The Grand Island Public Schools "Board Brief" is an online monthly publication sharing the Board of Education meeting highlights, updates, campus recognitions, and more.

Here's a recap of the August Regular Board Meeting.

• Agenda
• Video Stream
• Katie Mauldin was not present but gave prior notice.

34 Grand Island Senior High (GISH) students were recognized for stellar results on their respective AP tests.

From the 439 AP tests taken by all students, the 34 honorees earned the titles of AP Scholar, AP Scholar with Honor, and AP Scholar with Distinction.

Congratulations, Islander AP Scholars!

AP SCHOLAR: Samuel Acosta Castellanos, Analee Adams, Jacob Albers, Chelsea Betancourt Sanchez, Samuel Brooks, Lauren Brown, John Clark, Max Empfield, Trey Engberg, Ashlyn Favazza, Alex Hernandez Lopez, Noah Javorsky, Marco Jimenez, Carson Jonak, Reid Kelly, Cydney Obermeier, Emily Olmedo Hernandez, Caitlyn O'Neill, Aaron Pardinas, Nery Raymundo, Elizabeth Rush, Annaka Schlachter

AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR: Sophia Heminger, Thomas Liegl, Olivia Madison, Annika Staab

AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION: Bode Albers, Easton Brown, Avery Rogers, Ashlyn Ruzicka, Ava Stein, Benjamin Thurston, Elli Ward, Owen Williams

(Pictured are the students who were able to attend the Board Meeting for recognition.)

Mrs. Kari Hooker-Leep, GIPS Foundation Executive Director, shared an update with the Board on upcoming events the Foundation will be hosting.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

One of the Foundation's favorite Program is Teacher of the Year. This year the Foundation received over 1600 PLUS nominations. That is 442 different individuals. Five teachers and staff members will be honored with the annual awards at the All Staff Welcome Back Event on Monday, August 12th. Thank you to First National Bank of Omaha has generously sponsored our Teacher of the Year Awards for 20 years!

LEGACY GRANTS

Congratulations to Tristen Gardner who is the recipient of the Dr. Eugene Miller Legacy Grant of $1000. The family of Dr. Gene Miller has created an annual grant fund to invest in the students of Grand Island by investing in the quality of their educators. Tristen is a Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher at GISH. She is currently working on her Masters in Family and Consumer Sciences at Wayne State College.

CLASSROOM GRANTS

The annual Classroom Grants program launched this month on August 1st. Classroom Grants are for GIPS teachers for teachers that may be looking to offer their students NEW opportunities that are outside the basic curriculum.

3rd ANNUAL HARVEST EVENT

Grand Island Public Schools Foundation is hosting the third annual Harvest, a celebration of opportunities, potential and legacy in education. Harvest will be on Thursday, September 26 at Riverside Golf Club in Grand Island at 5:30 p.m. We welcome everyone to come together, celebrate, invest and encourage our students to dream big!

Hear Mrs. Hooker-Leep's full presentation HERE.

Mrs. Jill Buettner, Math Teacher at Walnut Middle School and GIPS Summer Programs Coordinator, provided a review of the 2024 summer Extra Learning Opportunities (ELO) GIPS provided for students across the district.

Elementary Summer Programming Included:

• Summer Strong (Title I) hosted at West Lawn
• K-1 Immigrant Students
• EL and 2-5 Newcomers
• ELO Program (through a state grant)
• Dodge Summer School
• Howard Summer School
• Spectacular Summer at Lincoln Elementary
  
  

Over 450 students impacted

Power Camp also enjoyed a record-setting summer with 255 scholars from 2nd-5th Grade GIPS Title I schools impacted by the STEAM-based project learning camp.

Middle School Programming included:

• Barr Summer Academy
• Walnut Summer Academy
• Westridge Summer Academy

Over 80 students impacted

Jumpstart6 also noted a strong showing of over 50% of all incoming 6th graders from all three district Middle Schools participating.

High School Summer School & Credit Recovery included:

• 380 students registered
• 437 classes completed
• 2,185 total credit hours earned
• 32 Summer graduates

Other programs included:

• 9th-12th Grade EL, Migrant, & Newcomers Learning = 83 students impacted
• ELO State Grant Funded Sports & Robotics Camps = 184 students impacted

Going forward, the district and the Board will be reviewing the annual Summer offerings. With ESSER dollars going away nationwide, the Summer programs that were previously funded with ESSER support will need to be re-evaluated for funding options. More on that process will be shared throughout the school year.

Hear Mrs. Buettner's full presentation HERE.

Lee Jacobsen, GIPS Safety Coordinator, and GIPD Chief Denney (pictured), shared an overview of the updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) GIPS has been working on with GIPD.

Every four years, the district reviews the MOU they have with GIPD regarding School Resource Officers (SROs) at GIPS. The collaboration allowed for both parties to discuss and refine the operating process with SROs for a planned 4-year renewal.

