LUSK – School board members slogged their way through multiple hand outs, salary schedules, contracts and terms, and policy changes at their April 11 regular meeting of the board. Phrases like competitive salary, lanes and steps and daily pay rate were used to discuss the ins and outs of the proposed salary schedule changes. This was just part of the agenda that members tackled at the Monday night meeting.

The meeting opened with national qualifying FCCLA students visiting with the board about their experience with the program and at the state conference. Seven students qualified in either first or second place in their chose events to go on to compete at the national conference in San Diego. 

In addition to competing, students had the opportunity to attend workshops and listen to several speakers. The students agreed that all learned and grew through their experiences with FCCLA.

Katharine Kruse was awarded the FCCLA Advisor of the Year award for her hard work and commitment to keeping the program going at NCHS. Kruse became emotional when talking about all the hard work her students have done and how amazing it was to watch so many of such a small chapter walk across the stage to receive awards.

The chapter is requesting financial support from the board for the trip to nationals in June. Six students will be making the trip and they are also holding numerous fundraisers this spring to help offset the cost. Kruse reported that travel, lodging and conference fees alone will come to around $1,100. This doesn’t include meals and the few other side activities the chapter has planned. The board thanked the students and Kruse for their hard work and positive representation fo the district. Later in the meeting the board also gave administration the directive that they would like to pay $1,000 per student towards the national conference costs. 

Most of the district administrators also had lengthy reports. Special Education Director Hunter Kunerth gave an update the board on the Medicaid billing pilot program that the district has enrolled. By volunteering to be part of the pilot program the district will receive additional resources that wouldn’t be available should they choose at a later time to begin billing Medicaid for services. The process is one that is already available for integration in the special education software currently be used by the district. The hope is that billing Medicaid for specific services with specific students will allow the district to avoid any caps to special education funding. This system will not affect the ability of those families utilizing private services through medicaid. The families will be able to continue working on their side with professionals as well. Kunerth also stated that the Special Olympics training should be able to start in then all following the free physical event for students that they hope to utilize for special olympics athletes in the community. The district is working on getting co-teaching programs up and running to help with keeping special education students more proactively involved in the general education classroom and what those teaching relationships will look like for the next academic year. Currently WYVA has two students that are in this type of a learning environment and they are thriving.

LEMS Principal Lu Kasper has been designated as the WYTOPP testing coordinator. This year our district will be monitored. Forty of the forty-eight districts in the state will be undergoing monitoring this spring due to a communication issue regarding a training last August which only limited number of schools attended. Kasper says the students are prepared and excited to begin testing. The district is utilizing several tools to help keep students engaged and focused through this week and next as they move through the testing times. There are various activities that students will get to participate in if they work hard and with a positive attitude.

The district has successfully recruited a pre-K-12 music teacher. Alise Rodriguez has accepted a contract for the 2022-2023 year. She brings seven years of experience and an excitement to build a program from the ground up and has both vocal and instrumental music backgrounds.

Students have been working hard on foundational math skills and many were acknowledged for that hard work at the assembly this week. 

Also exciting was the information that the district has been selected as a recipient for the very large literacy grant that was applied for. The exact dollar amount is not yet known. This grant will allow for expansion and focus in several areas of literacy and reading education. Kasper has also been in touch with the incoming principal, Tiffany Assman who is excited to be working in Niobrara county. They hope she should be up to speed all district items and will be able to “hit the ground running” so to speak.

Robin Heth also stated that students would be start WYTOPPS testing as well as ACT testing. An exciting community partnership with Oftenhl construction, one of the contractors on the Town of Lusk infrastructure project, is going to allow students 7-12 the opportunity to learn about and even operate the heavy equipment that they have on job site in Lusk. They want to provide it as a vocational and career day opportunity. More information will be sent out as the date and details are worked out. The Rawhide FFA kids competed at State Convention last week and this week the Skills USA team is at the state competition.

WYVA Head of Schools Joe Heywood reported that WYVA is also starting WYTOPPS testing. Enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year has hit 400 so far and they anticipate they will reach the goal of at least 700 students for the next academic year. Stride, the company that owns the WYVA software and platform has restructured how they will be managing their various districts. Instead of three large regions they have broken it down into nine smaller sections. The goal is to build better relationships with their host districts and help develop programs that meet the unique educational needs of each region. This may not significantly impact Niobrara county but it will be seen in various changes that could happen at the administrative level. 

Stuart Larson, district business manager, provide the board with an updated grants spreadsheet. He continues to work on those projects. The district is largely on track to come in under the 30% allowance for carry-over from year to year. 

Superintendent George Mirich reminded the board about the meeting tomorrow to review the results of the climate survey process. That meeting will take place at 5 p.m. and dinner will be provided for board members. The board also has a BoardDocs training prior to the April 25 meeting. There were no project updates on the ESSER funds projects.

Policy Section C was approved with changes on third reading and policy BG was approved on second reading.

The board accepted resignations from high school counselor Jessica Adams and WYVA staff Kayla Bowie, Anne Lowe and Paige Colwell.

Following a twenty minute executive session the board moved to approve as recommended with the amended initial contracts list, the names on the continuing contract list as provided and they

Following a very lengthy discussion about the proposed salary schedule changes the board approved administration’s recommendations for updated salary and wage scales. These changes will not cause any staff in the district to receive a salary decrease. Members expressed concern about the ability to negotiate with a desirable candidate outside of the salary schedule to which Mirich replied that was why hiring bonuses and moving expenses could be utilized. He emphasized that a set in stone salary schedule is necessary to protect those staff currently in the district and to create consistency when hiring.

The additional of the business manager position to the salary schedule as well as a list of director positions we part of the changes approved. Mirich does not yet have a recommendation for extra duty compensation schedules for the board. Administration also gave a salary schedule recommendation for all administrative positions.

A homeschool petition from Rebecca Tooley for two students was accepted. Also accepted was the resignation of board member Randy Rose who was not in attendance. Per the district policy they now move into the timeline for filling that vacancy with an appointed member.

Board members had requested data on how many students were in each class as well as each classroom. This information was provided by the district. WYVA information will be emailed to the board when it has been obtained.