At a non-voting meeting Thursday, North Platte Public Schools Finance Director Stuart Simpson brought a refined budget to the school board, with just 11 days remaining until a public hearing and vote.

Following extensive discussion at the board’s budget workshop on Wednesday, Aug. 21, Simpson sent board members a new proposal that combined two of the plans he had discussed. The newest proposal includes spending cuts while allocating more funds for cash reserves and the building fund.

This proposal will require the approval of a supermajority (five members) of the board to pass, because it represents a 2.8% increase over the allowable property tax call of $29.5 million.

The plan calls for $30.3 million in property taxes, a 1.1% increase from last year. Although the total amount of money collected will increase, the plan reduces the levy from 1.06 to 0.96, largely offsetting an 8% increase in property valuations this year.

Veteran board member Skip Altig was pleased that funds for the cash reserve are still within the budget. Vice President Emily Garrick agreed that an allocation to the cash reserves is necessary, but she also expressed support for implementing spending cuts.

“We are still prioritizing taking care of our buildings, still making sure we are financially sound with  reserves, but still scrutinizing our expenses,” she said.

Garrick said she was proud they had found an option to keep the taxes people pay to a minimal increase. Board member Matthew Pederson was glad they could find some middle ground. President JoAnn Lundgreen said the executive team had talked, and that there would be more accountability and scrutiny of the budget items across each building.

Board member Angela Blaesi said she appreciated the compromise the new proposal brought. Blaesi also said they need to keep looking at the budget because Sen. Mike Jacobson has said if the state takes over the funding, as was proposed in the Legislature’s recent special session, greater scrutiny will be seen.

The board will hold a public hearing and vote during its next meeting on Monday, Sept. 9.

Staffing

Director of Human Resources Kevin Mills another kindergarten teacher was hired for Lincoln Elementary, because the school has 55 kindergartners and needs to form three classrooms. Mills said he is actively recruiting paraprofessionals and partnering with principals to maximize their efficiency.

SPED

The board also heard reports on the SPED (Special Education) strategies and the Professional Learning Community. Special Education Director Erica Johnson said SPED Strategies is a professional development program that aims to improve inclusive practices throughout the district.

Johnson said several people, including administrators, directors, teachers, and paraprofessionals receive the training, which is made possible through a Nebraska Department of Education grant.

Professional learning

The Professional Learning Community (PLC) is an ongoing process through which teachers collaborate to research and implement best practices to improve student outcomes.

Rhodes thanked the board for approving the school calendar, in which students are dismissed at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, to allow time for the PLC. Rhodes said this is a fundamental shift in the district’s professional learning.

The three ideals of the PLC are to focus on learning, creating a culture of collaboration, and on results. The emphasis on learning shows that what a student learns matters more than what a teacher does, Rhodes said.

The collaborative culture is essential to facilitate students getting what they need, even if it takes more than one teacher to help them. Focusing on results is more than just being satisfied with the current results; it allows the students to achieve more.

Rhodes said this is the first year of the PLC, and they will learn as they go and find ways to improve it.

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