OSMOND — The District 42R Board of Education met Monday, Sept. 9, with public hearings on the proposed 2024-25 budget and the final tax request preceding the regular meeting.
Mental Health Practitioner Speaks
Diane Martin, the school’s licensed mental health practitioner, spoke to the board about her role at Osmond Community School. She explained that having mental health people at school is not just for kids with problems. The idea is to educate students on life skills.
For instance, she meets with K-6 students to teach social skills, self regulation, emotional control, conflict resolution, communication skills, respect, etc. Students in seventh and eighth grade are taught mental health literacy with social-emotional learning skills intertwined. Seniors have a curriculum that teachers mental health literacy and mental health issues directly impacting those students transitioning out of high school.
Other duties Mrs. Martin has include individual counseling meetings with students, supporting staff through individual meetings and implement screeners to identify student needs. She organizes assemblies, such as the one to be held Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. with Jay Martin on internet safety. She is also a member of the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Team, the Crisis Team and the Mental Health Team.
Board Member Tyler Gansebom asked if there is a stigma for students seeing her. She said the students are pretty accepting, but it depends on the age. K-6 students are mostly okay, she said.
Superintendent Skip Bremer asked, of the students she sees, are they just kids who are struggling academically or who are in trouble in school. Not at all, she told him.
Asked if there are less behavioral issues at school than when she started, Mrs. Martin said she didn’t know if she could answer that, but she said she does see the students using the life skills they have been taught.
Board members thanked her for her presentation.
Principal’s Report
Principal Kurt Polt advised that
tornado, fire and bus evacuation drills had been practiced since the first day
of school as required for all students in K-12.
Polt reported that the fall NSCAS testing for grades 3-6 began Sept. 4 and finished Sept. 9. The high school testing began Sept. 10.
He advised that school will be dismissed at 2:06 on Sept. 11 for teacher inservice and staff members will complete some of their required trainings that day. FFA members will also go to Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island on Sept. 11.
Mr. Polt reminded members of the guest speaker, Jay Martin, on Sept. 18. He also advised that Homecoming spirit week will begin Sept. 30 with coronation, pictures and the dancing concluding activities on Friday, Oct. 4.
Parent-teacher conferences were scheduled for Oct. 7, but because of other events happening at that time, it was changed to Oct. 8, from 3 to 8 p.m., with school to be dismissed at 2:06 p.m.
Polt advised that the end of the first quarter is scheduled for Oct. 11, and report cards will be mailed the following week. He also advised that the school messaging from Power School is getting closer to being done, but he doesn’t have texting yet. The senior banners have been ordered.
Mr. Polt reported that there are 38 students signed up for one-acts; they will be in Class D-1, and Robin Wagner will be head coach.
The principal congratulated the cross country teams which competed in Niobrara last Thursday. All four students — Mason True, Jack Berg and Donovan Heiman in high school and Trenton Wisely in junior high — received medals.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Bremer reported on a Sept. 4 meeting between Osmond, Wausa and the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association (NRCSA) about the feasibility study. Presentations will be made to school patrons, with a more detailed survey to be given, and a report will be prepared by the December meeting.
Bremer gave a brief report on the office remodel. The front office is almost done; they are still waiting on the window and front doors. In answer to a question about the back door of the school, Bremer said it has been installed.
Bremer also reported that he had hired Michele Wattier as custodian.
Board members were advised that SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES 2024-25 BUDGET, TAXES the Nebraska Association of School Boards (NASB) State Education Conference will be held in Omaha Nov. 20-22, and were asked to let Bremer know if they would be attending.
The superintendent reported that the annual ESU8 visit was held on Aug. 26, and the annual safety audit visit will be held Sept. 19. The district is also scheduled to have its Rule 10 compliance visit this year, but no date has yet been set. Also, the conference administrators meeting will be held Sept. 18 in Wayne.
Committee Reports
Board Member Tyler Gansebom reported that the city-school committee is getting closer to having a location for the sign. Love Signs gave them information on a couple of locations that were options. Now they need to talk to owners of those locations.
Gansebom also reported on a leadership workshop on C4K (Communities for Kids) that he and fellow board members Tiffany Rice and Larry Krohn had attended.
Bremer talked about Tigers and Friends Childcare, owned by Paige Kumm. He said that the misconception is that Paige has expanded and the problem of childcare in the community is taken care of, but that’s not the case. The board spoke of some ways to try and solve the issue.
Board President Mark Moes thanked the board for their kindness during his wife’s family’s time of grief.
Bremer advised that he won’t be here on the date of the October meeting, and asked about scheduling it for a different date. After some discussion, it was decided to hold the meeting on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
In other business, the board: — adopted the 2024-25 budget as proposed.
- set the 2024-25 final tax request for the general fund in the amount of $3,242,374 and the special building fund in the amount of $76,535, and the Qualified Capital Purpose Under taking Fund (QCPUF) in the amount of $92,929.
— approved Policies 2016, Participation in Insurance Program by Board Members; 2017, Indemnification and Liability Insurance update; 3025, returned and outstanding checks; 3045, use of sniffer dogs; 3048, communicable disease; 3051, opioid overdose prevention and response; 3056, guest speakers; 4062, locker room supervision; 4064, transporting students in employee vehicles.
