July 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM - Regular Board of Education Meeting

Discussion:  The meeting was called to order by Board President, Greg Trautman, at 6:00 p.m.

Discussion:  This public hearing was called to order by Board President, Greg Trautman, at 6:02 p.m. There were no public comments; hearing was adjourned at 6:02 p.m.

Discussion:  This public hearing was called to order by Board President, Greg Trautman, at 6:03 p.m. There were no public comments; the hearing was adjourned at 6:03 p.m.

Discussion:  This public hearing was called to order by Board President, Greg Trautman, at 6:04 p.m. There were no public comments; hearing was adjourned at 6:04 p.m.

Discussion: 

Simeon Murphy, SFE District Manager, and Kim Schanaman, General Manager, presented an overview of the district's food service operations. Simeon expressed his appreciation for the strong partnership with Gering Public Schools and highlighted several successful initiatives from the past year, including hands-on culinary training, Roving Chefs student cooking experiences, the Thanksgiving Lunch, catering services, and district cookouts.

Mr. Murphy also reviewed the 2025-26 school year financials, noting that lunch service accounted for 74% of total food service revenue. They served more than 5,000 additional meals compared to the previous school year. Looking ahead, SFE plans to continue increasing participation and revenue by introducing new menu items, gathering student feedback, conducting taste tests, and expanding programs such as Harvest of the Month.

Discussion: 

Trevor Teichrob, representing the YMCA, presented an overview of the YMCA Summer Camp, which continues to partner with Gering Public Schools. The 2026 program theme, Summer Time Machine: Learning Through Time, focuses on providing a safe, affordable, and engaging experience for students. He explained that this year's program was unique, as summer school was integrated into the camp's daily programming.

The camp served 95 students this summer, with the largest enrollment coming from preschool through first grade. To accommodate additional participants, the YMCA amended its child care license to expand capacity. Trevor also shared that many families benefited from DHHS child care subsidies and scholarship opportunities to help offset program costs.

Camp participants engaged in a variety of educational activities, including mathematics, social studies, art, STEM, and social-emotional learning. The program was staffed by four Gering Public Schools paraprofessionals, four certified teachers, one college student, and eight Gering High School students. Several campers attended the meeting and shared positive experiences about their participation in the summer program.

Discussion: 

Greg Trautman presented to the board. The Middle School Project as stakeholder feedback has been collected, financing options continue to be refined, and a staff launch of the proposed design is planned for August 7. Recruitment continues for several open positions. Candidates are progressing for Middle School Science and Speech-Language Pathology, with additional elementary paraprofessionals still needed. We will need to have a July Special Board Meeting to approve certified staff contracts and meal prices before the start of the school year. Annual updates to the GHS, LINKS, and Substitute Teacher handbooks have been completed and reviewed. District leadership continues planning for the 2026-27 school year through curriculum work, the Continuous Improvement (CIP) process, professional learning, new preschool teacher training, and New Staff Orientation. 

Discussion:  Dr. Knight presented to the board. Middle School Improvement Committee stakeholder feedback has been collected, financing options continue to be refined, and a staff launch of the proposed design is planned for August 7. General Fund expenditures are currently at 81% of the 2025-26 budget. High School Auditorium drywall is expected to be completed soon, lighting installation is progressing, and the project is expected to be completed this fall. The track construction continues to progress with the track shape being formed. The post-tension concrete pour is scheduled for next week, goal posts have arrived, fencing is expected to begin soon, and the bleacher foundation is being formed.

This is the last year of our existing contract with First Student. Staff will meet with First Student to review route utilization for the 2026-27 school year, and ongoing talks will continue with Scottsbluff to consider/evaluate options for the RFP for new contract beginning in the 27-28 school year.

Discussion:  Dr. Knight presented to the board.

Even though I started as interim superintendent a mere 12 days ago, I feel like it’s been much longer because there’s so much good momentum. Our buildings might be quiet with no students or teachers in session, but our maintenance and custodial staff are hard at work preparing our facilities for the 2026-27 school year. We’ve also had a great deal of outside contract work underway, including the high school auditorium renovation, the track project, and the installation of INA Alert security systems. At Central Office, we have several balls in the air as well: NDE reporting, grant writing, enrollments, the arrival of classroom and curriculum materials, OT Days reunion tours, and planning for the staff and students who will be back before we know it.

At this time, I’d like to give a couple of shout-outs.

The first is to Trevor Teichroeb and his team, who successfully implemented the first-ever five-week YMCA/GPS summer school collaboration. More than 80 students participated in weekly themed reading and math experiences centered around the theme Summer Time Machine - where else can you travel to space and medieval times in one summer? Now that the summer school portion has concluded, the staff (which are several GHS students and graduates) continues to support students who have chosen to stay on as YMCA campers. They are keeping the excitement going with new weekly themes, fun indoor and outdoor activities, and field trips.

Secondly, I’d like to recognize the collaborative work between our food service partner, SFE, and our Gering staff - specifically Brock Smith and Carissa Zabel to ensure that students in our community continue to have access to meals throughout the summer. Each week, more than 300 students receive five breakfasts and five lunches through the summer meal program. I’ve heard it’s a well-oiled machine thanks to the thoughtful planning and teamwork behind the scenes.

Summer brings a certain feeling of warmth—not just because of the sunny days and rising temperatures, but because of the heart of the Gering staff, who continue working together to ensure the needs of our students, families, and one another are met. I’m thrilled to be serving as your interim superintendent this year, and I look forward to many more board reports to come!

Discussion:  Tracy Wiese - Thanks to the high school for addressing the attendance concerns. The OTD tours were great! Thanks to Aaron Pierce for being here tonight. 
Josh Lacy - No comment
Matt Kautz - Renuion tours were a hit! Great to see all the summer meals being handed out at the Civic Center.
Greg Trautman - It great to see all the things GPS is doing to serve kids in our community!

Discussion:  The meeting was adjourned at 7:31 p.m.