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 January 2025 Regular Board Meeting.

• Agenda
• Video Stream
• All Board members were present.

The friendly competition provides students from all grades (Preschool - High School) to create and submit original holiday themed artwork. Each year submissions are gathered, and the district office selects (by vote) three finalists (one Elementary, one Middle School, one High School) to be recognized with one overall winner selected by the Superintendent. The overall winning artwork is printed on the cover of the annual GIPS Holiday Card. This holiday season, the district office received over 1,300 submissions from students!

GIPS recognized the three finalists and overall winner for the 2024-25 Superintendent Holiday Card Contest:

• Lennon Tjaden, 4th Grade - Newell Elementary (Overall Winner)
• Cintia Betancourt Perez, 8th Grade - Barr Middle School (Middle School Finalist)
• Hendry Morales Gonzalez, 10th Grade - GISH (High School Finalist)

Congratulations Student Artists!

The newly-elected and reelected board members were sworn-in as members of the Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education. As a group they took the Oath of Office officially joining the Board.

The newest additions to the GIPS Board of Education are:

• Donna Douglass - Ward A
• Tracy Goodman - Ward B

The GIPS Board Members reelected are:

• Lisa Albers - Ward B
• Josh Hawley - Ward C

Thank you, new members, for your leadership!

The Board operates with two internally elected officers of President and Vice President.

Here is what the process looks like:

• Nominations were called for by oral ballot.
• Voting was conducted by written ballot.
• Motions were made and accepted for the Board President and V.P. officers.

The GIPS Board President will be Hank McFarland who was re-elected with a voting margin of (5-4).

GIPS Board Vice President will be Josh Hawley who was re-elected with a voting margin of (7-2).

Mr. Paul Grieger with D.A. Davidson and Mike Rogers with Gilmore & Bell reviewed the results of December 16, 2024 Grand Island Public Schools $12.97M Bond Fund refinancing via a "Tender Offer." This refinancing method was made possible by a unique set of current market conditions and is not typically available.

The district achieved a successful refinancing with a twenty-nine percent participation rate, which was only one percent below the best-case projected scenario of thirty percent participation. Overall, the district saved Grand Island Public Schools taxpayers just over $1.3 million by taking advantage of this unique refinancing opportunity. Additionally, since 2008 the district's refinancing efforts have saved Grand Island Public Schools taxpayers just over $10.3 million dollars.

Hear Mr. Grieger's full presentation HERE.

Mr. Dan Petsch, GIPS Director of Buildings, Grounds, & Safety, shared an annual update on the list of projects selected for completion at GIPS buildings during the fiscal year of 2024-2025.

Each project will be approved via normal business processes and procedures.

Highlights of the project list include:

• Security Camera upgrades at GISH, Memorial Stadium, Success Academy, CPI, Engleman, Newell, Shoemaker, West Lawn, Westridge, Walnut, Dodge, & Starr.
• Updated phones and network rewiring at Newell, West Lawn, Walnut, & Westridge.
• Window safety film installation at all district buildings.
• Replace flooring at Lincoln Elementary.
• Replace HVAC and boiler at Westridge.
• Replace roof at GISH and Wasmer Elementary.
• Fire Alarm upgrades at the Islander Annex.
• Resurface tracks at Barr, Walnut, & Westridge.
• Replace boiler at Dodge Elementary.
• Door hardware upgrades at Shoemaker, Newell, West Lawn, & Knickrehm.
• And more.

Hear Mr. Petsch's full presentation HERE.

Mr. Fisher shared the latest installment of district policy reviews and proposed updates. Descriptions of the proposals may be found immediately below.

Hear Mr. Fisher's full presentation on policies HERE.

Regular review of an existing policy.

The only proposed change would be to update the "Executive Director of Business" job title to the "Chief Financial Officer".

This was shared as a first read item and will be an Action Item at the February Board meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Proposed updates would include tweaking the verbiage to be more consistent with our current operational protocols. Also would propose changing the job title of "Executive Director of Business" to the "Chief Financial Officer".

This was shared as a first read item and will be an Action Item at the February Board Meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Two proposed changes would include:

• Remove the "The" clarifier before the phrase "Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education".
• Remove the last sentence regarding "pupil accounting" as it does not apply to "financial accounting" for the district.

This was shared as a first read item and will be an Action Item at the February Board Meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

No changes are being proposed at this time.

This was shared as a first read item and will be an Action Item at the February Board Meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Two proposed changes would include:

• Remove the "The" clarifier before the phrase "Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education".
• Change the job title of "Executive Director of Business" to the "Chief Financial Officer".

This was shared as a first read item and will be an Action Item at the February Board Meeting.

Regular review of an existing policy.

Two proposed changes would include:

• Remove the "The" clarifier before the phrase "Grand Island Public Schools Board of Education".
• Add a component that the Board may identify a "designee" that may approve any proposed advertising agreement rather than the responsibility being solely up to the Board. This change would be more reflective of the current operating practice.

This was shared as a first read item and will be an Action Item at the February Board Meeting.

Matt Fisher, GIPS Superintendent, shared an update from the Grand Island Public Schools Foundation.

