the meetings and bringing all the different groups together. We are creating a "buzz" at the Middle School. Senator Harden has been listening and will hopefully be more on the side of public schools.

Greg Trautman - Keep working on Sen. Harden, he is from western NE. We tried to get the point across to him that we need to be funded. Very proud to see all the kids tonight. PTC went very well! He loves all the different activities available at the Middle School.

Josh Lacy - He is hopeful that something will change with taxes and funding doesn't get taken away. Happy Veterans Day! Excited about the new preschool building at Northfield!

 

Discussion:  The meeting was adjourned at 6:41 p.m.