September 12, 2022 at 6:30 PM - Board of Education Budget Hearing and Regular Meeting

Rationale: 
I.     Call Hearing to Order
II.   The purpose of the Hearing is to review, discuss, consider, and receive input, and or support, opposition, criticism, suggestions or observations of taxpayers relating to the 2022-23 proposed budget.
III.  Adjourn Budget Hearing

 

Rationale: 
I.     Call Hearing to Order
II.    The purpose of the Hearing is to review, discuss, consider, receive input, and hear support,opposition, criticism, suggestions or observations of taxpayers relating to the 2022-23 proposed property tax levy.
III.   Adjourn Levy Setting Hearing

Rationale: 

STRIVE  -  COMMIT  -  SUCCEED  -  District Mission Statement

Schuyler Community Schools in partnership with parents, students, and the community is committed to educate students to become skilled, knowledgeable and responsible citizens in a global society - District Vision Statement

Notice of this meeting was given in advance according to State Law 84-1411, by giving notice of the meeting to the public.  Notice of this meeting was also given in advance to all members of the Board of Education

Rationale: 

This meeting has been preceded by advance notice and is hereby declared to be in open session.  A copy of the Open Meetings Act is posted in the front of the meeting room.

Nebraska Open Meetings Act:  http://nitc.nebraska.gov/documents/statutes/NebraskaOpenMeetingsAct_current.pdf

Rationale:  Discuss, Consider and Take Action on the consent agenda

Rationale: 

Rationale:  This committee is responsible for budget, finance, and contract negotiations with administration, certificated staff, and support staff.

Rationale: 
We held our budget workshop on August 8th and advertised the budget for all funds as directed at our final finance committee meeting.  As discussed in the budget  hearing,  all budgets remained virtually the same except for the bond and special building funds.   These were adjusted in alignment with our valuation changes.  The new law allows for 2% plus the  real property increase (1.1%).  Attached is the advertised budget notice for adoption.

Rationale: 
See attached Resolution.

Rationale: 
The Schuyler Education Association (SEA) submitted a letter requesting recognition as the exclusive bargaining agent for the district's non-supervisory certificated staff for the 2024-2025 contract year.  This is a formality that the NSEA recommends our local association get approval now for next year's negotiations process.  See attached letter. 

Rationale: 

The State of Nebraska requires that the board of education must annually approve the use of "local substitutes" to teach in the absence of the regular teacher.  Local substitutes are limited to 90 days per year in the school district on an intermittent basis.  We have been using local substitutes in the past, but the Department of Education requires board minutes validating local substitute certificates.  See attached requirements for the local substitute license.
With the shortage of substitutes, the Commissioner has granted an extension, upon superintendent's request, again this year to remove the maximum days allowed for the 2022-23 school year.
 

Rationale: 
1.  Guadalupe Andrade:  Para Educator - SES

Rationale: 
1.  Maria D. Arciva:  Para Educator - Richland
2.  Janey Parra - Para Educator -SES
3.  Marisol Sandoval Rios:  Para Educator - SMS
4.  Elaine Visser:  Para Educator - SMS Library
5.  Juliana Lopez-Cervantes:  Para Educator - SMS
6.  Patricia Romero Gonzalez:  Food Service - SCHS
7.  Abdurahman Nur:  Custodial/Maintenance - SCHS
8.  Iris Medina Gonzalez:  Colfax County Attendance Coordinator
9.  Jose Marino:  Custodial/Maintenance - Grounds

Rationale: 

Preschool/SES 3-5 Principal's Report:  Mr. Comley
Program/Staff Member Spotlight:  This month I would like to highlight Amber & Ashley DeLeon. These two ladies are a critical piece to making bussing happen to and from the elementary. Ashley and Amber not only help coordinate signups, talk to parents, make sure the buses are on time, but they are also excellent at knowing all the children's names. I really want to thank Amber and Ashley for all they do to make another program at SES successful. 

SES K-2 Principal's Report:  Mrs. Keairnes:
Program/Staff Member Spotlight:  I would like to highlight Brante Hayes. He is a 1st grade teacher at Schuyler Elementary School. He does an amazing job of engaging students and consistently  interacts with them on a level that makes them each feel like valued individuals. His energy is infectious in and out of the classroom. Thank you Mr. Hayes! 