Chief Denney also introduced the new GIPD SRO Supervisor, Sgt. Ryan Rathman, who will serve in the role starting for the 2024-25 school year. Sgt. Rathman is a proud product of GIPS and is looking forward to leading the program.

This was shared as a first read and will be up for vote at September's Board meeting.

Hear the full presentation HERE.

Lee Jacobsen, GIPS Safety Coordinator, shared the process the district took to update the EOP in order to be more accessible.

The Grand Island Public School District has undertaken significant steps to enhance our Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). This comprehensive update includes two critical components: an Emergency Plan for Students/Staff with Disabilities and a Missing Student Action Plan, both of which emphasize support for students with Autism and other special needs.

Recognizing the unique challenges faced by students and staff with disabilities during emergency situations, we have developed specific procedures to ensure their safety and well-being. This plan outlines clear actions and responsibilities, incorporating input from experts in special education and emergency response.

Additionally, our Missing Student Action Plan has been expanded to address the needs of students with Autism and other special needs more effectively. This plan includes tailored strategies for locating and ensuring the safety of these students, recognizing the particular vulnerabilities they may have during such situations.

The updated EOP has undergone a thorough review by the Community Rule 10 Safety Committee, which is composed of representatives from a diverse group of local agencies and organizations. The committee members include:

• Grand Island Fire Department
• Grand Island Police Department
• Hall County Sheriff's Office
• Central District Health Department
• Nebraska State Patrol
• Red Cross
• Salvation Army
• Grand Island Public Schools Safety Committee

Their invaluable feedback and collaboration have been instrumental in refining our emergency procedures, ensuring they meet the highest standards of safety and effectiveness. This collaborative effort underscores our commitment to the safety and security of all students and staff within our district.

This was shared as a first read and will be up for vote at September's Board meeting.

Hear Mr. Jacobsen's full presentation HERE.

Mr. Virgil Harden, GIPS Chief Financial Officer, shared a timely update regarding the search for a new Auditor for the district.

Due to staffing issues our auditors (Porter & Co.) notified GIPS in early July they would be unable to perform our FY 23-24 audit. Due to several factors, none of the least being, school district audits are due November 5th. GIPS reached out to every firm in Nebraska that currently performs single audit act audits and one agreed, albeit with a different than normal timeline.

Thankfully, the district has found a new Auditor and proposed to enter into an agreement with Bergen/KDV.

NDE granted a one-time permission to submit the FY 23-24 audit report on or before January 31, 2025. Our annual financial report (AFR) will still be submitted as required on 11/01/2024.

Due to the quick turnaround, this was shared as both an information item and was up for an Action Item vote.

Hear Mr. Harden's full presentation HERE.

Mr. Virgil Harden, GIPS Chief Financial Officer, shared an update on Property Tax Authority Resolution from the State Legislature.

The concept is a Property Tax Authority Cap (or limitation) for all public school Boards of Education in Nebraska. The new Property Tax Authority Resolution is an additional 5% above the current cap.

This will not impact current property taxes for the community. The action would only grant the Board the authority to ask for up to 5% more if needed in the future. Any future action would require a Board vote.

The Board approved the resolution last year but did not use any of the funds. The dollar amount involved for this year's resolution is approximately $6.1 million.

Hear Mr. Harden's full presentation HERE.

On Monday, August 5th, GIPS Board of Education member, Katie Mauldin, shared her resignation from the Board effective immediately.

Ms. Mauldin stated that her resignation was due to accepting another job opportunity requiring her to move to another community. In a letter she wrote to the Board she said:

"The position I’ve held on the Board for the past couple years has taught me more than I could have hoped.

I am immensely grateful to the families, friends and loyal supporters who helped me get elected and thank you to everyone in our community for allowing me to serve as their representative."

--

Going forward, per Board Policy #2311, the GIPS Board has 45 days from the notice of resignation to appoint a replacement member to the Board.

September 19th is the deadline for a replacement member to be appointed.

GIPS will advertise the open position for a candidate from Ward C through the newspaper and potentially other avenues. Interested parties from Ward C may apply for the open position. The deadline for applications is likely to be the end of August.

Next, the GIPS Board plans to conduct interviews of the applicants on the evening of the regular GIPS Board Meeting on September 12th. The start time for that meeting will be moved to 4:30 p.m. (rather than the standard 5:30 slot) so that the Board may conduct the interviews after the regular business of the Board meeting without going too late into the evening.

Hear the full discussion that took place after the Action Item vote HERE.

Mr. Fisher shared a Superintendent Report with the Board.

• Area School Board membership meetings are later this month in Kearney and in York. It looks like we'll have most of our group attending the session in York.
  
