Highlights of 9/8 Board of Education Regular Meeting and ESU 18 Board Regular Meeting

Board of Education Regular Meeting

The Lincoln Board of Education met for a regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the Lincoln Public Schools District Office, 5905 O St.

To watch the full video, click here.

Presentation: Remote learning

Kristi Peters, LPS ed tech and training coordinator, and Sarah Salem, LPS director of continuous improvement & professional learning, gave a presentation about remote learning and all of the supports and resources offered to educators, students and families. They also spoke about the amazing work being done by teachers to engage students via Zoom.

First Reading

Official property tax request

The Lincoln Board of Education held a first reading of the official property tax request to fund the 2020-2021 budget. The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next meeting. This will be the last, necessary step in officially finalizing the 2020-21 budget and is a routine step in the process.

A public hearing on the official property tax request was held at the beginning of the meeting. No citizens spoke at the hearing.

Nebraska Environmental Trust Grant application

Every year the Nebraska Environmental Trust invites grant proposals from across Nebraska to request financial support for innovative ideas that bring public and private partners together to implement high-quality, cost-effective projects. LPS has developed a three-year grant proposal, “School Campus as a Teaching Tool: LPS New High Schools,” that includes plans for renewable energy, outdoor classrooms, a greenhouse, an online building performance dashboard, vegetative roof, wetlands enhancement, and environmental education displays and resources. 

As part of the proposal, LPS would partner with Lincoln Electric System, City of Lincoln Solid Waste Management, and Lower Platte South Natural Resource District.

The Board waived second reading and approved the submission of the grant application, which requests funding for up to $1.2 million for a 36-month period. No match is required.

The grant application is due Sept 8, 2020. Notification of awards will be given in April 2021.

Construction bids for new northwest high school

The Board waived second reading and approved a number of bids for the new high school currently under construction in northwest Lincoln.

The projects and approved bids are as follows:

Masonry Package: Midwest Masonry, Inc. (Lincoln) - $8,381,000

Utilities Package: K-2 Construction (Lincoln) - $1,390,000

Hoisting Package: Patriot Steel & Erection, LLC (Omaha) - $875,820

Steel & Precast Package: Patriot Steel Erection, LLC, (Omaha) - $2,181,157.62

Hollowcore & Double Tees: Concrete Industries, Inc. (Lincoln) - $406,000

All of the approved bids were the lowest submitted. In the case of the Hollowcore & Double Tees project, there was only one bid submitted.

The high school is being paid for with funds from the 2020 Bond Fund, approved by voters in February.

Second Reading

LPS 2020-21 Budget

The Board voted to approve the school district’s 2020-21 budget. The budget is $460.4 million, an expenditure increase of less than one-half percent. The budget provides no increase in the overall property tax levy and a continued emphasis on student needs, including an increase in funding for Early Childhood Education and school counselors. The budget minimized reductions to the Multicultural and Equity Office and Special Education Department.

There were two public forums, along with a series of work sessions in June and July. A public hearing was held Aug. 24.

School attendance areas for newly annexed property

The Board assigns school attendance areas to property newly annexed to the City of Lincoln.   This action establishes school attendance areas prior to the sale of residential lots, allowing purchasers to know what schools their children will attend. The City of Lincoln has annexed two parcels of land, which automatically brings this property into the district of Lincoln Public Schools.

The schools assigned to the annexation of the new high school site near 70th St. and Saltillo Road for the 2020-21 school year are Wysong Elementary School, Moore Middle School and East High School. 

The schools assigned to Iron Ridge PUD for the 2020-21 school year are Adams Elementary School, Moore Middle School and Southwest High School.

The Board voted to approve the attendance areas.

Public Comment

There were five citizens who addressed the Board during Public Comment. You can view the full video of the meeting that includes public comment here.

Closed Session

The Board went into closed session to discuss litigation.

Glimpses of LPS

We open every Board meeting with a video that highlights the amazing things taking place in our schools. Tonight’s video featured a custodian from West Lincoln Elementary School, whose family roots run deep in the school and surrounding neighborhood.

You can view the full Glimpses here.

Education Service Unit 18 Regular Meeting

Following the Lincoln Board of Education meeting, the Educational Service Unit 18 Board held a regular meeting. The ESU 18 Board voted to approve its 2020-21 budget.

ESU 18’s 2020-21 budget totals $14,892,001, a decrease of $354,610 from 2019-20. 

ESU 18 is funded through a variety of sources, including property taxes, state aid, Federal Programs and interlocal agreements. ESU 18 funds a variety of programs to enhance education for LPS students, including these major areas:

• Ongoing leadership coaching for principals

• Access to technology for students and staff

• Information management

• Large scale state and district assessments

• Data analysis

• School improvement planning

• Professional learning

• Student access to high quality library and media resources, both online and in print 

The Board also held a first reading of the official property tax request to fund the 2020-21 ESU 18 budget. The Board will hold a second reading and vote at the next meeting. At the beginning of the meeting, the Board held a public hearing on the property tax request. No citizens spoke.

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