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Meeting Minutes
NORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT
160
Board of Education
Thursday, March 15, 2010
Regular Meeting
Central Office Board Room
The regular meeting of
the Norris School District 160 Board of Education was convened in open and
public session at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, 2010, in the Central Office
Board Room. Board members present: Patty Bentzinger, Jim Craig, Craig Gana, Tony
Glenn, Larry Grosshans, Jim Kruger.
Administrators present: Superintendent Dr. Roy Baker, Assistant Superintendent
Dr. John Skretta, Elementary Principal Dr. Bob Brandt, Elementary Assistant
Principal Mr. Matt Rice.
Superintendent’s report
Dr. Baker presented information on the following items:
Upcoming dates, events: April 8, 7:30 p.m.: April Board meeting; May 13th, 7:30
p.m.: May Board meeting.
Board Retreat date was established as April 29th 6-9 p.m. Board Retreat in the
Norris Board Room. It was noted that the April or May meeting will include a
budget amendment to accommodate the refunding of bonds that transpired in the
fall.
Personnel: Mert Rademacher, Title I Math (34 years at Norris), has submitted
early retirement incentive program application.
Retirement resignations: Nancy Martin, MS-HS Media Specialist, will be retiring
after 26 years at Norris.
Pat Severson, Elementary Paraprofessional, will be retiring after 37 years with
Norris.
Tamera Belew is our Deaf and Hard of Hearing educator and submitted her
resignation so that she could accompany her husband on missionary work in Spain.
Brian Maschmann has been hired as Assistant Superintendent to begin July 1.
Brian is the current Superintendent of the Sutherland district, a position he
has held since 2007. Dr. Skretta described Brian’s qualifications to the Board
and the candidate selection and interview process.
Skid Loader lease: The school has an arrangement for the lease of a Caterpillar
skid loader for $2,500 per year. Approval of the renewal of the agreement with
Omaha Machinery will enable the school to continue with the program.
State Aid certification: Dr. Baker conducted a review of state aid and its
components. The state aid certified for 2010-11 is $6,921,013 compared to
$6,552,514 for the current school year. However, the state aid 2010-11 includes
$990,585 in Federal State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, which will not be in
existence for the 2011-12 fiscal year. State Aid for the 2011-12 school year
will thus likely be in the neighborhood of $6,000,000. While the 2010-11 budget
will not be finalized until September of 2010, Dr. Baker indicated that he and
Dr. Skretta will have the line item budget completed by June 30, Dr. Baker’s
last day. Dr. Baker advised Dr. Skretta and the Board to consider the following
principles to keep the Norris School District on as even a keel as possible over
the next three years:
1. The 2010-11 overall budget should be no higher than the 2009-10 budget. That
can be accomplished through some reduction in the supplies and equipment
portions of the budget. All classrooms will be supplied the same as at present,
but new items would not be purchased unless essential. Kindergarten enrollment
is down 20 for next year, so one teacher and one para will not be replaced. One
Title I position may not be replaced.
2. The District has been able to operate with the lowest property tax rate
possible without losing dollar for dollar in equalization aid. While the
property tax rate has remained stable, that does not mean that individual
taxpayers have not seen property tax increases: property valuations have risen
considerable over the past ten years, part due to growth, but part due to
increase in taxable valuation of existing property.
Dr. Baker advised Dr. Skretta and the Board to increase the property tax from
$0.95 to $0.975 for 2010-11, assuming a 2% increase in taxable valuation. The
taxable valuation figure will not be known until August 20. A higher than 2%
increase in taxable valuation might reduce the need to raise the tax rate.
The budget for 2010-11 would be held to the same level as the current year, and
the additional state aid and property tax increased revenue should be put in
cash reserve. The extra cash reserve will help smooth the transition to the drop
in state aid for 2011-12 and 2012-13. Assuming again a 2% property tax valuation
increase for the following year, 2011-12, it may be necessary to raise the
property tax rate to $1.00. Again, valuation increases greater than 2% would
mitigate the need to increase the tax rate.
3. Norris staff members are well-paid compared to their peers in comparable
schools. During the upcoming austerity, until the economy recovers, the District
will not be in good position to grant the increases seen over the last decade.
The same will be true in most school districts in Nebraska and across the
country. Austere times are ahead for the Norris District, but with careful
planning, the district may avoid the calamitous staffing reductions which have
befallen many other districts in neighboring states that are now impacting many
Nebraska school districts.
Action and report items
The consent items were approved by unanimous consent, including the
authorization of the lease of the Caterpillar skid loader for one year for
$2,500.
Music department personnel presented their program report, including Ann
Mitchell, Becky Wilhelm, Jesse Andre, and Dr. Evan Lee. The music department
showed interdisciplinary connections and the use of various evaluation tools
including state judging criteria and self-assessment.
Industrial Technology personnel presented their program report, including Jack
Jenkins, Barry Pedley, and Lindal Risenhoover. The Industrial Technology program
report included video segments showing various facets of the design and
development of various student work products, including hat racks and small
engines assembly and repair.
Standards for acceptance & rejection of option enrollment requests for 2010-11
Tony Glenn moved and Jim Craig seconded to approve the resolution presented by
Dr. Baker defining the standards for acceptance or rejection of option
enrollment applications for the 2010-11 school year. Voting yes: Bentzinger,
Craig, Gana, Glenn, Grosshans, Kruger. All ayes; motion carried. The
determinations are based on statutory criteria including regular and special
education program capacity and projected enrollment of resident students.
Review of Policy 4145 – Early Retirement Incentive Program
Larry Grosshans moved, seconded by Tony Glenn, for first approval for deletion
of the Personnel 4145 policy.
Voting yes: Bentzinger, Craig, Gana, Grosshans, Glenn, Kruger. All ayes. The
item will be on April Board agenda for the second (final) action. It is
foreseeable the district will not be in a position to fund ERIP in coming years
and it has not drawn a high level of participation.
Administrators’ Reports
Elementary Assistant Principal Matt Rice shared a brochure developed by teacher
Barb Bentzinger inviting patrons to attend the upcoming Norris Elementary
Science Fair. Dr. Brandt distributed a schedule of Norris Elementary Spring
Activities. Dr. Brandt described Literacy and Wellness Fair slated for April
10th and encouraged Board members to invite community members. Dr. Skretta
shared information summarizing professional development activities which
occurred on the 15th.
The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.
Minutes recorded by Assistant Superintendent Dr. John Skretta.
NOTICE OF MEETING
NORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT 160
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the regular meeting of the Board of Education will
be held at 7:30 p.m. on April 8th in the Board Meeting Room at the Central
Office, which meeting will be open to the public. The agenda for the meeting,
kept continuously current, is available for public inspection at the office of
the Superintendent.