  
• The survey for scheduling the upcoming Board Retreat is out. We would like each Board member to respond to that so we may find a good date and time for our retreat to take place in the Fall.
  
  
• Our annual All Staff Welcome Back event is on Monday, August 12th, at 8:00 a.m. at the GISH Auditorium and Little Theatre. Doors open at 7:30. It'll be a good time to get together with all of our staff and kick-off the year.
  
  
• Last week we welcomed our new teachers to the district for training. We also welcomed back all of our school staff to their buildings this week. It's great to have everyone back!
  
  
• As you probably know, our state Legislature is in the middle of a special session. School funding and property taxes are a topic of discussion. I'm not sure if there's anything that will come out of this special session, but we are all following along to see how the landscape may change from day-to-day.

Hear Mr. Fisher's full report HERE.

Please see above information item for rationale.

MOTION PASSED TO "TABLE" THE VOTE UNTIL SEPTEMBER TO ALLOW FOR THE BOARD TO HAVE AMPLE TIME TO REVIEW THE EOP: 8 - 0

Please see above information item for rationale.

MOTION PASSED TO "TABLE" THE VOTE UNTIL SEPTEMBER TO ALLOW FOR THE CITY TO FINISH REVIEWING AND SIGN-OFF ON THE MOU AS WELL: 8 - 0

Mr. Dan Petsch, GIPS Director of Grounds & Safety, and Mr. Paul Grieger, D.A. Davidson, shared an update on the QCPUF funding source last month.

During the current Legislative Session, the Unicameral passed new language authorizing "School Safety and Security Concerns" as qualified projects able to be funded through the QCPUF structure. GIPS has identified several projects in this area and proposes to issue Board of Education authorized debt within the ten year three cent level limitations.

Some of the projects include:

• Fire Alarm Updates at the Islander Annex
• Raptor Visitor Management System for our Middle Schools
• Adding Security Window Film to District Facilities
• And More

With this new QCPUF opportunity, the listed projects will have a timeline of being completed within the next two - three years. Previously, these projects were slated for a possible eight year timeline as part of the larger building projects list in the district.

This was shared as an information item at July's Board meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 8 - 0

Mr. Paul Grieger, D.A. Davidson, shared an update on a potential opportunity for the Board to consider regarding the GIPS Bond Fund debt last month.

Due to unique bond market circumstances there may be a special opportunity to save GIPS taxpayers by authorizing and participating in a bond fund tender offer refinancing. Projections indicate that bond interest rates may go down to about 2% in the coming months (they are currently in the 4-5% range). If that projection comes through, the district may be interested in refinancing Bond Fund debt in order to save the taxpayers more money by achieving a lower interest rate.

This was shared as an information item at July's Board meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 8 - 0

Please see above information item for rationale.

MOTION PASSED: 8 - 0

Please see above information item for rationale.

MOTION PASSED: 8 - 0

Regular review of an existing policy.

The only suggested edit would be to remove specifically listing "district nurse, nurse, doctor, or physician's assistant" in the policy and simply use the term "medical personnel".

This was shared as a first read at July's Board meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 8 - 0

Proposed update to an existing policy.

The intent of the policy would not change. One key update would include:

• Rather than measuring by “attending 95%” of days, it would be measured from a “10 days” per semester. That is when the process of reporting excessive absenteeism to the county attorney would start.
  
  
• The “10 days” per semester metric is consistent with the state statute.
  
  

This was shared as a first read at July's Board meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 7 - 1

Proposed update to an existing policy.

The only proposed addition would be to clarify the expectations of PECD use at Grand Island Senior High to be consistent with their current protocol. The wording would read:

"For Grand Island Senior High:

• Personal electronic devices will remain off and out of sight from 8:05-3:30 in all Grand Island Senior High buildings
• This includes classrooms as well as all common spaces (halls, bathroom, lunch rooms, etc.)
• This includes open blocks and open lunch
• Failure to abide by these expectations will result in personal electronic devices being confiscated by building administrators
• If a phone is confiscated, it will only be returned to a parent/guardian during the times of 4:00-4:30"

This was shared as a first read at July's Board meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 8 - 0

Update to an existing policy as mandated by the state.

Per newly approved legislation from Nebraska, a new section would be added to the "Weapons and Firearms in School" policy to clarify that National Guard of this state, or Reserve Officers Training Corps or peace officers or other duly authorized law enforcement officers or qualified retired law enforcement officers, as defined by and pursuant to state and federal law; when on duty or training may possess a firearm in schools. However, to ensure the safety and security of school premises, any such qualified individual, who is not in uniform, should promptly provide supporting documentation to the school administration of their firearm possession when the qualified individual arrives at a school facility.

This was shared as a first read at June's Board meeting. At July's Board meeting the motion was passed to "TABLE" the policy until August to have time to review details and issue questions to legal counsel.

MOTION PASSED: 8 - 0