February 12, 2018 at 6:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Discussion:  Jim Hessler called the Regular Meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. 

Discussion:  All board members present.  

Discussion:  Julia Carpenter recorded meeting.    

Discussion:  Will need to approve the Dec 20th meeting minutes for next month's board meeting.    

Discussion:  Julia Carpenter- Asked if executive sessions were closed to the public and if two community members were present at the executive session meeting.  
Jim Hessler responded.  
Kaci Debus- Graduate from Morrill.  Questioned Jim's presentation of QCPUF levied tax.  
Jim Hessler responded.
Patty Pittman-Questioning where the board packets were located and an email that was sent out in December.  She also questioned the books and supplies budget for students.    
Jim and Joe both responded.
Miles Lemley- suggested if the supplies budget for students could be increased for next school year?  
Board and administration agreed.    
Julia Carpenter wanted to know when was the track surface last updated and how much it cost. 
Jim responded as well as Josh Guerue and Tom Peacock.        
 

Discussion:  Congratulating the MHS wrestlers for qualifying 6 for state.  PAC champs Girls Basketball!  Sub districts will be at 5pm in Bridgeport.  Weight room keys for community members.  Josh spoke with Jim about what is the best way to monitor the weight room.  Happy to have additional input.  Most evenings can be open, starting after 6-6:30 when activities are usually done.  Concerns are to take care of the schools equipment.  Coaches or teachers sign-up for monitoring the weight room.  Fire department and police department will get a key issued to use the athletic facility.  Morrill Hall of Fame- unbelievable accomplishments Sadie Cooley and Dawson Jacobs are taking the lead. Paul Reed Co, is willing to make some boards for student records.  Reorganize the trophy case at the H.S. Students are committed to cutting out articles for accomplishments.  Excited about this project.  Crawford has done the exact same thing.  Football schedules come out tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.  Bernie Hunnel-first year Morrill had wrestling he had gone to state wrestling and won the gold. Weight class was 133. Good luck at state!   

Discussion:  Training on Campus to schedule students for next school year.  Parent surveys.  Meet with ESU#13 regarding goals, data is electronic.  Cary Laucomer has been really helpful in creating a Google site.  March 12th staff will meet with ESU#13, to solicit their help with the process.  Booster Club-Olympian Rulon Gardner will is coming to speak to High school students and 4th, 5th, and 6th graders will join. Go Guardian for chrome books to use. Monitoring is being considered by ESU Council for statewide pricing. Tom would like to try the 30 day free trial.  Idea for next school year for chrome books.       

Discussion:  Phone call with Melody Hobson, Director of NDE Early Childhood, for planning purposes.  Head start review has not been set.  Emails have been sent and helped us to prepare for the review.  February 19th preschool staff and elementary staff will be attending the ESU#13.  Recently celebrated the 100th day of school.  Students dressed like they were 100 years olds.  Collecting pennies for patients have been phenomenal.  Jump rope for heart- Terry Lofink is organizing this year and will happen tomorrow.  Title Review will happen this year.   Kindergarten round-up will be April 6th.  Krystal Caudil wants to do an Ag day for Feb 21st!      

Discussion:  March 22 and 23rd Nebraska Rural Community board members can attend. Kamie Rhodes was approached by Pete Cawiezel concerning Morrill's brochure, "Historical Walking Tour of Morrill".  Business class can digitize the brochure.  Kamie has agreed to partner with the Morrill museum and Friday morning community group.  Appreciate Morrill Fire Department for certifying our staff at no cost for CPR.    

Discussion:  Heating units are on the way.  Payment is signed tonight to pay for them.  Net 30 day payment needed to be issued.  One classroom was interior and Cary Laucomer's room was also cold.  Brad rerouted a hallway vent over Christmas Break and it has helped.  Snell's did some work to rewire for installation.  Brad thinks we should order spares to have on hand.    

Discussion:  Board signs signature cards for Platte Valley Bank for each fund.    

Discussion:  Approve the publication of record "The Voice".  

Discussion:  Cynthia-how will parents be notified?  Tom- They will be notified at the beginning of the school year.  Previously the Drug Testing Pool only included students signed up for extra-curricular activities.   

Discussion:  Request from Gloria Kennedy.  Two travel dates a year April 5th -7th and May 6th-20th.  Previously had a relationship and have discontinued.  Costs 10,000 to charter a bus.  Our bus driver would like to be the driver at no cost.  The request was to consider renting a bus for both weeks.  The Panhandle Special Olympics (PSO) will cover insurance costs, but would expect the schools insurance to cover some of the liability.  Two trips would pay fuel and rent the bus for $1500 per trip.  Lincoln and Omaha would be the travel destination.  Board would like to check into insurance and any scheduling conflicts before approving.   

Discussion:  Any additional goals
-Facilities order extra heating units for standby.  
-Modified student counseling schedule from Erica DePenna.
-Policy modifying discipline-use our existing regs.  Policy needs be incorporated into our everyday policy.  
-Joe discusses the HS and elementary discipline.  Tom, Keri, and Joe will look at the secondary points system to consider a similar system and see if it is reasonable to discipline students, according to grade levels.  
-Jim Hessler and the board wanted to create a detention room.  Needs to be supervised at all times.
-Cynthia would like to add goals for preschool program.  
-Review of goals to move forward and status updates at each board meeting.  
-Jim- ACT prep  
-Tom- Bridgeport offered a class for ACT prep and would like to do that again this year.  
-Joe- Sophomores taking the ACT for next year and work on Odyssey ware prep.  Suggesting for Juniors do it 5 days a week instead of 2 days a week?
-Cynthia- Can we monitor Odyssey ware to view who is utilizing the program? 
-Tom can check to see how the curriculum is compared to other test preps.    
     
   
 

Discussion:  Motion to go into executive session for contract negotiations and daycare fees. 7:55 p.m.

Discussion:  Meeting adjourned @ 9:15 pm.