Dual Language, Fisher’s, & Richland Principal's Report:  Ms. Bebout
Spotlight Staff:  I would like to highlight the hard work and dedication the custodians have put into making all of my buildings look ready for the beginning of the year!  Ronnie, Juan, Marcia, Lila, and Edgar have done an amazing job over the summer and put in a lot of hard work to get it accomplished on time.  Getting four teachers into their classrooms in a matter of a few days in the new building so they would have enough time to set up their classrooms was an amazing feat!!  I also want to send a shoutout to Winnie and Mindy for also helping with all of the moves at the district office!!!

SMS Assistant Principal's Report:  Mr. Banahan
Spotlight Program: I would like to spotlight our Special Education program at SMS. We continue to work through many changes in our Special Education Program model.  Our new focus is on transitioning learning from a more isolated setting, to working with classroom teachers to provide support in the regular classroom and identify the best way to educate all of our students at SMS. They face daily challenges, but they have developed a positive working relationship with each other and are leaning heavily on each other to make this situation the best it can be for every student involved. Co-teaching in the classroom can be difficult and "hair-pulling" hard at times. Our teachers are working to persevere through this change with a Warrior Spirit and really want what is best for each student they work with throughout the school day. I want to thank them for all of their hard work and please know that we truly appreciate everything you do for our students every day!

Spotlight Staff:  I would like to spotlight our custodians Matt Wachal and Miguel Millan. They have done a great job working hard starting this summer to keep our building clean and safe for our staff and students. Matt has done a great job transitioning into his new role of Head Custodian in the middle school from the high school, along with his other roles within the district. He spent a lot of time getting to know our building and how things work at the middle school, and he has been a welcome addition to our building. Miguel does a great job keeping our classrooms clean and always greets our staff members with a " Hello, and how are you doing?". Many staff members often comment that when they are working late in their rooms he comes by and visits and offers soda or juice as he visits with them. We are grateful to have both of them here at SMS!

SMS Principal's Report:  Mr. Zavadil
Program Spotlight:  School is underway and moving at a fast pace already!  SMS is now working with KLK consulting group as a part of the High School’s transition off of the priority plan.  Mrs. Kennedy met with us for two half-days earlier this month and spent time teaching Mr. Banahan, Mrs. Steinhoff and myself used the new classroom observation and coaching techniques.  We felt the meeting went well and we are looking forward to implementing this system in our Middle School as this fits very well with Schuyler Central High School and will allow us to utilize Mrs. Stenhoff efficiently to grow instruction in our building.

Staff Member Spotlight:   I would like to highlight the work of Mr. Wiseman, P.E. teacher at Schuyler Middle School.  Mr. Wiseman has stepped up into a leadership role in many areas this year.  He works as a leader in the P.E and special programs department as well as a positive role model for much of our new staff.  He is teaching our new CKH Leadworthy Course at SMS and the students appear to enjoy the content of this new course, even if it does push them quite a bit.

Upcoming Events:  September 23rd the Middle School, Rural Schools and the High School are planning the 1st of four vertical Subject Area PLC meetings.  The administration at the High School and Mrs. Bebout at the Rural schools all working well to collaborate and move instruction forward for the district 6-12.

SCHS Assistant Principal's Report:  Mr. Steinhoff
Program/Staff Member Spotlight:  In this month’s staff spotlight I would like to recognize the focus team.  The focus team is comprised of Mrs. Zavadil,  Mr. Harper, Mr. Trotter, Mr. Keairnes, Mr. Wilcox, Mr. Haas, and Ms. Eloge.  As a team, they have worked together to put a plan in place that is focused on getting students involved, improving school spirit, and helping students both academically and socially.  Their work is already making an impact on our school and staff morale.  I am looking forward to the year as it unfolds.

SCHS Asst. Principal's Report: Mrs. Ladwig
Staff Member Spotlight:  I would like to highlight the work of Miss Megan Morton. Miss Morton is a first year teacher who has stepped up to the plate to teach English 11 at SCHS. Her calm, relational demeanor allows her to provide interactive lessons to meet both Nebraska and ACT standards. In addition to this, Miss Morton is also working alongside the ESU to plan for our fall practice ACT writing as well as a second round of ACT writing in January.

Program Spotlight:  The SCHS band, led by Mr. Paul Niedbalski, has been visible several times already this year, and they are doing an excellent job. With 80 students currently participating in the band, they recently did a fabulous job marching in the Schuyler Labor Day Parade. They have also played pep band at our home volleyball games, and it is a big part of the energy we have seen at those events. Kudos to this program!

