Highlights of the September 9 Lincoln Board of Education and ESU 18 regular meetings

September 9, 2025

The Lincoln Board of Education and Educational Service Unit 18 held regular meetings on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 6:00 p.m. at the Lincoln Public Schools Steve Joel District Leadership Center, 5905 O Street.

Lincoln Board of Education

Special public hearing on 2025-2026 property tax request

A hearing in accordance with Nebraska law was held for the purpose of the 2025-2026 property tax request to fund the proposed 2025-2026 budget.  There were no community members who spoke during the hearing. 

Special reports, presentations and celebrations of success

Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools

Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools Director of Operations Angelina Cunning provided a quarterly update to the Board. 

A video was shown highlighting the Spark Summer Learning Program. The program was nine weeks over the summer with 125 campers each week from 48 different schools.  

In addition, Cunning shared that the Foundation distributed nearly $4 million to support district efforts, including $2.5 million for activity complexes, $90,000 for emergency relief for students and families and $63,000 to reduce student lunch debt.

The Foundation also awarded 20 scholarships, 75 students, 75 staff and 19 educators through recognition programs.  

In the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the Foundation has set a $3.2 million goal for fundraising, and will be hosting several events including the 10 year anniversary of The Career Academy this October.

You can watch a highlight of the Foundation’s presentation here. 

First reading

2025-26 Lincoln Public Schools budget adoption and tax request

LPS Associate Superintendent for Business Affairs Liz Standish provided a brief presentation about the budget process and highlighted the Board's work over the summer to develop the 2025-2026 LPS budget. 

Building the budget begins each February when LPS staff review every budget line item and look at student enrollment and needs to match staffing levels for each school building. The budget process this year also focused on aligning resources with priorities adopted with the 2024-2029 LPS Strategic Plan.

Staff salaries and benefits make up approximately 89% of the total 2025-2026 proposed budget. Each month, LPS pays approximately 6,500 employees a total of $30 million - money that pumps back into the Lincoln economy through the purchase of goods, services and property taxes.

The Board held first reading on the proposed 2025-2026 LPS Budget that includes an approximately 8.8 cent reduction in the total levy, bringing it to a historic low $1.02 per $100 in property valuation. LPS is also proposing a 3.63% increase in the expenditure budget to $558,739,610. More information about the LPS and ESU 18 budgets and the process can be found on the website: https://home.lps.org/budget.

The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next meeting.

Update Policy 3760: Safe Driving Record Standard for Drivers

The Board periodically reviews and revises policies to align with current practices or meet requirements set forth by local, state or federal laws and regulations.

Updates to policy 3760 reflect current practice and aligns with recent changes to state law that requires each person who operates a pupil transportation vehicle for the district meets all of the physical requirements and has a record of satisfactory driving.

The Board will hold a second reading on the policy updates and vote at the next regular meeting.

Northwest Activities Complex baseball field lighting project

LPS staff received bids on a baseball field lighting project at the Northwest Activities Complex. Staff recommended the lowest bid by IES Commercial Inc for the amount of $504,800.

The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next meeting.

Update Policies: 4000 series

The Board periodically reviews and revises policies to align with current practices or meet requirements set forth by local, state or federal laws and regulations.

Some of the revisions include:

• Policy 4000 has been updated to reflect that Employee Wellness is a function of the Human Resources Division.
• Policies 4210, 4300 and 4880 have been updated to include "military" as well as "veteran status" to comply with the Nebraska Fair Employment Practices Act to include "military" status as a protected class for certain individuals.
• Policy 4520 has been changed to reflect the current District practice of publishing a single Employee Handbook, rather than employee handbooks specific to employee groups.
• Policy 4640 has been changed to clarify that "[r]egular, dependable, in-person attendance is an essential function of every position in Lincoln Public Schools."
• Policy 4930 has been updated to eliminate outdated areas of emphasis for staff professional development. 

The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the revisions at the next meeting.

Woods Charitable Trust grant application

LPS staff would like to apply for the Woods Charitable grant to support its Success Through Responsibility, Initiative, Values and Education (STRIVE) tutor/mentor program for the 2025-26 school year. Through the work of an English Learner advocate, LPS contracts with college students and graduates who are bilingual in languages commonly spoken by EL students, who are then trained to provide tutoring and mentoring services with specific regard for the unique needs of students new to the country and to the English language. 

Due to application deadlines, the Board waived second reading and voted to approve the grant application.

Items removed from consent agenda

Appointment of John Skretta as LPS Superintendent

The Board pulled the appointment of John Skretta as LPS superintendent from the Consent Agenda for discussion and vote. 

Board President Bob Rauner said the last eight months gave the Board confidence in removing interim from the title and proposing the contract amendment, eliminating the need for a costly search process.

