Highlights of the 6/27 Lincoln Board of Education and ESU 18 regular meetings
A work session for the purpose of reviewing the preliminary proposed 2023-24 budget was held at 4:30 p.m. prior to the regular meeting. You can read the full summary and watch the video here.
The Lincoln Board of Education met for its regular meeting on Tuesday, June 27, at the Lincoln Public Schools Steve Joel District Leadership Center, 5905 O Street. The full meeting video and a summary are below. The ESU 18 meeting happened immediately after.
Regular Board of Education Meeting
Special reports, presentations and celebrations of success
Strategic Plan Update by District Management Group
The District Management Group (DMG) is working with the Board and staff to develop the school district’s next strategic plan. The group shared an update with the Board on the process and next steps.
The first phase which includes conducting interviews and focus groups and analyzing existing data is nearing completion. Phase II will take place over the next couple of months where a preliminary proposed strategic plan will be drafted and presented to the community and various stakeholders for feedback.
More information about upcoming feedback sessions on the preliminary proposed strategic plan will be communicated once they are established.
First reading
Newly annexed property to the City of Lincoln
The Board of Education 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 recently annexed area of 70th & Pine Lake to 84th & Yankee Hill will be assigned to Maxey Elementary, Moore Middle School and Standing Bear High School.
The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the assignment at the next meeting.
Policy revisions and updates
Several policy series were reviewed to address recent changes in legislation and to address the new organizational structure as approved during the June 13, 2023 meeting.
You can review the proposed revisions here:
The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the proposed changes at the next meeting.
Full-Service Community Schools Grant
The federal Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) program provides support for the planning, implementation and operation of full-service community schools that improve the coordination, integration, accessibility, and effectiveness of services for children and families, particularly for children attending high-poverty schools. Community school strategies hold considerable promise for creating good schools for all students, but especially for those living in poverty. This is of particular relevance in the face of achievement and opportunity gaps.
LPS is developing a proposal in response to this opportunity that will include a pipeline of elementary to middle to high school, using district and community data to inform program design. Existing Community Learning Center partners will be involved in the planning process, and in the administration and implementation of the entire five-year program. Program services must include academic, non-academic, health, mental health and other strategies to support the needs of students, families and community residents.
Grant funds will support a broad range of items, including a required full-time coordinator at each school, a full-time navigator to work with school nurses to identify and assist students and families without health care coverage or a medical home to secure these services in the community, expanded community-based contracts for school-based therapy during non-school hours, and other expanded school-based services during non-school and summer hours.
The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the grant application for up to $2.5 million at the next meeting.
Stronger Connections Grant to Nebraska Department of Education
LPS is developing an application for Stronger Connections Grant funding through State Educational Agencies, which will support programming for three consecutive years. Proposed programming will include professional learning, coaching, and continual support for implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and Restorative Practices (RP) in LPS. The implementation of both strategies provides an evidence-based framework for integration of prevention and tiered intervention with data-based problem-solving to meet the academic and behavioral needs of students. Implementation of Restorative Practices is also centered around reducing overall suspensions and disproportionality.
In addition, grant funding will provide school-based therapy through community-based mental health partner agencies.
The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the grant application for $1.5 million at the next meeting.
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grant
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is the primary piece of federal legislation dealing with the education of homeless children. This program addresses the problems that homeless children face in enrolling, attending and succeeding in school. Under this program, state and local educational agencies ensure that homeless children have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education - including a public preschool education - as other children. States and school districts are required to review and undertake steps to revise laws, regulations, practices or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance or success in school.
The LPS homeless outreach coordinator position works with families experiencing homelessness to arrange transportation services for children to attend school. They also work with families to provide other supports that create a more stable environment for children experiencing homelessness. LPS will use funds received through the McKinney-Vento Act to continue to support the salary of the homeless outreach coordinator and to pay transportation costs for homeless children to attend school.
The Board discussed the submission of the McKinney-Vento Grant application for approximately $53,000, with the final allocation to be determined by the State of Nebraska after submission and dependent upon grants awarded to other applicants. This grant requires a 100 percent match from Title I allocated to LPS. Title I funds have been used in past years to cover the required match.
The Board will hold a second reading and vote on the grant application at the next meeting.
Second reading
Proposed compensation for the superintendent of schools
The Board recently completed the two required formal evaluations for a first-year superintendent, and annually reviews the contract. After his first year, the Board reviewed a contract extension with a proposed compensation increase.
The recommended salary for the superintendent for the 2023-24 year would be: $333,720. That amount represents a salary increase of three percent from the previous year.
It is the practice of LPS to be open and transparent by posting the contracts for the superintendent position when the contracts are considered by the Lincoln Board of Education. The public can view the contract and supporting documentation on the LPS website here: https://home.lps.org/superintendent/contracts.
