August 11, 2025 at 5:30 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale:  The Norfolk Public School District's Board of Education meeting is called to order.  

Rationale:  If any board member is absent, there will need to be a  motion to excuse the absence.

Rationale:  This is a legal meeting of the board of education, as advertised by the means specified in board policy. A complete copy of the Open Meetings Act is posted in the board room for your review. A copy of the agenda is available at the desk of the recording secretary.

Rationale:  Please stand and join us in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Rationale: 

This is the time during the meeting when the public may request to address the Board. According to state law, if you wish to comment you must identify yourself, including your address, the name of the organization you represent and the topic that you wish to address. "Public Comment" cards are located at the Media table, in the back of the room.  Please pick up a card and provide the required information, if you plan to speak.  Each individual’s comments will be limited to five minutes.

Please note that the Board cannot discuss or act upon matters that are not listed on the agenda. Therefore, Board members will not respond to your comments or questions. If you wish to request that an item be placed on a future Board agenda, you may contact the Superintendent or his assistant during normal business hours.

Also note that concerns related to school personnel need to be addressed to the Superintendent using the approved district protocol. Individuals who make false, defamatory,  or slanderous statements during public comments may be held legally liable. Slanderous comments are not protected just because they are made at Board meetings.

Additional procedural guidelines are available at the media table.

Rationale:  Board discussion regarding the hiring of a superintendent search firm. 

Rationale:  Administrator Days Sessions

• Budget updates
• Transportation
• Legal Updates

Budget Process

• Federal Funds have been released
• Working through impact of reduced funding
• Zero base budget for 25/26
• Awaiting valuation numbers to determine levy options

Claims

• The total amount of claims to be approved on the consent agenda by specific fund are listed below:
  • General Fund = $249,687.96
  • Nutrition Fund = $11,328.70
  • Subsidiary Fund = $6,797.05
  • Depreciation Fund = $439,871.43
  • QCPUF = $17,730.00
  • Senior High Activity Fund = $16,126.77
  • Junior High Activity Fund = $431.92
  • Student Fee Fund = $710.73
• All of these claims were reviewed earlier by the Finance and Facilities Committee.

Rationale:  CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT

• PLC Professional Development
• Materials have been delivered
• Administrators Days
  • Tools for Goal Setting and Data Use
  • Changes to ACT and AQuESTT
  • The importance of getting to know the story behind the data - final keynote

Rationale: 

• Administrator Days 2025 sessions attended

• Native American Liaison

• ELL & SPED Meetings

• In-service Training

Rationale: 

• NPS Building Safety Visits
• Norfolk Fire and Rescue Visits
• Administrator Days
  • School Safety (Multiple Sessions)
  • School Law Update
  • Student Hearings
• Looking forward to the upcoming school year

Rationale:  Administrator Days Sessions (13 sessions)

• Literacy can’t Start If They Are Not Here, Chronic Absenteeism.
• School Law Update:
• Principals as Instructional Leaders
• Establishing Focus and Using Data to Drive Continuous Improvement. (Millard Public Schools)

Report

• Admin. In-Service
• New Teacher In-Service
• Teacher In-Service
• Continuing to meet with COLT team members
• Site Visits to schools
• Aug. 25th Supt. Search Firms Interviews, following board meeting

Rationale:  The Finance and Facilities Committee met on August 6th, with Board members Brenda Carhart, Steve McNally, and Tom Stanton in attendance.

The committee discussed:

• Budget
• Bus Grant
• Activity Fund
• ALICAP renewal
• Union Pacific lease
• Superintendent Search Firm

The committee also met on Monday, August 11th to discuss depreciation funds. 

Rationale:  Minutes from the meeting on July 28th are attached for review. 

Rationale:  Attached are the claims. These claims were reviewed earlier by our Finance and Facilities Committee. There is one conflict statement that will need to be read prior to voting. 

Rationale:  It is the time of year for our annual insurance renewal. ALICAP has been our provider of Workers Comp and Property/Liability Insurance for the past year and a half. We have been happy with their service and rates over that time. For the 25/26 school year our rates are decreasing slightly due to a lower workers comp modifier. It has been reduced from 1.03 to 1.00. We also will receive a credit for owner dividends of $3,459. Our total premium cost for 25/26 will be $533,278 compared to last year's $543,514. I recommend approval of the ALICAP renewal for 25/26.

Rationale:  I have applied for, and we have been awarded $33,000 from the Nebraska Clean Diesel Rebate program for a new route bus. The program requires that we recycle an older, inefficient, diesel bus from our fleet and replace it with a new clean air bus. We currently have an old 2005 route bus that meets the requirements of the program. We would replace it with a 2026 fuel efficient gas 65 passenger bus. This grant opportunity will help us make a positive step in updating our bus fleet. We will use dollars from our Depreciation Fund that we have identified for this purpose. Total cost for the new bus is $137,292 minus the $33,000 rebate, making it a $104,292 cost to the district. That is approximately a 25% savings for our district.
 

Rationale: 

The 2nd monthly meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for Monday, August 25th, 2025 at Noon. 

The following regular meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Monday, September 8th, 2025 at 5:30 PM. 

All components of these meetings will be held at the NPS Central Administration Offices and will be open to the public unless an Executive Session is needed in order to protect the interest of the district or the reputation of an individual.