The East Butler "Board Brief" is a monthly online publication that focuses on sharing the important highlights of the East Butler Public School's Board of Education meeting.

Public Meeting Agenda

Superintendent Eldridge shared with the board summer projects that have been going on during the summer break. Many of which are part of the district's five-year facility plan. You can reference that plan in the link below

FIVE-YEAR FACILITY PLAN

SUMMER PROJECTS 2023

Superintendent Eldridge reported that all projects are on schedule or ahead of schedule.

The East Butler School District engaged in strategic planning in 2018, the school is now at the five-year point of that plan. School Board President Kozisek and Superintendent Eldridge met Kari Stephens of the Nebraska Association of School Boards (NASB) to discuss the strategic plan analysis.

Many items within the strategic plan have been accomplished. As a school board and an administrative team, we would like to celebrate those accomplishments but also plan for the future. A community celebration will take place during the school's back-to-school open house on August 15th. Information will be shared with community members in the near future.

The East Butler Public School District will be entering year two of implementing a Before and After School program. It has been widely well-received by parents and patrons of our school. Currently, our project numbers for the 2023-2024 school year will be:

Brainard - 7

Dwight - 20

With an increase in numbers comes also concern about our staffing needs. The school board discussed multiple options on how this staffing need can be addressed, which included appropriate compensation for those staff members as well as reaching out to community members that would like to help the school with this program.

The school board intends to discuss and act on staffing compensation for the program at their upcoming July board meeting.

Annually, the school district attorney (KSB School Law), provides the school with policy updates so that the policies that are in place reflect any changes to the law that have taken place due to recent legislation that may have passed.

The board will take the month of June to review these updates and plans to act on those updates at their regular July board meeting.

Superintendent Eldridge shared the final update for this legislative session with the board. A brief summary of those bills can be found in the link below:

LEGISLATIVE INFORMATION

Towards the end of the school year, the staff conducted a survey of our female students to gauge the interest that they may have in starting a girls' wrestling program. Based on that survey, approximately 5-6 students were interested in joining a girls' wrestling team.

In addition, the school administration was in discussions with David City Public School District and Shelby-Rising City School District regarding creating a girls' wrestling coop agreement, similar to what is in place for softball.

The board moved to approve the Girl's Wrestling Coop agreement with David City Public Schools and Shelby-Rising City Public Schools for a period of two years.

MOTION PASSED: 6-0

The board revisited the lease agreement after last month's board meeting, with the Village of Brainard, requesting the following changes:

• The Village of Brainard not being responsible for providing chemicals, etc for the upkeep on the field.
• Adjust the Liability insurance aggregate from $5,000,000 to $4,000,000.
• Completion of item 13. Fixtures (items that the village owns) This item needs to be completed by the Village of Brainard.

The remaining part of the lease would be as follows:

Lease length - 10 Years

Cost - $1.00/year

Payment due on August 1.

MOTION PASSED: 6-0

This will now need to be approved by the Village of Brainard Board.

At the end of March 2023, the school district underwent an accreditation visit with COGNIA. The firm currently accredits the East Butler Public School District. This event was a two-day review of the school district. The external review team then provides feedback to the school district in the form of powerful practices (Items we are great at) and improvement priorities (areas that they want us to focus on)

Throughout the school year, the East Butler Public School's school improvement team has been in discussions with each other on whether we should continue to be accredited through COGNIA or switch to the Nebraska State Model (Continuous School Improvement)

The school administrative team presented a side-by-side comparison of the two accrediting agencies, with the purpose of allowing the school board to determine whether to continue being accredited through COGNIA.

The board moved to approve that the school would no longer continue the COGNIA accreditation model, and move forward with being accredited through the Nebraska Continuous School Improvement Model.

MOTION PASSED: 6-0

At this meeting, the school board evaluates Superintendent Eldridge's performance in his duties as the Superintendent of Schools. The board may then act upon any increase in compensation or adjustments to his contract.

The board moved to approve the following to Superintendent Eldridge's contract:

• Extension of his contract for an additional two years (2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026) - Making it a three-year contract.
• 2% increase in compensation for the new school year.
• Provide financial assistance for tuition in order that Mr. Eldridge may pursue a Doctor of Education degree at an institution of his choosing. (this tuition reimbursement will be modeled after the teacher tuition reimbursement program)
• Move the Superintendent evaluation to the December school board meeting.

MOTION PASSED: 6-0

• 2023-2024 Budget Projections
• Tiger Kids Club Staffing Compensation
• Summer Work Update
• KSB School Law Policy Approval
• Student Fee Hearing - 6:15pm

The East Butler Public School's Board of Education meets on the second Wednesday of every month in the library at the Brainard school building. Each meeting starts at 6:30 pm.

Email: meldridge@ebutler.esu7.org
Website: www.ebutlertigers.org
Location: 212 South Madison Street, Brainard, NE, USA
Phone: 402-545-2081
Facebook: www.facebook.com/eastbutlertigers
Twitter: @EBTigers