Highlights of the report included:

1. The Foundation’s online scholarship application went “live” on December 1. Students will be able to apply for 205 scholarships through this one application. The application is due February 5, 2025.
   
   
2. At their January Board Meeting, the Foundation Board will induct new board members Jennifer Worthington, Robert Alexander, and Yetzy Bermudez. We will say goodbye to board members Tom Bednar, Zach Butz, and Roger Schmidt. We appreciate their service! Additionally, the Foundation hosted a new board member orientation session on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
   
   
3. The Foundation is gearing up for a busy spring. The Annual Staff Campaign will begin in March and Scholarship Review will begin in late February. Anyone who would like to volunteer to be part of the scholarship review is welcome as long as he/she is not related to a GISH Senior this year.
   
   
4. The Foundation Board will have the following business before them at their January 15, 2025 Meeting:

• Board Leadership change for 2025
• 2025 Grant/Scholarship Distribution percentage from invested funds

Hear the full Foundation report HERE.

Owen Williams, GISH Senior, was elected by his peers to represent them on the Board of Education as a Student Representative. At each Board Meeting, Owen shares a student report.

Highlights from Owen's report include:

ACTIVITIES

• Boys & Girls Wrestling completed a sweep of rival Kearney.

• Girls Basketball Reserves Team is 6-2 so far this season!

• The Islander Powerlifting raffle is completely funded.

• 10 Powerlifting competitors have already qualified for nationals.

• GISH Speech Team starts practicing this week.

• GISH Athletic Hall of Fame Festivities are this weekend.

• GISH Show Choir Premiere Night is coming up Sunday, January 19th.

• Includes the Islander Jr. Show Choir Camp

• NSAA Academic All-State recognized 15 GISH Students.
  
  

STAFF SHOUT-OUT:

• STAFF SHOUT-OUT: Islander Power Strength & Conditioning Coaching Staff

• Coach Doyle, Anderson, & Olmstead
  
  

Hear Owen's full report HERE.

Mr. Fisher shared a Superintendent Report with the Board.

• Our big news is we’re back in school now!
  
  
• Had a chance to get to a bunch of our buildings the last two days and there’s great energy starting off the second semester. A number of staff members said it was nice to have the length of break they had to feel refreshed.
  
  
• Lots of activities are going on at the high school and around the district.
  
  
• Middle Schools are in that transition phase between basketball and wrestling.
  
  
• We’re continuing our work on the district’s next Strategic Plan. We’re asking ourselves: What needs to be in the plan to establish a North Star Learner Profile and to achieve our 80-90-100 goals we’ll be sharing. Our intention is to work with our L4L department and our school Principals soon to collaborate on those details.
  
  
• NASB Legislation Conference is coming up. It’s a good conference for getting a good sense of what’s coming-up in the legislative session.
  
  
• GNSA meeting is coming-up on the 15th. Another opportunity for gaining insight into legislation as well as have some face-time with Senators.

Hear Mr. Fisher's full report HERE.

Mr. Virgil Harden, GIPS CFO, shared the annual request for the Grand Island Education Association (GIEA) to be recognized as the bargaining unit for the upcoming school year (2025-26).

This process takes place each year and is part of the standard operating protocol for the district and GIEA. Part of the protocol includes having formal Board recognition and approval.

This was shared as an information item at December's Board Meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

Dr. Summer Stephens, GIPS Associate Superintendent, shared a proposal for the GIPS Academic Calendar for the 2025-26 school year.

The GIPS Calendar committee meets regularly in the Fall (starting in September) of each school year to begin the work of mapping out the upcoming school year calendar. The committee includes one representative from each school, as well as representatives from the following groups: GIEA, Administrators, Leading for Learning Department, Special Education, Success Academy, Early Learning Center, Activities (GISH & Middle Schools), and the Board of Education.

Common questions raised regarding the calendar this year are:

• Secondary start and end times
• Creating calendars for multiple years at a time
• Professional learning on Fridays vs Mondays
• early dismissal before Winter Break

This was shared as an information item at December's Board Meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

Regular review of an existing policy.

The recommendation is to remove this policy all together and combine it, instead, with the above mentioned "Annual Operating Budget - 4210" policy.

This was shared as an information item at December's Board Meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

Regular review of an existing policy.

The recommendations would be to amend this policy to include some of the components in the above mentioned "Annual Operating Budget - 4210" policy.

Also, the amended policy would specify that "the Superintendent shall make the tentative budget available for public inspection and arrange for a public hearing on the tentative budget as required by law."

This was shared as an information item at December's Board Meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

Regular review on an existing policy.

The only recommended change would be to remove the word "The" before "Grand Island Public Schools.

This was shared as an information item at December's Board Meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0

Regular review of an existing policy.

Proposed changes would include:

• Adding cybersecurity as a preventative measure as this policy was mainly drafted before internet security was a widespread area of focus.
• Update the "control system procedures" language to read "implement a control system to ensure safeguards for preventing property loss, damage, or theft".
• Add the component stating: "All equipment, whether acquired in whole or in part under a federal award, with a current fair market value of $10,000 or less (per unit) may be retained, sold, or otherwise disposed of in accordance with the Board's Sale and Disposal of Property policy."

This was shared as an information item at December's Board Meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 9 - 0