February 13, 2025 at 5:30 PM - GIPS BOE Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

It is 5:____p.m. and I now call to order the Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education Meeting.  This is the February 13, 2025 meeting.  Notice of this meeting has been advertised in the Grand Island Independent, which is the District's designated method of giving notice of these meetings.

We want those in attendance to know that copies of the Open Meetings Act are available at the entrance to the Board Room.  If anyone in attendance is interested in addressing our Board, you are welcome to do so.  We simply request that you complete the appropriate form and turn it in to us so that you may be recognized during the Requests to Address the Board part of our meeting.  If you have not already completed the form, please see the staff person outside the entrance to this room.  Public comment is welcome. We do ask that no signs be brought into the boardroom.

Mrs. Dibbert, will you please call the roll?

Rationale:  Roll Call.

Rationale:  The first item on the agenda tonight is the Consent Agenda.  The Consent Agenda to be approved is as follows:

(items read.)

This is the Consent Agenda as published.  Would anyone like to remove any items or add any items to the Consent Agenda? (pause)

Does anyone have a potential conflict of interest on agenda item 3.3? If so, please state the check number that you will be abstaining from voting on.

Rationale:  Standing Committees
 A monthly agenda presented to the board and community on the major items discussed and under consideration in the standing committees.  
 

• Finance and Facilities Committee
• Leading for Learning Committee
• Personnel Committee
• Policy Committee
• Public Relations and Partnership Development Committee
• Governance Committee
• GNSA/Legislative Committee

Rationale:  Islander Powerlifting has had a successful year with both the boys and girls teams.  Recently, the Boys Islander Powerlifting earned a State Championship from the 2025 Nebraska Raw State competition.  The Girls Islander Powerlifting earned State Runner-Up at the same State competition.  Overall, they finished State with 16 individual medalists, 4 individual state champions, and 2 "Lifters of the Meet".  Congratulations, Islanders! 

Kain Ault
Yareydi Chavira-Matal
Hunter Christenson
Chris Cruz
Evelyn Fierro
Jorge Garcia
Jaycee Gilmore
Erik Guerrero
Matthew Hernandez
Giselle Lara
Andrew Larson
Alex Martin
James Martin
Makenah Mazanec
Faith Puente
Gabby Smith
Jaidon So
Jordan Summers
Richard Vandara
Jeovanna Velasquez Red Elk

 

Rationale:  School Board Recognition

Rationale: 

• Each person addressing the board will be allowed 5 minutes. The Board of Education has the prerogative to limit speaking to 3 minutes when there are three or more patrons to allow speakers an opportunity to address the Board in a timely manner.
• We allocate up to 30 minutes for addressing the board at each regular board meeting.
• Please face the Board, not the audience when you speak
• We want to hear what is being said so we ask the audience to refrain from making comments or sounds that make it hard to hear the speaker. 
• No signs are allowed in the boardroom.
• We will not engage in dialogue with patrons presenting to the Board, the purpose of the requests to address the board is to listen to patrons.
• The Board president and superintendent will identify staff to follow-up on information requested from patrons when necessary.
• At regular business meetings any school district-related matter can be presented to the Board, but only agenda items can be acted upon during a given meeting. At special meetings, comments will be limited to the subject of action items of the meeting's agenda. 
• Speakers will not be permitted to make defamatory comments, or use abusive or vulgar language. 
• Expressions of personal complaints about staff or students are discouraged at public meetings. Concerns about individuals should be brought to the attention of the appropriate administrative authority. Specific building or program concerns should be brought to the attention of the building principal or program supervisor.

Rationale:  Review of the district's plan for a mass deportation event will allow the board and the public to understand the steps that have been taken to help students and families be secure and supported.

Rationale:  Discuss, consider, and take action on the staffing plan for 2025-2026.

Rationale:  Discuss, consider, and take action on the GIPS Educator Fellowship, which would address teacher shortages by supporting current classified staff in obtaining teacher credentials.

Rationale:  In responding to the current technology landscape, the GIPS IT department are making changes to maximize technology investment and ensure sustainability of the equipment management plan for the future.

Rationale:  Projectors are an integral part of classroom instruction and in an effort to remove the management and financial burden from building administrators and building budgets, the district IT department is going to be managing classroom projectors and include them in the District Equipment Management Plan cycle.

Rationale:  Cybersecurity incidents are an inevitable consequence of today’s interconnected and increasingly digital world. To effectively react to a cybersecurity incident, organizations need to act prior to an incident occurring by developing an incident response capability. Cybersecurity incident response acts as a component of the organization’s information technology management program and overall cybersecurity strategy.

Rationale:  It is time in the equipment management plan cycle to replace the aging firewalls and logging systems.  Both of the devices will reach end of life in the next 6-18 months.  The firewalls are 8 years old and need to be upgraded to meet capacity and security needs.

Rationale:  Allow construction access temporarily for contractors while performing the Independence Street improvements north of Engleman Elementary.

Rationale:  Annually, all Nebraska school districts are required to have an independent audit and file an annual financial report (AFR). For the Fiscal Year ending August 31st. Grand Island Public Schools submitted our AFR timely but received permission to submit our audit report on or before 01/31/2025 due to a change in auditors.

Rationale:  4321 GATE RECEIPTS AND ADMISSIONS

Rationale:  4322 INCOME FROM SCHOOL SALES AND/OR SERVICES

Rationale:  4330 IMPRESSED FUNDS ACCOUNT

Rationale:  4340 CASH IN SCHOOL BUILDING

Rationale:  4450 PAYROLL AND PAYMENT POLICY

Rationale:  4470 SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS

Rationale:  Discuss, consider, and take action on the staffing plan for 2025-2026.

Rationale:  Discuss, consider, and take action on the GIPS Educator Fellowship, which would address teacher shortages by supporting current classified staff in obtaining teacher credentials.

Rationale:  Projectors are an integral part of classroom instruction and in an effort to remove the management and financial burden from building administrators and building budgets, the district IT department is going to be managing classroom projectors and include them in the District Equipment Management Plan cycle.

Rationale:  Cybersecurity incidents are an inevitable consequence of today’s interconnected and increasingly digital world. To effectively react to a cybersecurity incident, organizations need to act prior to an incident occurring by developing an incident response capability. Cybersecurity incident response acts as a component of the organization’s information technology management program and overall cybersecurity strategy.

Rationale:  It is time in the equipment management plan cycle to replace the aging firewalls and logging systems.  Both of the devices will reach end of life in the next 6-18 months.  The firewalls are 8 years old and need to be upgraded to meet capacity and security needs.

Rationale:  Allow construction access temporarily for contractors while performing the Independence Street improvements north of Engleman Elementary.

Rationale:  4350 CORPORATE CREDIT CARDS

Rationale:  4410 AUDITS

Rationale:  4420 FINANCIAL REPORTS AND STATEMENTS

Rationale:  4443 VENDOR RELATIONS

Rationale:  4451 AUTHORIZED SIGNATURES

Rationale:  4570 COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING IN SCHOOLS

Rationale:  A monthly report to the Board and community on the major items discussed and under consideration by the Grand Island Public Schools Foundation.

Rationale: 

Mr. Williams will present the student representative's report to the board. 

Rationale: 

Mr. Fisher will present the superintendent report. 

Rationale:  Regular Board of Education Meeting - Monday, March 17, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.