The Board voted to approve the contract.
Contract and appointment of the ESU 18 unit administrator
Annually, the Board appoints and reviews the contract of the ESU 18 unit administrator. It is recommended that the Board appoints Takako Olson to be the ESU 18 unit administrator effective July 1, 2023. Olson will continue to serve as the LPS Curriculum and Instruction Director, a position she has held since 2017.
The recommended salary for the ESU 18 Unit Administrator for the 2023-24 year would be: $80,000.
It is the practice of LPS to be open and transparent by posting the contracts for the superintendent position when the contracts are considered by the Lincoln Board of Education. The public can view the contract and supporting documentation on the LPS website here: https://home.lps.org/superintendent/contracts.
The Board voted to approve the contract.
Policy 6000 series updates and revisions
Periodically, a policy series is reviewed in order to address changes in legislation or regulation from the state or federal government or to bring policy in line with current practice or intent of the Board. During the 2022-23 school year, the policy 6000 series was reviewed by staff to bring the policies in line with current practice, address changes in administrative structure and add clarity.
The changes to the policies can be previewed here.
The Board voted to approve the changes.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Proposals were requested from interested vendors to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to be delivered to all cafeterias as needed during the next school year, with option for renewal for two additional school years.
It is recommended the bid be awarded to Greenberg Fruit Co., Inc. out of Omaha for an estimated $750,000 annually.
The Board voted to approve the agreement.
Superintendent Update
Associate Superintendent for Instruction Matt Larson took a moment during the meeting to recognize two retiring instructional directors.
Leslie Eastman has served Lincoln Public Schools and ESU18 in Assessment and Evaluation since 1996. She was an assessment specialist until 2004 when Eastman was named to the director position. Prior to her work at LPS, Eastman was the director of assessment for the Kansas City Missouri School District, and an assistant professor in educational psychology for the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Linda Hix has served the students and families of LPS as the director of Federal Programs since 2014. She kicked off her education career at Wegner Middle School in Boys Town as a teacher and then a principal until 1995 when she moved to Waverly. There she served as an elementary principal until being named Pershing Elementary principal in 1998. Hix was the principal at Scott Middle School from 2002-2009 until she was selected to open Schoo Middle School located in the Fallbrook neighborhood in north Lincoln. After three years at Schoo, Hix moved into the supervisor of secondary personnel services position working in the LPS HR department before taking over the role in Federal Programs in 2014.
LPS Superintendent Paul Gausman also took a moment to recognize and congratulate Eastman and Hix during his update.
Gausman also took a moment to highlight the accomplishments of the graduating class of 2023. This senior class had 2,817 graduates, 1,363 of them enrolled in Advance Placement and honors courses. Most notable, there were nine National Merit Scholarship Finalists and six students attained a perfect ACT score - one student achieving it twice!
Public comment
There were two individuals that addressed the Board during public comment. You can watch the public comment as part of the full meeting video here.
Glimpses of LPS
We open every Board meeting with a video that highlights Lincoln Public Schools. Tuesday’s Glimpses featured Independence Academy students learning how to make walking tacos during a summer class.
ESU 18 Regular Meeting
The Educational Service Unit 18 met for a regular meeting on Tuesday, June 27, at the Lincoln Public Schools Steve Joel District Leadership Center, 5905 O Street immediately following the Lincoln Board of Education Meeting.
First reading
Agreement with NDE for SNRP for Hearing Impaired Students
The Board considered the annual agreement between ESU 18 and the Nebraska Department of Education to plan, coordinate and provide network enrichment activities for children who are deaf and hard of hearing in other ESU geographical areas.
The Board waived second reading and voted to approve the agreement because of the required start date of July 1, 2023.
Second Reading
Administrator contract
Annually, the Board appoints and reviews the contract of the ESU 18 unit administrator. It is recommended that the Board appoints Takako Olson to be the ESU 18 unit administrator effective July 1, 2023. Olson will continue to serve as the LPS Curriculum and Instruction Director, a position she has held since 2017.
The recommended salary for the ESU 18 Unit Administrator for the 2023-24 year would be: $80,000.
It is the practice of LPS to be open and transparent by posting the contracts for the superintendent position when the contracts are considered by the Lincoln Board of Education. The public can view the proposed contract and supporting documentation on the LPS website here: https://home.lps.org/superintendent/contracts.
The Board voted to approve the appointment and contract.
Interlocal Agreement with Lancaster County for Educational Services to the Youth Services Center
The Board held a second reading and voted to approve the annual agreement between ESU 18 and the Lancaster County Youth Services Center to provide educational services to youth who are detained in the center. As part of the agreement, the Youth Services Center provides the appropriate space, time and reasonable staff support to assist ESU 18 in the performance of the educational services to be provided.
Published: June 27, 2023, Updated: June 28, 2023
