Highlights: 6/14 Lincoln Board of Education and ESU 18 Regular Meetings

Lincoln Board of Education Regular Meeting

The Lincoln Board of Education met for a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 24, at the Lincoln Public Schools District Office, 5905 O St. You can watch a video of the full meeting and the ESU 18 meeting held immediately following below.

First reading

Policy 1112 – Community Relations – Advertising

The Board Planning Committee has been reviewing various facility policies and regulations surrounding facility advertising and signage, and the naming of specific LPS facilities in light of the Union Bank and Trust gift that will be considered by the Board later in the agenda.

The Board will hold a second reading of the policy changes and review regulation updates at the next Board meeting prior to voting.

District Office to be renamed to honor Superintendent Steve Joel

The Planning Committee had an additional recommendation for Board consideration related to naming district facilities. The Board Planning Committee recommended the renaming of the District Office building located at 5905 O Street to honor Superintendent Steve Joel. A formal name proposal will be announced and considered for action during the June 28 Board meeting. This will be Joel’s last meeting as superintendent.

Planning Committee chair Bob Rauner said during his comments, “Dr. Joel served as an extraordinary superintendent during undoubtedly extraordinary times. A fire completely destroyed the District Office at the end of his first year as Superintendent. He is closing out his career after facing a global pandemic. There is so much amazing work that occurred during his 12 years of service. Under Dr. Joel’s leadership, the district passed two bond issues, adopted a major technology initiative, advanced the district work on equity and the list goes on.”

Joel’s family was in attendance as part of the surprise for the superintendent. You can view the entire presentation and the Board members' comments on the decision below.

 

Policy 5000 Series - Student Services, and Policy 6740 - Instructional Program

Policy series are reviewed periodically in order to address changes in legislation or regulation from state or federal governments, or to bring policy in line with current practice or intent of the Board. During the 2021-2022 school year, the 5000 Policy Series was first reviewed by the Instructional Directors through the lens of equity with an eye at looking at ways policies could be more inclusive and reflect the district’s commitment to equity. The Board Student Learning and Technology Committee then spent significant time reviewing those recommendations and is recommending a number of changes.

Policy 6740 is included in this set of proposed revisions as Policy 5480 and 6740 were both revised to reflect the inclusion of language surrounding Good Sportsmanship.

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

Lincoln Northwest Stadium Gift and Recognition Agreement with Union Bank & Trust Company

The Board is considering a gift of $1.5 million from Union Bank & Trust. As part of accepting the gift, a 20-year agreement was drafted to include naming the stadium located near the new Northwest High School as Union Bank Stadium. Signage in and around the stadium at the activities complex will include the name Union Bank Stadium.

As part of the $290 million bond referendum passed by Lincoln voters in 2020, the Lincoln Board of Education invested $15.4 into phase one of upgrading practice fields at existing high schools and building two new activity complexes at the new high schools. To bring the two new activity complexes up to a premier level, LPS is looking for community partnerships to help with funding.

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

Second reading

School Meal Prices 2022-23

The Lincoln Public Schools Nutrition Services Department operates a school meal program that provides breakfast and lunch meals to LPS schools.  Annually, the Board of Education reviews and approves school breakfast and lunch prices.

To help offset the rising cost of food, staff have proposed raising lunch prices five cents. Breakfast prices will remain the same. There will not be an increase to those who qualify for Free and Reduced meals.

The proposed fees for 2022-2023 are as follows:
Elementary School Lunch
Full price $2.50
Reduced $0.40
Adult/non-student $4.00
Second lunch $4.00

Middle School Lunch
Full price $2.70
Reduced $0.40
Adult/non-student $4.00
Second lunch $4.00

High School Lunch
Full price $2.85
Reduced $0.40
Adult/non-student $4.30
Second lunch $4.30

Breakfast
Elementary full price $1.30
Secondary full price $1.50
Reduced $0.30
Adult/non-student $2.50
Second breakfast $2.50

The Board voted to approve the proposal.

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 proposal assigns the newly annexed area of Salt Bank Business Park for 2021-22 school year to Norwood Park Elementary, Dawes Middle School, and Northeast High Schools.

The Board voted to approve the proposal.

Hytera Radios for Elementary Schools

Lincoln Public Schools received a three-year grant to purchase two-way radios and accessories to be used at elementary schools. Staff recommend the lowest bid by Shaffer Communications Inc for a total of $510,600 over three years.

The Board voted to approve the proposal.

Proposed 2022-2023 Pay Rates for Substitute and Miscellaneous Employees

As part of the annual process, the proposed 2022-2023 pay rates for substitute and miscellaneous employees was brought before the Board. Generally, the recommended salary increases range from no increase to a 3.7 percent increase depending on the employee group. A few intramural related positions have a higher increase due to challenging market conditions. The determination of what salary to recommend is made in conjunction with the supervisor of that employee group and an assessment of the availability of candidates for the positions. The proposed rates can be viewed here.

The Board voted to approve the proposal.

Public comment

There were 8 individuals that addressed the Board during public comment. You can watch the public comments in the full meeting video here.

Glimpses of LPS

We open every Board meeting with a video that highlights the amazing things taking place in our school district. Tuesday’s video featured highlights from graduation ceremony speeches. You can watch the Glimpses below.

ESU 18 Regular Meeting

The Educational Service Unit 13 met for a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 24, at the Lincoln Public Schools District Office, 5905 O Street immediately following the Lincoln Board of Education Meeting.

First reading

Interlocal Agreement with Lancaster County for Educational Services to the Youth Services Center

Each year, the ESU 18 Board approves an interlocal agreement with Lancaster County to offer services at the Lancaster County Youth Services Center. The Pathfinder Program provides educational services and classes to youth detained at the center.

The County agrees to reimburse ESU 18 for all expenses incurred in providing such services pursuant to the agreement, however, that the amount of such reimbursements shall not exceed $909,970.00.

The ESU 18 Board will hold a second reading and approve the annual agreement at the next meeting.

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