Other Board members weighed in during the meeting saying:

• Board member Barb Baier said, “You connect well with teachers, families and students. I joined you on a tour of McPhee Elementary recently and it's obvious that the teachers connect with you, that you are an instructional leader and they can turn to you. Thank you for your service, and I personally look forward to working with you over the next several years.”
• Board member Annie Mumgaard added, “We could do a search, we could spend the money and do the time. It takes a lot of time and money. One thing we are wise in knowing is that we didn’t need to. When you have the right one in front of you, you don’t need to look any further. I really think you epitomize our All Means All.”
• Board member Piyush Srivastav said, “I want to say how proud of the work Dr. Skretta has done since stepping in as interim superintendent back in January, and before that as associate superintendent in July 2024. In this short amount of time, the understanding and knowledge of LPS, the engagement he has shown is truly remarkable. I’ve seen how well he is connected with staff and students, he listens, he communicates clearly and he is present which is extremely important.”
• Board member Marilyn Johnson-Farr added, “It’s a good season to come to the Board new. Now with the interim title shortly removed, we got Dr. Skretta’s best, but now with the interim removed we can anticipate better.”
• Board member John Goodwin agreed with others saying, “They say there are two important days of a person’s life - the day they are born and the day they figure out why. Just the time we have spent together, I know you know the why of why you are on this earth. It is an honor and a privilege to work alongside you to make sure we are impacting lives in the community and the students of Lincoln Public Schools so the gift can be deployed to the world.”
• Board member Mara Krivohlavek finished the remarks by saying, “As a parent with three sons at LPS, how fortunate I feel as a Board member and as a parent to have you leading the district. What an incredibly exciting time. Thank you for your service.”

The superintendent’s salary for the 2025-2026 school year will remain the same as what Skretta was earning as interim superintendent at $333,720 per year. Any salary increase for the 2026-2027 school year will be considered and voted on at a later date by the Board in the normal annual cycle of determining pay increases in concert with determinations of annual salary and benefits determinations for all staff. The Board voted to approve a two-year contract. 

More information about Skretta’s appointment can be found on the LPS website.

Informational items and reports

Board Planning Committee update

Board Planning Committee chair Baier provided an update about a meeting earlier in the day. 

In May of 2024, the Board approved revising the 10-year plan to include a new 47,000-square-foot facility at the Yankee Hill Education Center site. The new space will house Yankee Hill Education Center, High School Student Support Program, and the High School Transition Program. The current Yankee Hill facility will then house the Independent Success Program for grades K-12.

Staff are moving on to the next stage of planning the facility. The Board was given a copy of the prepared Schematic Design Booklet. The facility design included input from students, families, staff and community organizations.

LPS is also seeking an annexation which will be before the Lancaster County Planning commission on September 17.

The new facility will be ready for the 2027-2028 school year. 

The Career Academy

Board member Mumgaard also provided an update from the joint TCA Board. In collaboration with the Foundation for LPS, there will be a 10-year celebration and fundraiser event for TCA on October 30. 

Mumgaard also shared that enrollment is at a record high this semester with 797 students. Additional students are planned to join in the spring semester to boost it over 800.

Superintendent update

As part of the Superintendent update, Skretta thanked Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools Director of Operations Angelina Cunning for the update on the continued collaboration between LPS and the Foundation. 

Skretta also thanked the Board for their confidence in appointing him as superintendent.

“This is a great Board anchored in mission and purpose to ensure that every LPS student thrives,” Skretta added. “Lincoln Public Schools is a destination district. The fact that I get to do this work and get to continue this work energizes and excites me, and I see that same love of learning and doing reflected in our LPS team members.  I look forward to continuing our work to fully realize our mission of ensuring that every student is prepared for successful careers, lifelong learning and civic engagement. We know we have the team to get it done.”

Public comment

There were no individuals that addressed the Board during the public comment period.

Glimpses of LPS

We open every Board meeting with a video that highlights LPS. Tuesday’s Glimpses featured Aracely Acosta, music teacher at Elliott Elementary in the latest Classroom Calling.

Education Service Unit 18

The Educational Service Unit 18 met for its regular meeting immediately following the Lincoln Board of Education meeting. 

ESU budget adoption and property tax request

The ESU Board held a public hearing on the ESU property tax request in accordance with Nebraska Law to fund the 2025-2026 proposed budget. No individuals from the community addressed the board during the hearing.

Standish then gave a brief presentation on the ESU Budget and property tax request. Highlights from the presentation include:

• Increases for salaries, benefits and contracted services to account for negotiated increases.
• Adjustments to the Pathfinder Program increasing contracted services.
• Increase in budget authority to account for Nebraska Department of Education grants to LPS and private schools run through the ESU.

The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next meeting on the proposed flat levy of $0.015, with a budget proposal of $21,685,252

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