A review of Omaha Public Schools Board of Education meetings.
April 20, 2021

Following each Board of Education meeting, the Office of District Communications recaps the board meeting in the Board Digest.

If you are having trouble accessing direct links, please click here to view the full Board of Education Agenda with presentations and other documents.
#OPSProud Spotlight
2021 Nebraska State Champion Wrestler - Tyler Stewart
The #OPSProud spotlight featured North High sophomore Tyler Stewart, a 2021 Nebraska State Champion Wrestler.

To view the video presentation, click below.
Board of Education Consent Agenda
Consent Agenda Items
Consent agenda items are packaged into one agenda item. They are often routine and garner very little discussion.

The consent agenda items were:
  • Staff Adjustments
  • Approval of Amendment No. 002 to the Agreement with The Weitz Company, LLC – South High Magnet School Capital Improvements & Renovation Project – 2018 Bond Program $3,710,555.00
  • Approval of Amendment No. 003 to the Agreement with McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. – New Middle School 42nd & Y Street Project – 2018 Bond Program $13,248,705.00
  • Approval of Change Order No. 001 for Catlin Elementary School: Capital Improvements & Renovation Project – 2018 Bond Program - (Deduct $128,535.70) Revised Total: $2,270,323.30
  • Approval of Change Order No. 001 for the Conestoga Elementary School: Capital Improvements & Renovation Project – 2018 Bond Program - (Deduct $266,610.11) Revised Total: $2,314,306.89
  • Approval of the Construction Documents for the Design of North High Magnet School & Northwest High Magnet School Capital Improvements & Renovation Project – 2018 Bond Program
  • Approval of the Construction Documents for the Design of South High Magnet School Capital Improvements & Renovation Project – 2018 Bond Program
  • Approval of Head Start Fiscal Year 2021 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Grant Application 
  • Approval of Head Start Self-Assessment Summary and Improvement Plan 
  • Approval of Indemnification of Keith Firman
  • Approval of Inventory of Items to be Sold at an On-line Auction
  • Approval to Purchase Lexia Core 5 Curricular Materials and Resources from Educational Design Solutions for $386,448.00 for Summer 2021 and the 2021-2022 School Year
  • Approval of Renewal of Insurance Coverages for May 2021 through April 2022
  • Approval of Third Amendment to Contract for Bus Transportation Services with Student Transportation of Nebraska
  • Letter of Intent with Mitchell Auto Auction, LLC.
  • To see the full consent agenda, click here.
Administrative Appointments
The Board approved the following administrative appointments on the consent agenda:
  • Susanne Cramer, current Middle School Literacy Lead - Curriculum Design & Learning Innovation at Jefferson County Public Schools, will be assigned as Executive Director of Academic Recovery and School Improvement.
  • Dr. Fateama Fulmore, current Principal Supervisor at TAC, will be assigned as Chief of School Improvement, Accountability, and Innovation.
  • Cecil L. Hicks Jr., current Associate Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion at the University of Nebraska- Omaha, will be assigned as Chief Talent Officer.
  • John Krogstrand, current Assistant Executive Director at the South Dakota High School Activities Association, will be assigned as Athletic Coordinator.
  • Elizabeth McGuire, current Special Education Teaching and Learning Consultant, will be assigned as Program Director at JP Lord.
  • Amy Soma, current Instructional Resources and Library Program Coordinator at Fargo Public Schools will be assigned as Library Services Teaching and Learning Consultant.
  • Danielle Starkey, current Senior Research Associate at the University of Missouri, will be assigned as Multi-Tiered System of Supports for Behavior (MTSSB) Supervisor
Board of Education Action Items
Approval of the Report of the Legislative Committee Including Recommended Legislative Positions
An update was provided to the Board regarding where bills are currently in the Nebraska Legislature.
 
The Legislative Committee continues to review bills as they change throughout the legislative session. The committee did not have any updated recommendations for bills based on their potential impact on Omaha Public Schools.