SCHS Principal's Report:  Dr. Lefdal
2021-22 All A's, all 4 quarters:  We would like to congratulate these students for their efforts last school year. They achieved straight A’s for all four quarters.  They will be given a certificate and "Bar" for their letter jacket.  These students will be honored during a pep rally at school.

Talon Andel, Gavin Bywater, Alexandro Calderon, Daniela Chavez, Colin Gibbons, Elizabeth Guit, Christin Hinkel, Bela Jedlicka, Piper Lefdal, William Lopez, Susana Martinez, Erika Quezada, Diego Ramirez, Litzy Ramirez, Ghislane Rodriguez, Ricardo Rosas, Audrey Ruskamp, Nora Ruskamp, Kathryn Tzunux, Jenny Valora, Jose Vasquez, Addison Vavricek, Allison Vavricek, Fredy Vazquez, Carly Wemhoff, Dakota Williams, Magen Williams, Angela Yepez

Program Spotlight. I would like to highlight our Ag program at the high school.  We have seen a large increase in students wanting to take classes as well as increased opportunities for our high school students.  Mr. Harper, Mr. Moomey, and Mr. Hansen continue to work with students in all areas of ag, the trades, and welding. 

Staff Spotlight:  I cannot say enough about the work that Mr. Wade Brashear, one of our high school counselors, has done in his short tenure at Schuyler.  He is willing to take on any challenges that come up during the day with a smile and positive attitude.  He meets with and sets plans for all levels of students, and is always asking how we can better our programming, scheduling, and preparation for years to come.  He is compassionate, understanding, and driven as a counselor.  I feel lucky to have him on our team.

Looking ahead:  I am excited to see the positive direction continue for our students.  We are seeing some success in athletics, but I am very excited to see our fine arts start competing as well as challenging our students in the classroom over the next few months!

Rationale: 

SES K-2 Principal's Report:  Mrs. Keairnes:
Program/Staff Member Spotlight:  I would like to highlight Emily Brandl. She is a critical staff member at the Elementary School and volunteer coach for our Youth Volleyball Program. Emily consistently goes above and beyond in the office to ensure things run smoothly throughout the day. She is also volunteering multiple evenings throughout the week to coach our 5th and 6th grade volleyball athletes.  THANK YOU Ms. Brandl! 

Warrior Academy - AfterSchool Program Director's Report:  Ms. Bebout
Spotlight Staff: Bike Rodeo:  This June we were able to partner with Schuyler Chamber, Community and Family Partnership (CFP), and United Way to host our 1st ever Bike Rodeo. The week of the bike rodeo, we held a bike club at our June Camp. Students learned about bike safety, arm signals, and some even learned how to ride a bike for the first time. Because of a grant through Beyond School Bells and the help of local businesses, we gave away a total of 48 bikes to students without bikes.

During the Bike Rodeo, we had a total of 250 kids and 400+ adults attend. We had just about the whole community involved in this event, from local businesses donating money towards bikes and volunteering their time at the event, CFP and United Way giving out helmets, Sheriff’s Dept, Police Dept, and Fire & Rescue had obstacle courses for kids to enjoy. We also had 5 different restaurants with discount tacos for the families as well.

 

SMS Activities Director's Report:  Mr. Banahan
Spotlight Program: I would like to highlight our MS Volleyball coaches for the hard work and dedication they have put into this program. Head Coach Amanda Richards and Odalys Cruz have put in a lot of hard work with these girls starting last Spring when Coach Cruz began working with the incoming 7th graders after school two nights a week. This summer, they had two teams of girls traveling and playing volleyball in the Columbus YMCA league as well as attending different camps, including our own high school team camp. The coaches are also putting in hard work themselves as they have attended multiple coaching clinics to ensure they are using the most up-to-date practices to help our girls improve. Their hard work and dedication, has yielded to having 68 girls out for volleyball in 7th/8th grade and I am looking forward to seeing these girls and coaches continuing to improve as the season progresses.

Spotlight Staff:  I would like to spotlight Mr. Andy Hall, this month. Coach Hall, as he is commonly referred to, by many who have walked the halls of SMS. I want to thank Mr. Hall for all of his work with Schuyler Athletics, while he isn’t coaching on the sidelines for the Warriors. He is still helping out in many different ways. He has volunteered to help coach our middle school students on the chain gang for our home middle school football games. On Friday nights in the fall, you will find him up in the booth running the score clock for Varsity football games. In the winter you will find him keeping books for basketball games when he can, and in the spring he helps run the computer programs for the middle school track meet. He always has a positive attitude and a servant leadership mentality. We appreciate everything he does for Warrior Athletics!

Spotlight Upcoming Event:  We will be recognizing our MS Football and Volleyball teams this fall at one of the home Varsity games, towards the end of their respective seasons. Football will be recognized on September 30th at the home football game vs Lakeview. The volleyball date will be announced at a later date. 

SCHS Activities Director's Report:  Mr. Steinhoff
Program Spotlight:  This month I would like to highlight the boys and girls cross country teams.  Both teams just recently competed in our home meet.  Both the boys and the girls placed first as a team.  We also had the first place high school male (Gavin Bywater), the first place female (Miriam Deanda).  The middle school boys placed first, and were led by Mynor Hernandez, who won the middle school boys division.  The middle school girls finished third.  It was great to see our teams and individuals shine at our home meet!

Special Education Director's Report:  Mrs. Vrba
Spotlight Program: Our Special Education Department:  Our exciting news is our staff is made up of teachers who were with us for the 2021-2022 school year.  For various reasons, our staff was willing to make various grade level changes to ensure success for all our students.
Fisher's #24, Richland and Kindergarten: Blake Neumann
1^st grade: Doreen Gibbons    2^nd grade: Kailey Hanson
3^rd grade: Jennifer Novak      4^th grade: Tyler Petersen
5^th grade: Eileen Gahan         EC: Elyse Belina
K-5^th Life Skills: Patti Sparling
6^th-8^th Life Skills: Caitlin Becker
6^th-7^th: Bernice Maxwell          7^th-8^th: Tyrell Reichert
9^th-12^th: Ashlie Stone               9^th-12^th: Angela Schwarte-Roush
9^th-age of 21 Life Skills: Don Maxwell

Curriculum, Assessment, Instruction Director's Report:  Dr. Gibbons
Spotlight Program/People: My spotlight goes out to our District Steering Committee for our School Improvement and Accreditation.  We are hosting our Engagement Review with Cognia (formerly known as AdvancED and formerly North Central Association) in March of this year.  Schuyler Community Schools has had systems accreditation for 10 years.  Schuyler Central High School has been accredited since 1914.

Engagement reviews take place every five years.  This year, Cognia has adjusted their process, so we are working our way through their new process.

One main change is that they are not planning on having a group of five educators come from across the country to spend three days in our buildings.  School board members will be interviewed as a part of our review, but it doesn’t need to be during the visit.  Those interviews can be scheduled for some time before the visit and can be in small groups or even done individually if needed.  

Team members: Dave Gibbons, Alicia Keairnes, Andra Pracheil, Jesse Zavadil, Bill Policky, Joey Lefdal, Nick Wilcox, Staci Shonka, Heather Bebout, Lisa Terrell, Jennie Stutzman, Denise Stevenson and Mindy Perrin.

Curriculum - The State Board of Education has adopted new Math State Standards.  Pursuant to Nebraska Revised Statute 79-7601.02, school districts have one year to adopt the state-approved content area standards or adopt content area standards deemed as equal to or more rigorous than the state-approved content area standards.

Rationale:  Program/Staff Member Spotlight:  Penny Janousek always does a great job managing payroll and finance in the district.  This time of year is especially busy with the fiscal year end, starting a new year, adjusting salaries, enrolling staff in benefit programs, etc...  Her days are seldom within regular working hours and often require work on the weekends and holidays.  Big Thank you to Penny for all your work behind the scenes to make sure our books balance and our employees are taken care of.

1.  NASB Area Membership Meeting:  Thank you to the board members who attended the NASB Area Membership meeting in Norfolk.  Also, CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. Sayer for your NASB Level II Award.

2.  School Safety:   We got approval from Navigate 360 to offer the Threat Assessment and Suicide Prevention online workshops to members of our leadership team, board members, Chief of Police, and County Sheriff.  This training is required for all district administrators. If you would like to do this online training, I can send you a link and password for the course. 

3.  ESSERS III Telephone Project:  Bids Open on Wednesday, September 14th and are due Friday, October 7th. 

Rationale: 
1.  September Foundation Meeting:  Due to Labor Day, the September Foundation Meeting was held today, September 12th. - Brian Vavricek
2.  NASB State Conference:   The NASB State Conference will be at the CHI Center in Omaha, Wednesday through Friday, November 16-18.  Please let Shelley Friesz know if you are planning on attending.  Registrations are open from September 13th through November 4th.
3.  NASB Quick Notes:  See attachment from Matt Belka