The OPS Board Legislative Committee will continue to monitor bills and will review any adjustments. As adjustments to bills are made, the Omaha Pubposition may change as well.
 
To view the bill summary, click here.
Approval of the Academic Calendar for the 2021-2022 School Year
The Board of Education approved the calendar for the 2021-2022 school year. The calendar committee made changes to the proposed calendar based on feedback from a survey of students, families, staff and community.

Our district wanted to focus on three key areas with this calendar:
  • A staggered start time to ensure a smooth transition for all families
  • Uninterrupted teaching and learning
  • Opportunity for recovery efforts/extra duty pay during breaks

Here are highlights from the calendar:
  • Elementary First Day of School - Aug. 16
  • Secondary Jump Start Day (only students in the lowest grade level served by our middle and high schools) - Aug. 17
  • Secondary First Day of School (all middle school and high school students) - Aug. 18
  • Fall Break - Nov. 22-26
  • Winter Break- Dec. 20, 2021 - Jan 4, 2022
  • Spring Break - March 14-18, 2022
  • Last Day of School - May 27, 2022

The team will finalize the parent calendar and make it available in the coming days. It will be available on the district website at ops.org at that time.

To view the calendar presentation, click here.

To view the calendar in Excel format, click here.
Approval of Change Order No. 001 for Highland Elementary School: Capital Improvements & Renovation Project – 2018 Bond Program - (Add $267,304.56) Revised Total: $5,253,743.56
Pursuant to Policy 7000, IV G, staff and Jacobs with the concurrence of the project architect/engineer, Leo A Daly, recommend changes to the original approved work for Highland Elementary. The changes ensure that the school meets fire, life and safety standards, as well as mitigates issues that were found after construction began.

The Board of Education approved the change.

To view the rationale, click here.
Board of Education Information Items
College & Career Academies and Pathways Family and Community Engagement Update
Dr. John Crowe, Director of Enterprise Strategy and Innovation, and Mrs. Crystal Boyd, Ombudsperson, presented information about the district's forthcoming small group family engagement sessions related to College & Career Academies and Pathways. Mr. Jeremy Maskel, Executive Director of District Communications, provided information about the District's continued educational efforts for staff, families and the community related to the proposed programming updates.

In May through June 2021, our District will host small group meetings at each high school community both virtually and in-person. Families, students and staff who are interested in learning more about the College & Career Academies and Pathways are encouraged to attend. Common information will be shared at each session so families will only need to attend one session. Multi-lingual outreach will also take place. Registration information will be available in the coming days. Attendees will be able to hear more in-depth about the College & Career Academies and Pathways and have specific questions answered.

During this time, our district will also continue to provide family and community updates, as well as present information to a number of community groups.

After the engagement sessions are concluded, our district team will work to review feedback and consider a proposal for the fall. In August, we will communicate any new proposal with the goal to return to the Board of Education for consideration in Sept. 2021.

To view the presentation, click here.
Important Information for
Omaha Public Schools Staff
CHI Health and Omaha Public Schools partner to honor teachers across the District
CHI Health wants nominations of Omaha Public Schools teachers changing the lives of students. Each month, they’ll surprise a Top Teacher nominee with a treat basket for the teachers' lounge and a personal gift card. CHI will draw winners on the last Friday of the month. CHI Health will select winners from three different grade levels across the District.
 
Anyone can nominate a Top Teacher at CHIhealth.com/TopTeachers.
Next Omaha Public School Board of Education Meeting
The next regularly scheduled Board Meeting is tentatively scheduled for May 3. It is tentatively scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.

Board of Education Agenda
To review previous Board of Education agendas, click here. If you are having trouble accessing direct links, please access the full Board of Education Agenda to view presentations and other documents.

How Can I Watch a Previous Board of Education Meeting?
The video from the meeting will be available by Wednesday at noon following the meeting. The video can be viewed by clicking here.
Omaha Public Schools| 531-299-0220 | www.ops.org

Questions or feedback? Email us at: BoardDigest@ops.org